December

At the end of the working day, Tuesday Eastwood turned off the lights, leaving only the spotlights that illuminated the shop window on, then went out and double locked the shop door. Hit by the cold, she was shaken by a shiver and raised the collar of her coat to protect herself from the sharp air, quickening her pace towards the car parked in a side street.

When he stopped to look both sides of the street before crossing, he noticed Ezra, Hurley walking along the sidewalk. She recognized him immediately, without even having to wait for him to get closer before she was sure it was him. She would have spotted him at first glance even in a crowd, because for some strange reason she seemed to have a radar tuned to his frequency. Wherever she was, she was instinctively aware of his proximity, as if a vibration reached her in the air.

He was as beautiful as ever. Tuesday had never in her life met a man who gave her the same thrill of emotion that made her throb when she looked at Ezra. He was handsome like the three brothers, but had a rougher, more virile, dark charm that Tuesday found absolutely irresistible.

Ezra Hurley was what one might call the prototype of the real man, a male with a capital M, ready for anything. It was enough to imagine him on horseback, or unloading bales of hay, bare-chested, with defined muscles shiny with sweat and faded jeans that hugged his narrow hips and marble buttocks. He wasn't Tuesday's type and yet, for some obscure reason, he attracted her irresistibly.

Even at that moment, with a blue sailor jacket and wool cap, he radiated a particular charisma also because, in addition to working on his ranch, he was a rock star.

Ezra Hurley was a real damn rocker; catapulted into the firmament of celebrity, he had filled the stadiums and the pages of tabloid magazines, and had fallen into hell. The flames had burned him and left him with scars, but without affecting his charm.

“Hey, Tuesday,” he greeted her when he reached the point where she stood still as if she had taken root, while she imagined him naked…

“Hi, Ezra, how come these parts?”

«I had some commitments downtown. I was thinking of grabbing a bite to eat before I go home.” He paused briefly. "Will you keep me company?"

Tuesday nodded, even though she thought it was a terrible idea to accept his invitation. Ezra was not only handsome and famous, he was also the older brother of Paddy Hurley, the partner of Natalie, his best friend. As paranoid and overly cautious as it seemed on her part, Tuesday was reluctant to get involved with Paddy's brother. If he and Natalie had broken up, Tuesday and Ezra's relationship would have become complicated.

But it was just dinner, nothing important, he told himself. Besides, Natalie was like a sister to her, so it was inevitable that she got to know better the people who were now part of her life.

So he took him by the arm and capitulated, even though he knew he was taking a risk. "Okay," he agreed, smiling. "I'm starving."

Ezra walked down the block with her to take her to a place that Tuesday really liked. The waitress who greeted them at the door almost ran into a column as she led them to the table because she couldn't take her eyes off Ezra, then stumbled away, confused and excited, only because he had thanked her.

“I'll help you,” he murmured, reaching over and taking the collar of Tuesday's coat to remove it.

She shivered and closed her eyes for a moment when his fingers grazed her neck. "Thank you."

Tuesday sat down as Ezra hung up his coat and took off his jacket. He sat down in front of her and untied the knot of the scarf that hung on the back of the chair.

“I like the beard,” Tuesday commented with a smile. She was surprised to notice that his voice was steady even though his throat was tight with emotion and his heart was pounding.

He also noticed that his gaze was fixed on a specific point on Ezra's face, at the corner of his jaw just below his ear. She licked her lips to distract herself because she had a mad desire to kiss him right there, and she held on to the edge of the table as she watched him smooth his beard in an instinctive gesture, like a nervous tic.

"Really? I grow it every now and then, especially in the winter,” Ezra replied with a shrug.

“It suits you,” Tuesday agreed. She didn't add that it framed her gorgeous mouth perfectly, and she looked down at the menu, pretending to be focused on deciding what to order even though she already knew.

She had met Ezra in September. Paddy, who was having an affair with his best friend at the time, had three brothers, all handsome and charming as well as charismatic, successful musicians. Ezra had been the last to be introduced to her, but as soon as he entered the room where Tuesday was, she had only eyes on him. It had left her breathless, as if it had sucked all the air out of the room.

Since then they had seen each other several times because Natalie had started seeing Paddy much more assiduously and Tuesday had also been drawn into the orbit of the Hurley family. Each encounter had given her the same electric shock of intense emotion.

After ordering, they chatted pleasantly while waiting to be served.

“Did you have a nice Christmas?” Ezra asked her.

"Yes a lot. It was a peaceful Christmas. I took advantage of it to spend time with my grandchildren, so I played endless games of video games. Being with the kids is a great way to avoid going shopping,” Tuesday laughed.

«You don't like going to the shops? Strange!"

«Because you don't know my family. Shopping at Christmas with my mother, sister and sisters-in-law is like going to war. I preferred to stay at home, play with the grandchildren and then watch movies on DVD while drinking hot chocolate to enjoy the silence after they had gone to sleep.»

“I have two granddaughters, so I totally understand,” Ezra nodded.

For a few moments they looked at each other in silence, like two cats sniffing and scrutinizing each other, haughty and distrustful, without wanting to make the first move but not even wanting to suffer the other's attack.

“I'd like to know what you're thinking right now,” Ezra said in a warm, husky voice, one corner of his mouth lifting in a devilish smile.

Tuesday swallowed uncomfortably. “Do you really want to know?”

"Right."

“I was thinking that you and I are like two cats.”

Ezra cocked his head to the side. «Why does everyone keep to themselves, but at the same time demand attention?»

Tuesday smiled amusedly. «I see you are familiar with felines! Do you have cats at your house?”

"Actually, I'm the one who lives in their house," Ezra commented, breaking a slice of bread to take a piece of it and put it in his mouth.

His gesture drew Tuesday's attention to his large, strong hands, as virile as the rest of his physique.

"How is work going?" Ezra asked her after chewing and swallowing the morsel. “You must have a lot to do this time of year.”

Tuesday owned a framing shop in downtown Hood River, a small Oregon town on the banks of the Columbia River. She never expected to settle there, but life's adversities had brought her to her friend Natalie, who had offered her a safe haven to take refuge in after the storm that had overwhelmed her.

«At Christmas, business is booming, even with the jewels I created» he confirmed. “And how's the ranch going?”

Ezra looked up at the waitress who had come to take away the plates. “I could use dessert,” he declared before looking at Tuesday. "And to you?"

"Certain. Here they make delicious cooked pears, with caramel.»