A Treasure Worth Keeping Read Online Free PDF Page A

she’d recognize him at a glance….
    Sam Cutter’s face flashed in her mind, and Evie fumbled the ironstone pitcher she’d been dusting. Fortunately, she caught it again before it hit the ground. Sam Cutter! Not likely. He wasn’t exactly Mr. Personable. In fact, she’d sensed he’d found her…amusing. She hadn’t missed his quick, appraising glance when she’d stood up. Or the half smile on his face when his silver gaze had lingered on her wool cardigan. It was chilly by the shore. Not everyone had an internal thermostat that made them comfortable wearing a T-shirt on a cool day.
    Which brought to mind the tanned, muscular arms his T-shirt had revealed…
    “Ah, Miss?”
    The bride’s tentative question zapped her back to reality. Snap out of it, Evie.
    “I’m sorry. Can I help you?”
    “We’ll take this.” She pushed a small figurine toward Evie. A ceramic horse with one ear missing.
    “Did you notice it’s chipped?” Evie wanted to make sure Patrick’s customers were satisfied with their purchases when they left.
    The woman nodded. “I don’t care. It looks just like the horse I had when I was ten. And believe it or not, half her ear was missing, too.”
    Her husband hovered nearby while Evie carefully wrapped the figurine in tissue paper.
    “Enjoy your trip,” she called after them.
    The store remained quiet for the rest of the afternoon, so Evie took advantage of the time by rearranging shelves and washing the leaded-glass windows in the store.
    Solitude was wonderful during the day when she could see boats out on the water and the glint of the church steeple as it winked back at the sun. But as the sun melted into the horizon and shadows began to sift through the trees and creep toward the door, Evie realized it wasn’t so friendly at night. To counteract the silence, she turned on her dad’s ancient record player and curled up in a chair with one of the books she’d been waiting since Christmas to read.
    It was just after eight when the motion lights in the front yard came on. Evie walked over to the window and peered outside. All she could see was the outline of a shadowy figure walking up the sidewalk toward the house.
    Evie’s breath caught in her throat until she saw the person’s face briefly illuminated in the light.
    Sam Cutter.
    She hurried to open the door. His clothing looked rumpled from a day out on the water, and his hair was in disarray, combed by the wind. She didn’t understand why he’d come for a visit so late in the evening, unless…
    “Is Dad okay? Did you hear something?”
    “I imagine they’re fine. I haven’t heard otherwise.”
    Relief poured through Evie. “Then why—”
    “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be tucked in for the night already.” The faint smile had returned.
    Evie didn’t like his choice of words. He made it sound as if she were a chipmunk, hiding in a hole.
    “Come in.” Evie stepped to the side and he stalked past her. Her traitorous nose twitched at the pleasing scent of sunshine, wind and sand that clung to his clothes. “Where’s Faith?”
    “I didn’t leave her alone on the boat, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
    That had been what she was thinking, and the warmth flooding into her cheeks gave her away. Evie ducked her head so he wouldn’t notice.
    “My father mentioned that you’re a teacher, Miss McBride.”
    “Evie,” she corrected, wondering where this was going. “That’s right. I teach seventh-and eighth-grade science classes at a Christian school—”
    “Faith needs a tutor.”
    The terse interruption reminded Evie of Caitlin. Her back stiffened like an irritated cat.
    “A tutor.” Evie repeated the words, giving herself a few extra seconds to process the unexpected statement. Was Sam simply stating a fact or asking her to be Faith’s tutor?
    “We’re planning to stay in Cooper’s Landing for…a while,” Sam said. “We’ll be out on the water most of the day, but in the evening we’ll