Chapter 1

Claudia Lockhart stood from her desk and stretched her arms above her head as if she could touch the ceiling, her tall, five-foot-eight-inch figure casting a shapely shadow on the wall behind her. “Another one ready for Friday morning’s print,” she lamented to no one.

She admired the front page of her latest creation. Claudia is the sole full-time employee for the ‘Middleton Direction,’ the town’s weekly newspaper, which is more like a newsletter. This was a far cry from the kind of journalism she imagined doing by now with her five-year-old degree. She shredded her latest job rejection, making fifteen and counting, then turned off her computer. She turned side to side, observing her perfect 150-pound reflection in the wall mirror, running her hands down the sides of her silk blouse to her hips. She let her strawberry blonde hair out of its bun and fluffed it to rest on her shoulders.

“Eat your heart out, George O’Brien. You’ll never get your stinky, little hands on this body,” she said, admiring her figure.

At thirty-one years old and still single, Claudia quietly dreamed of working for a decent-sized newspaper firm or TV station, anywhere, not living her life here and ending up married to one of the town’s local losers.

“I’m a great looking woman who has more than enough love for the right man. All I want is to be happy and successful. Is that so much to ask for?” She said to her mirrored reflection.

Her medium-sized breasts strained against her blouse as she slipped on her raincoat. The heavy mid-July rainstorm was supposed to spell relief from a stifling heatwave covering the northeastern United States.

The unmistakable sound of squeaking and creaking announced the opening of the office door.

“I’ve got to get that damn door fixed,” she said to herself.

“I’m sorry, we closed an hour ago. You’ll have to come back tomorrow,” she said, looking at the shadowy reflection in her wall mirror.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking to do any business,” he replied. She turned to face the stranger.

“I was driving down Main Street, and the car out front was the only one I could see,” he said, taking off his ball cap and wiping the dripping rain from his bare arms.

“It’s past 5 o’clock in Middleton; the town workers will be by to roll up the sidewalks in thirty minutes,” she joked.

The stranger’s green hazel eyes twinkled as he smiled at her often-used small-town joke. “I had car trouble, and I’m a soaking, muddy mess. Can you tell me if there’s a hotel or a bed and breakfast nearby?”

Claudia’s curious reporter’s eye scanned the man she approached. She guessed he stood six feet tall and weighed about 200 pounds. His dark blue polo shirt, wet from the rain, clung to his upper body like a second skin, revealing decent muscles and a slight belly. She noticed an eagle tattoo on his left lower arm and a parrot on the right. He had slightly wavy brown hair, which was combed back, and several grey hairs at the temples, giving him a distinguished appearance. She observed the start of laugh lines at the corners of his eyes and figured his age at mid-thirties.

“Not too bad looking,” she thought. “I see you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. I should kick you out of here,” she kidded, seeing the crest on the ball cap in his hand.

“A gift from my mom. I am a Leaf fan, but being from Miami, I only get to watch them play the Tampa Bay Lightning or the Florida Panthers.”

“You are a sucker for punishment,” she smiled. “I’m partial to the Rangers myself, being from New York.”

“I thought you’d like the Sabres being closer to Buffalo,” he assumed.

“My dad was original six all the way.”

“To answer your question, there’s a bed and breakfast four blocks down. Turn right onto State Street, then left, and the big house is on the corner. It’s called Katherine’s and is owned by my aunt,” she said, pointing the way.

He quickly looked her over as she told him the directions. He raised his eyebrows in appreciation for this pretty woman. He estimated she stood about five feet, seven inches tall and weighed between 140 and 150 pounds. His nostrils breathed in the faint scent of brown sugar and vanilla perfume.

“Thank you,” he smiled, donning his cap. He stood under the canopy and looked in both directions before running back to his SUV.

Claudia watched the dark blue Cadillac SRX SUV back out and drive away. “Must be nice to have money and drive a fancy rig like that,” she commented to an empty office.

She noticed damage to the right front bumper and fender and a different-sized front tire. She wiped up the water he’d left on the floor and ran to her car. “Maybe I’ll visit Aunt Katherine for iced tea later tonight,” she said, driving home to her empty apartment.

Her stranger found the bed and breakfast and parked his damaged vehicle in the rear parking lot, out of sight.

Three hours later, Claudia was at her aunt Katherine’s doorway, her only family since her parents died in a car accident fifteen years ago.

Why, Claudia, this is a pleasant surprise,” the elderly and jovially plump Katherine smiled, answering the door.

“Hi Auntie, I thought I’d drop by and have an iced tea with you.”

“By all means, my child. I have a guest staying the night, and he’s not too bad in the looks department either, if you know what I mean,” she whispered.

“Still trying to find me, my, Mr. Right?” She laughed lightly.

“You bet I am, and guess what? He isn’t married!” She whispered again. Claudia, honey, you should be married to a wonderful man with two or three babies by now.”

Yes, I know, Auntie; I’ve heard the lecture many times before,” she sighed, rolling her eyes skyward.

Katherine escorted Claudia into the living room, which was decorated as if it were an antique store. “Come on, let me make the introductions,” she said, ushering her by the small of her back.

“Mr. Davenport, this is my niece, Claudia Lockhart.”

“We met earlier today,” he smiled, standing and walking over to her. “Hi Claudia, my name is Daniel, Daniel Davenport. You can call me Dan,” he said, offering his right hand. “Your aunt Katherine told me she was going to invite her niece over for iced tea, but I see she didn’t have to make that call. And much to my pleasant surprise, it’s the same beautiful woman I met a few hours ago.”

Claudia felt her cheeks flush like a teenager from his compliment. Dan quickly gazed over her figure from head to toe and liked what he saw. He was just a few inches taller than she was and liked the eye-to-eye contact. Claudia had sworn she’d never marry a guy who was shorter than her.

“I’ll be back momentarily with our teas. You two sit down and get acquainted,” she smiled. They sat at opposite ends of the couch.

Katherine grinned while turning the corner to her kitchen. She looked from Claudia to Dan. This wasn’t the first time she had tried to set her niece up with a young man, however, but it was the first time she didn’t have to be invited. Dan was instantly drawn to her long, bare legs. Her blue jean shorts hugged her body perfectly, while the V of her white T-shirt gave a nice hint of cleavage.

“I hope my aunt hasn’t been badgering you with all sorts of questions; she can be quite nosey at times,” she apologized.