As she stopped to admire the gleaming window of an antique shop at the corner of the row, Austin scanned the street, his photographer’s eye taking in his surroundings. His camera bag was slung over his shoulder, but he wasn’t ready to start shooting yet.
“Aren’t you going to take pictures?” Mari asked, noticing that his bag was still closed.
“Not yet. I’m absorbing first.”
Rather than question him, she simply nodded, as if she understood exactly where he was coming from.
“I’m serious, this place is incredible,” she said, smiling at two little girls who rushed by holding ice-cream cones. “It’s so…gosh, the only word I can think of is innocent. Do you know what I mean?”
Austin nodded in agreement, then turned to study the beautiful limestone fountain in the middle of the square. The little girls with the ice cream had flopped down on one of the old-fashioned benches near the fountain, bringing to life that vision of innocence Mari had mused about.
“That would make a great shot,” Mari said, reading his thoughts as she gestured to the girls in the square.
“Yeah, but I’d have to get their parents to sign a release if I wanted to use the shots, and that’s too much of a hassle for a quick detour. I can still shoot the fountain, though.”
They crossed the little walkway that led to the town square and stopped at an unoccupied bench, Austin unsnapping the padded bag that held his digital SLR. After he’d adjusted the settings and investigated the lighting situation, he got to work, snapping frame after frame, while Mari wandered around the perfectly manicured lawn.
It didn’t take long for him to get the shots he needed, and soon he was swinging his camera in Mari’s direction, the shutter clicking as he admired his new subject. Her strawberry-blond hair gleamed in the sunlight like coppery gold that had been polished until it shone, and her petite body looked amazing in those little shorts and tight top. And man, her face was so expressive it amazed him. Those light-blue eyes advertised her every emotion, whether it was delight, joy or the annoyance she now flashed the camera.
“Hey, the spread isn’t called Mari of the Midwest,” she called out. “Get back to work, buddy.”
“I’m all done,” he replied as he headed toward the big elm tree she was leaning against. “Besides, you make a better subject than some boring old street.”
She glared at him. “This place is not boring. It’s beautiful and I never want to leave.”
Austin laughed. “Yeah, I don’t want to leave, either.”
“Good, so let’s stay a little while longer. Buy me an ice-cream cone?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
They left the square and walked back to the row of shops, taking their time as they made their way to the ice-cream parlor.
“I’m serious, I want to move here,” Mari announced. “This town is perfect.”
“It actually reminds me a lot of Paradise,” he admitted. “It’s got the same vibe.”
“Really? And yet you’re delaying going home? What’s wrong with you?”
As discomfort climbed up his spine, he swiftly turned the tables on her. “What about you? Des Moines can’t be as bad as you make it out to be. I’ve been there before, and it’s not a total hellhole.”
“No, but I still hated every minute of living there.”
Mari moved aside to let a trio of teenage boys on mountain bikes cycle by, and Austin noticed that all three males twisted their heads to check out the curvy redhead. The ogling even caused one of the cyclists to swerve and nearly hit a trashcan, which made Austin snicker.
“You’re drawing a lot of attention,” he informed her.
“It’s the short-shorts. I think I’m the only female in this town who’s willing to show her thighs.”
She was right—as Austin glanced around, he noticed that every woman in their vicinity was covered at least to the knees, if not all the way to the ankles. Mari’s little denim shorts were by far the most revealing item of clothing he could see.
Mari let out a sigh. “I guess I’m not wholesome enough for this place.”
They reached the ice-cream parlor and ducked inside, emerging a few minutes later with their prizes. Mari had ordered a large waffle cone with two scoops of rocky road, and as she tackled her treat, Austin all but forgot about his own chocolate cone.
She looked so sexy, her tongue darting in and out to lap at the ice cream until his cock was rock-hard beneath his jeans. Shit. He hoped nobody noticed the hard-on, but he couldn’t seem to control the rising arousal.
Trying not to focus on the pressure down below, he led her away from the ice-cream shop. “Let’s walk for a bit.”
As they set off down the sidewalk again, he impulsively took her hand, which caused her eyebrows to soar.
“Are you holding my hand?” she demanded.