Lights and Shadows (Oregon In Love) Read Online Free PDF Page B

neon letters near the Square, she
made a beeline for the shop.

    Marc stretched and yawned. He rubbed his eyes, which
ached after hours of staring into a computer screen. Rolling his head
to stretch his neck, he caught a glimpse of blue through the
mini-blinds at the windows. Distracted, he got up to peek outside.
The startling brightness of the sky made him wince. Marc remembered
hearing a forecast for rain. Unable to resist the siren call of
unexpected sunshine, he decided to take a much-needed coffee break.
    A few minutes later, he pushed open the door of the
coffee shop down the street from his apartment. After ordering his
usual Macchiato espresso, he looked along the brick walls at the
watercolor paintings by the featured artist of the month. Several
months ago, his work had been featured here, and he’d sold many
photographic prints as a result.
    When his coffee was ready, he gingerly handled the hot
cup and scanned the shop for a vacant table. A woman seated near the
window caught his attention. She turned and looked in his direction.
    “ Julia!” Her name came out in spite of a half-desire
to escape without being seen.
    Julia’s eyes widened when she saw him. She waved him
over and invited him to sit at her table. “What a surprise!”
    “ I was going to say the same thing,” he said, easing
down onto the spindly chair opposite her.
    She gave a gracious smile, her face lit by the diffused
sunlight. Marc felt as if a tractor beam had been switched on. He
took a sip of his coffee, hoping he hadn’t stared at her too long.
“So, what brings you to Portland?”
    Julia gave a soft laugh. “As charming as Buell Creek
is, it’s a tad remote. I’ve been missing the frantic pace of my
hometown, I guess, and thought maybe a trip to the big city for the
day would help me cope.”
    Marc smiled in spite of himself. “And is it working?”
    “ It’s a little different from San Diego, but I’m
having a nice time.”
    “ Where have you been so far?”
    “ Mostly just here, downtown.”
    “ If you like, I’d be glad to show you around to some
of the more interesting places.” Once the words were out, Marc
wished he could grab them back. Although he found Julia lovely and
intriguing, he also felt sure spending any time in her presence would
be unwise.
    She gave him a quizzical look. “Do you come to
Portland often?”
    “ I live here. My apartment is just a few blocks from
Pioneer Courthouse Square.”
    No wonder Sara wanted me to see the place, that
stinker . Julia raised her brows a notch. “Are you sure I won’t
be keeping you from anything?”
    He shook his head. “Nothing important anyway. I was
just doing some research for a class I’ll be teaching in the fall.”
    “ On photography?”
    “ Yes. I’d prefer to exclusively freelance, but
teaching helps pay the bills.”
    “ Is the school here in town?”
    “ It’s a small community college on the outskirts of
the city.”
    Julia took a sip of her coffee. The gold bracelets on
her arm tinkled as she set her cup down. “Where to first?”

    ***

    Julia was surprised to find herself excited at the
thought of spending time with Marc. After they left the coffee shop,
he thought she'd enjoy using the MAX train—the local electric mass
transit system—instead of fighting traffic. She agreed and after a
short walk to the stop, they boarded the train.
    Sharing a seat with him made Julia uncomfortably aware
of his attractiveness. When his arm brushed against her own, she
experienced a tiny jolt. She ignored it, blaming it on some oddball
physiological quirk of nature. Marc pointed out scenes of interest
and Julia made an effort to concentrate on what he said, despite her
continued reaction to his nearness.
    She was relieved when they finally got off the MAX
train. Outside, with several more inches between them, she began to
relax. Minutes later they arrived at their destination on the West
Side. Marc ushered her into a huge bookstore that was obviously