Kathleen Y'Barbo - Their Unexpected Love

Pippa took a sip to fortify her dry mouth only to somehow manage to jab the end of the pink paper umbrella up her nose. With the back of her hand, Pippa swatted it away and saw it spiral out of sight to land beside a spray of orchids and a stack of Granny’s books.

Thankfully Logan seemed too preoccupied with the crowd milling around them to notice. Still, heat flamed her cheeks as she took a healthy gulp of juice.

By the time she managed a somewhat neutral expression, Logan was grinning. So he had seen her embarrass herself. If only the ground would just swallow her up.

“This is a beautiful home,” Logan offered. “Guessing it’ll be hard to move out when the building is finished.”

“Actually I don’t live here,” she said. “Granny would like me to, but that feels a little too much like high school, so I’m renting Leah Owen’s beachfront place until the loft is ready.”

“Which won’t take long,” he said quickly.

“Oh, I’m not complaining,” Pippa said. “I love living right on the beach. There’s just something about seeing the waves crashing and...” She shook her head as she waved away the statement. “Anyway, it will be nice to live just around the corner from where I work, so I’ll also be happy when I’m settled downtown.”

“Around the corner?” Logan gave her a look. “Won’t you be living upstairs from where you work?”

“Oh, yes,” she quickly corrected. “Once the gallery is open. And it will be nice to live there,” Pippa added. “Great architecture will trump sandy feet, I suppose.”

“The sand’s not that far away. Just a couple of blocks.” Logan paused. “So where are you working now?”

“R10:14 Skate Park,” she said. “Though I don’t actually work there. I’m a volunteer.”

“Skate park?” He chuckled. “That’s funny.”

Pippa stood a little straighter. “What’s so funny about it?”

His smile faded. “Well, you don’t exactly look like the skateboarding type.”

“Now I know you don’t remember me from high school. Maybe it was all those times my skateboard fell out of my locker and hit you on your head. I always wondered if you left Vine Beach High the next year because of that.”

He gave her a sideways look. Slowly recognition dawned as his gaze swept the length of her. “But you’re too...”

Oh, this was fun. “I’m too what?” At his stricken expression, Pippa elected to give the poor guy a break. “If you were about to say that I am too pretty to be a skateboarder, then I would have to say thank you. If, however, you were about to say something else, then I retract the thanks.”

“You’ve got me there. And you’re welcome.”

Logan waved a waiter over and picked up a glass of juice. Before he handed it to Pippa, he removed the yellow umbrella and stuck it in his front pocket.

Their eyes met, Logan looking amused. And then, just barely, one corner of his mouth lifted in the beginning of a grin.

“So, about the building,” Pippa said. “Granny has a meeting with you to finalize the details on her calendar, right?”

“She does, though if you want I can send the details to you via email.”

“No need,” she said. “Our calendars are synched so the appointment reminder will be there when I get to work on Monday. I’m curious, though. Have you found any surprises during the demolition?”

“So far, no. The old building is solid as a rock. It just needs a little work, at least upstairs where you’ll be living. Downstairs is going to take more time, but that’s something we’ve already discussed.” Logan’s expression was tentative. “You said you like your view of the ocean in the rental. That reminds me of the idea I had.”

Granny stepped into view, Vine Beach’s mayor at her side. Apparently the part of the evening Pippa most dreaded was about to get under way. How many times had she smiled until her jaws ached at these events? Too many to count.

The irony was that while she loved to plan events, she had short tolerance for actually attending them.

“I’m curious,” she said to Logan. “What’s your idea? Some kind of decorating thing?”

He gave her a wide-eyed look. “Do I look like a decorator?” When she laughed, he continued. “It’s a construction item.” Uncertainty showed in his expression. “I spied some minor damage from last night’s storm that’s going to have to be repaired. While I was digging around—”

“Ladies and gentlemen” came the booming voice of Mayor Murdoch. “Can I have your attention? We came here for a reason, and I think it’s time we got started.”

Logan shrugged as if to indicate his inability to continue. Pippa gave her attention to the mayor, who was accepting a hug from Granny before handing her the microphone.

“Every one of you is here because you’ve indicated an interest in what the Gallagher Trust is doing,” Granny said. “For this I want to thank you. When my late husband and I set up this trust, I never expected the Lord would use it so mightily to bless others.”

Pippa thought of all the good her grandparents had done over the years and smiled. Not only had they funded her parents in their mission work in Indonesia, but they also sent out scores of others who had gone out to do the work of the Lord. And without the small stipend the trust paid her, she’d never have been able to get the youth ministry she called R10:14 up and running.

“So, Mayor,” Granny continued, “why don’t you do the honors and tell us who will be going home with my paintings tonight?”

Pippa stifled a groan. Here we go. If she didn’t find a way out soon, she would eventually be drawn into the speech-giving. Or, the way she thought of it, the moment when everyone stared and she made a fool of herself by either babbling nonsensically or finding nothing to say at all.

The mayor took the microphone and began to wax poetic on the tight competition for coveted pieces of art from the Gallagher collection. Every painting had a name and a story attached, and the politician took great care to draw out each before declaring the winners.

Pippa caught Logan watching her, then grinned when he quickly looked away. Apparently he shared her desire to escape.

Across the room, Dr. Wilson’s name was announced as the winner of Granny’s Sailboats at Dawn painting. By Pippa’s count there were at least two dozen more pieces to award. And then would come the speeches.

Time to make a discreet exit.

“So,” she whispered when she caught Logan’s attention again. “I was just leaving. Want to join me? You could show me that construction add-on you were talking about.”

“Now?” Recognition dawned as Logan leaned close. “You’re not exactly dressed for walking around a construction site.”

“Neither are you.” She gestured to the surfboard-themed tie he wore. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

A glance around the room and Logan returned his attention to her with a grin. “Are you kidding? Let’s go.”

Chapter Two

Pippa led the way around the back of Granny’s house, skirting the pool and the outdoor kitchen to enter the service area that led to the garage. Kicking off her heels, she slipped into the sandals she kept there. While she used them for wearing out on the sandy beach or in the outdoor shower, they should also work for poking around an old building. At the very least they should keep her from falling on her face, a distinct possibility in the uncomfortable but pretty yellow shoes she’d donned for the party.

She turned to be sure Logan was still following. He’d already removed his jacket and slung it over his arm and was in the process of loosening his surfboard tie. When their gazes met, he gave her a dazzling smile.