He stared at her for another minute. Then, holstering the hammer in his jeans, he climbed down the ladder, lifted a shutter, and, somewhat awkwardly given its bulk, climbed back up. The shutter was wide, clearly functional rather than decorative. Though he carried it one-handed, he stopped twice on the way up to shift his grip. At the top, he braced it against the ladder’s shelf while he adjusted his hands, then lined up hinges and pins.
He had one hinge attached but was having trouble with the second. She knew what this was about. She had worked with storm shutters. They were tricky to do alone.
Resting the shutter on the shelf again, he pulled the hammer from his waistband and adjusted the hinge with a few well-aimed hits. Then he tried the shutter again.
Watching him struggle, Charlotte remembered more about Leo Cole from her early days here. Not too bright, they said. Troubled. Stubborn. She had never known him personally; she was only there summers, and he ran with a different crowd. Actually, she corrected silently, he didn’t run with a crowd. A lone wolf, he did damage all on his own, and it was serious stuff. The stories included stealing cars, forging checks, and deflowering sweet young things.
Those last summers she was on Quinnipeague, he was in state prison, serving time for selling pot. Rumor had it that Cecily was the one who grew it, and Charlotte could believe it, what with medical marijuana use on the rise. The islanders always denied it, of course. They didn’t want the Feds threatening their cures.
Leo had been nabbed for selling grass on the mainland. Did he still grow it? She couldn’t smell it now, and she did know that smell.
Having returned the shutter to the shelf, he was readjusting the hinge.
“Want some help?” she called up.
He snorted.
“Four hands, and you’d have that right up,” she advised.
“Two hands’ll do.”
Charlotte looked past him toward the cupola. She didn’t see any bats yet, didn’t feel any ghosts. If Cecily’s spirit was floating around, it hadn’t cast a spell to keep Charlotte here. She remained because she was stubborn herself.
“I’ve done this before,” she said now.
“Uh-huh.”
“I have. I’ve built houses.”
“That so.” He didn’t believe her.
“Half a dozen in El Salvador after the big quake there, and at least as many when tornados decimated parts of Maryland. I know how storm shutters work.”
He continued to stare.
“All you need,” she said, freeing a hand to hold back the hair that fluttered loose again, “is someone to steady it while you fit the pins in the hinges.”
“Really. I didn’t know that.”
“Okay,” she granted. “So you did. But you could’ve had that hung and been down five minutes ago. Aren’t you cold?” She was appreciating every thick inch of her sweater, while his arms were ropy and bare.
“I’m a man.”
She waited for more. When nothing came, she said, “What does that have to do with it?”
“Men run hot.”
“Really.” Refusing to be baited, she returned her hand to her armpit, shifted to a more comfortable stance, and smiled. “Great. I’ll watch while you get that shutter hung. Maybe I can learn how you do it alone.”
Apparently realizing he’d been one-upped, he said, “Fine. Since you know it all, here’s your chance.” He backed down, put the shutter on the ground against his leg, and gestured her toward the ladder.
“I’m not lugging that thing up,” she said.
“No, but if you get up there, I can hold the shutter while you do the fitting. Assuming you can see. Your hair’s a mess.”
“Thanks,” she said brightly and gripped the rail. Two ladders would have been better. She wasn’t sure she liked the idea of climbing this one with him at her butt. She would be at his mercy. But she did have a point to prove.
So she began to climb, looking back every few rungs to see where he was. When she reached the top, she felt his shoulder against the back of her thighs. If she hadn’t known better, she would have said he was making sure she didn’t fall.
But she did know better. Leo Cole had no use for women, or so the story went. If he was standing that close, he was toying with her.
She didn’t like being toyed with—and, yes, her hair was in her eyes, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of pushing it back. Fortunately, she knew enough about hanging shutters to do it, hair and all. While he bore the weight of the wood, she easily lined up both pairs of hinges and pins, and that quickly it was done.
Nearly as quickly, he backed down the ladder. By the time she reached the ground, he was stowing the hammer in a tool box. The instant she was off the last rung, he reached for the ladder.
“You’re welcome,” Charlotte said.
He shot her a flat look.
“I’m Charlotte Evans.”
“I know.”
