An Unexpected Suitor
Nantucket Island May 1899
"Mail must be in," the barber said as he slapped lime cologne onto Harrison Starbuck's freshly shaved cheeks. "There goes Miss Nola. Set your watch by that woman." He spoke of her as if she were some island institution or a bit of a legend. By Harry's calculations she couldn't be more than thirty. He'd gone to school with the Burns brothers, two boisterous lads who were incredible athletes but not very good students as he recalled. Was she older than the boys or younger? He couldn't remember. The day after he'd graduated Starbuck had left for New York and he'd lost touch with her brothers.
He paid the barber and stepped outside, taking shelter from the drizzle under the awning over the bookstore. Down the street, her face hidden by the large black umbrella but her no-nonsense stride unmistakable, Nola Burns continued on her way like a crusader on a mission.
Harry considered his next move. He'd had his eye on the property that housed Miss Nola's Tearoom. With the owner out, maybe he could get Judy Lang, who did the baking for the tearoom, to show him around. The truth was Nola Burns intimidated him—always had. J ... read full excerpt from: An Unexpected Suitor ebook
