13 "Hey, if the shoe fits."

Today, his goal was to set up his laptop, shop for some furniture, and prepare to open for business next week. A droning sound drew him to the front window. Between the slats of the wooden blind a flash red caught his eyes as a seaplane banked left into the cove, the sun sparking off a wingtip. Lee, returning from her morning run.

He appreciated the ease with which she lowered the aircraft, sailed onto the water's surface, steered to the wharf. She was good, very good, at her job. He imagined her voice to the Renton tower. Soft and a little raspy, that voice had calmed his nerves; assured him Danny wouldn't be orphaned.

Suddenly, he wanted to go down and greet her. He wanted to hear her voice again.

He remained where he was, watching through the slats while she removed her headgear, climbed from her plane, anchored it to the Dock. His eyes narrowed when a dark-haired man in jeans and plane shirt approached the craft. Friend? Lover?

A spark of jealousy flared as he watched the guy unload a box from the bantain-size cargo hold behind the passenger seats.

Rogan grunted. What the hell was the matter with him? He wasn't interested in the woman. Damn it, he was not. Yet, he couldn't tear himself away from the window. A love- struck idiot, he stood watching while she fiddled with her plane and finally headed down the dock toward the coffee shop.

Man, she was something. The way she carried herself. Those long legs. That blazing, curly hair the cove's wind hauled over one shoulder. She wore the same black flight jacket as before, but today her slacks were gray.

Rogan stepped back. He felt like a peeping Tom. (get ur mind back to this office, man).

On the kitchen counter his laptop waited. Okay, he'd tap out a supply list. Fifteen items filled the screen when he heard foot-steps on the front entry stairs. Wondering about his first visitor, or his neighbour across the landing, he lifted his head towards the door that he had absently left ajar.

Lee poked her head inside.

They stared at each other. Her auburn brows slammed together before she blinked and sauntered into the room.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I've rented the place." pleasure rushed through him.

"What are you doing here?"

She gestured to the door. "Guess we're neighbours."

"You've an office across the way?" Could things get any better?

A smile flickered. "I suppose part is office----if you could call it that. Mostly it's my home."

She lived next door? His body tightened. He'd see her daily. If he wanted to. And, God help him, but he did. Very much.

She turned in a small circle, viewing the hollow rooms. "Are you planning to be the village's first lawyer?"

His mouth twitched. "Is that better than being the village's first idiot?"

She chortled. "Hey, if the shoe fits." A rosy hue touched her cheeks. "Sorry, scratch that. Sometimes I run off at the mouth."