Chapter 2 #2
“Was he sick?” Beryl asked, feeling like she was barely keeping up with the conversation. All she wanted was for someone, for the love of little space potatoes, to fix her dang ice machine and give her some peace.
“Not exactly,” Tanya said. “A group of guys—you know the kind, Beryl, those guys who come out here for a manly-man bonding weekend in the woods—anyway, these guys found him in the middle of the road unconscious. Unconscious! Then they freaked out because they thought they’d hit him or something.
They slammed on the brakes and jumped out to see.
Luckily, they couldn’t have hit him, because he wasn’t flatter than roadkill.
So they figured he must have staggered out of the woods and collapsed on the road.
At least, that’s what they told 911 when they called to report it.
He spent a week or more maybe in the hospital. Isn’t that right, Deputy?”
Sam nodded. “That’s the way I heard it.”
Tanya continued with her story. “I guess he was technically in a coma. But anyway, he didn’t have ID on him and they didn’t figure out who he was until he woke up and could tell them.”
“Weren’t people wondering about his business being closed?” Beryl asked.
“Well, he has a manager named Frederick who runs the business while Jake works in his shop making things. I guess the manager just thought he was sequestered away working on something. Anyway, it was almost a week before they found out where he belonged. When Jake woke up, he’d lost his memory!
Can you believe it?” She didn’t give Beryl a chance to answer before adding, “But I’m sure he’s back to work now.
He’s probably moving a bit slower, and if you met him before he was in the hospital, he won’t remember you. ”
Beryl was certain she’d never met Jake, nor had she ever been inside Dark Matter Metal & Leather in downtown Alienn. Despite that, she felt compelled to ask, “Does he even remember how to do his job if he lost his memory?”
“Oh, sure,” Tanya said, nodding. “Metal and leatherwork is the only thing he does remember, from what I heard. He doesn’t remember anybody. Isn’t that crazy?”
“Definitely crazy,” Beryl agreed.
Tanya glanced toward the supermarket’s sliding doors and her face grew even more animated. Shouting to be heard over the tortured ice machine, she said, “Well, speak of the devil! Hi, Jake. We were just talking about you.”
Beryl followed her gaze to the gorgeous man who’d stopped just inside the doors at Tanya’s call. In fact, all eyes went in Jake’s direction.
The tall blond man’s puzzled expression slipped toward wary, like he was worried he might be in trouble. If Beryl had to guess, he might just bolt from the store, never to be seen again. She could relate.
His startled azure gaze landed on Beryl’s face and stayed there for several seconds. Those eyes. That face. Wow!
Spark!
Beryl caught her breath. For someone who was categorically not looking for romance, she was quite enthralled. Settle down, said a strident voice in her head. You aren’t interested, remember?
“Are you Jake the metalsmith?” Beryl asked, shocked she had the ability to speak while inexplicably unable to pull her surely intense gaze away from him.
“Maybe,” he said, his gaze just as intense as he took her in. A slow smile shaped his beautiful mouth. “If you’re the one looking, then I am definitely the metalsmith.”
Beryl stared at him. He stared at her. This dual gazing lasted for a long, silent, extremely charged moment. She had to forcefully shake off the compulsion. “I am the one looking.”
“Perfect. Then I’m the one you seek.” His grin made her whole body feel lighter for some reason.
Drawing on reserves of control she had no idea she possessed, Beryl was somehow able to lift her arm to point at the noisy ice machine. He followed her gesture and his eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I can produce an ice machine, but I’d be willing to try.”
“No. Not the whole thing.” She flashed a grin. “Just the bracket on the back corner. That’s the banging noise, although building a whole ice machine would be amazing.” Beryl motioned him over as she went to the machine to show him the problem.
She stepped forward and grabbed the offending banging bracket to make it stop for a few beats, then released it to return to its loud, banging ways.
He moved in closer to examine it and she almost swooned, leaning one arm against the wall to steady herself.
He smelled great. Like leather, metal and delicious man.
He stooped to look at the bracket she had released, smiled and nodded.
“Oh, sure, I can make another one of those brackets. Easy.” He lifted himself away from the ice machine and his arm brushed hers.
Spark!
Dang he is fine… No! Stop it! the strident voice in her head snapped. You are not interested in a romance. Not. Interested!
“By the way, I’m Jake Jones, owner of Dark Matter Metal & Leather.” His voice seemed to override the ice machine’s racket and touch something deep inside her.
She nodded and knew her smile was on the goofy side when she said, “Beryl Ashcraft. Grateful owner of a currently loud, annoying ice machine that I fervently hope is about to be fixed. Or partially fixed.”
He grinned and she swore she heard angels singing—and this time, Aunt Dixie had nothing to do with it. “Let me get my tools. They’re out in my truck. I’ll be able to get an accurate measurement and then it shouldn’t take longer than a day at most to create a new bracket.”
“Excellent.” She could not for the life of her stop staring. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He headed out to the parking lot and Beryl watched every step he took.
Sounding rather forlorn, Deputy Sam Brody said, “At least Jake’s a nice guy, for a human.”
For a human? Beryl had felt a spark with a human? She’d have to give that some thought.
If they got serious and wanted to get married, falling for a human would result in a one-way ticket back to Alpha-Prime. And Beryl couldn’t go back to Alpha-Prime.
No. She wouldn’t go back.