Coming soon …
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BARBARA DELINSKY
LOVE SONGS
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Available in January 2013 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
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BARBARA DELINSKY
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SILKEN SANDS
HOLD MY HEART
CALL MY NAME
AMBER’S EMBRACE
From St. Martin’s Press
Also by Barbara Delinsky
The Forever Instinct
First Things First
Straight from the Heart
The Scent of Jasmine
What the Waves Bring
Home Fires
Pictures of You
Don’t Tempt Me
PRAISE FOR BARBARA DELINSKY …
“Delinsky is a first-rate storyteller who creates believable, sympathetic characters who seem as familiar as your neighbors.”
—Boston Globe
“Delinsky combines her understanding of human nature with absorbing, unpredictable storytelling—a winning combination.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Delinsky has a knack for exploring the battlefields of con-temporary life.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Delinsky does a wonderful and realistic job portraying fam-ily dynamics.”
—Library Journal
“A writer who continues to earn her bestseller status.”
—Bookreporter.com
“Delinsky never fails to entertain.”
—RT Book Reviews
… AND HER BESTSELLING NOVELS
ESCAPE
“Great summer read.”
—People
“Delinsky nails it in her trademark latest, a captivating and moving story about a woman who’s had enough of her life and wants a fresh start.… [She] keeps the story moving with some nice twists on a familiar plot, rich characterizations, and real-feeling dilemmas that will keep readers hooked.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Another appealing page-turner.”
—Bookreporter.com
NOT MY DAUGHTER
“A topical tale that resonates with timeless emotion.”
—People, 3½ stars
“Delinsky proves once again why she’s a perennial bestseller with this thought-provoking tale … Timely, fresh, and true-to-life.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Emotionally intelligent … Mother-daughter bonding, knit-ting, and a ripped-from-the-headlines plot from Delinsky offer her fans what they want—high drama and realism.”
—Kirkus Reviews
WHILE MY SISTER SLEEPS
“Graced by characters readers will come to care about, this is that rare book that deserves to have the phrase ‘impossible to put down’ attached to it. Delinsky does a wonderful and realistic job portraying family dynamics; the relatio
nship between Molly and Robin, in particular, is spot-on. This touching and heartbreaking novel is highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
THE SECRET BETWEEN US
“Barbara Delinsky can be counted on to deliver straight-forwardly written, insightful stories about family relationships. Her new novel, The Secret Between Us, is one of her best.”
—Boston Globe
“Relationships are brought to the limit in Delinsky’s splendid latest exploration of family dynamics.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] page-turner … In addition to being immensely readable, Delinsky’s latest is thought-provoking; readers will in-evitably pause to consider what they would do … Highly recommended.”
—Library Journal
“A polished drama … Delinsky does a fine job creating sympathetic characters with personal problems … Well-crafted and satisfying.”
—Kirkus Reviews
FAMILY TREE
“In frank, unencumbered prose, Delinsky’s sixth novel raises intriguing questions … making for engrossing reading.”
—People
“An illuminating view of one family’s search for the truth when their world turns upside down. The characters are vividly drawn with masterful detail in this one-of-a-kind book. As the author delves deep into a controversial and timely social issue, she exposes the societal hypocrisy and the ramifications of events that hit too close to home.”
—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick)
AN ACCIDENTAL WOMAN
“Warm and charming … The multiple layers of interlocking characters and plotlines add up to one transfixing and thoroughly satisfying story.”
—RT Book Reviews
About the Author
BARBARA DELINSKY is a New York Times bestselling author with more than thirty million copies of her books in print. She has been published in twenty-five languages worldwide. A lifelong New Englander, Barbara earned a B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology at Boston College. Barbara enjoys knitting, photography, and cats. She also loves to interact with her readers through her website at www.barbaradelinsky.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bdelinsky, and on Twitter as @BarbaraDelinsky.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Previously published separately as Heat Wave and A Special Something.
WARM HEARTS
Copyright © 1984, 1987 by Barbara Delinsky.
Excerpt from Sweet Salt Air copyright © 2012 by Barbara Delinsky.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
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eISBN: 9781250018748
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / October 2012
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
Warm Hearts Page 40