TO TAME A HERO

CHAPTER 3

The week went by, delightful days filled with walks, study sessions, visits to the ice cream Parlor, an hour or so of what Susan hoped was useful study with the boys and the afternoons spent helping Mrs. Lockhart with small tasks whenever she can. But time spent with Theodore and Truman were always blissful and sometimes Susan thought it was too good to be true.

When she got, she got home, Susan didn't hurry over her bath, and finally when she was ready for bed, she opened one of her books on her bedside table, got into bed, and settled down for an hour of reading. It was an exciting book, and she was still reading an hour later until she fell asleep.

When she woke up the next morning, her mind was filled with thoughts about the handsome stranger. Was he married or did he have a girlfriend?

Susan shook her head.

She could not believe how she was obsessed she had become, a complete stranger whom she knew nothing about but felt he was the best model for her fictional hero. someone she might not even see again.

Getting out of bed Susan went along to the kitchen to make herself coffee, then added sugar and cream. She was peering in cupboards looking for biscuits when she heard her smartphone ringing.

"Hello."

"Hello, this is May from the watch boutique. Your new watch has arrived."

The sales associate informed Susan.

“Really?”

“Yes, please. When would you like to drop by and pick it up?”

“I will do that later in the day.”

“Alright we will be expecting you. Thanks for your time.”

Later when Susan went to the watch boutique, she decided to vlog the experience for social media. And while she was there, she learned from the sale associate that they had stopped taking new orders so that they could keep up their production.

"Any news about the Ray watch?"

"No, it's still not ready because of limited inventory."

"Can I get one on the second-hand market?"

"It's still really difficult to get a Ray watch even on the second-hand market."

"What about all these watches on display?" Susan asked as held up her smartphone while filming.

"All these watches are only for exhibition purposes only; on the outside it is like any other watch but on the inside, it is not complete.”

So, with very little to do, Susan kept filming and trying on some of the watches on display. And she was in this employment when she heard footsteps from behind.

A customer approached one of the sales associates at the store.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Dr Kelly."

"I was informed the watch I ordered has arrived." Horace said.

"Yes, please wait a moment as I get it ready for you." The sales associate smiled.

Susan looked up from her filming to see who this Dr Kelly was. And as she did, her eyes grew wide with astonishment. It was the stranger from the rain. Once again fate had brought them together again.

Susan turned quickly to her sales associate and gave a sweet, innocent smile.

"Is that gentleman a regular customer?"

"You mean Dr Horace Kelly?"

Susan nodded.

"Yes, he is. Do you know him personally?"

"I thought he looked familiar, what type of doctor is he?"

"He is a palaeontologist at the Colton Museum.

"A palaeontologist," Susan repeated softly, "Dr Horace Kelly." She liked the sound of that. The name Horace seemed to fit him perfectly…maybe she can call the main character of her romance novel Horace too.

"Have you recollected where you know him from?"

It took Susan a moment to realize that the sales associate was talking to her. "Yes, I remember him now." Susan said with a bright smile.

The sales associate was delighted. "Would like you speak to him?"

"Oh no, let's leave that for another day."

Susan hoped that she was able to hide the panic in her voice.

Leaving the boutique Susan quickly Googled the Colton Museum on her smartphone. And found out it was a major museum which was home to some 80 million items within five main collections: botany, entomology, mineralogy, palaeontology and zoology.

Susan now toyed with the idea of visiting the Colton Museum, she was certain there would be plenty of dinosaurs and meteorites to see and maybe also fish out more information about Dr Kelly….

"Why have you been stalking me?"

Susan turned around and to her horror found Dr Kelly standing directly behind her and peering at her Google search.

Susan decided to make a run for it.

Too late, Horace caught her arm which prevented her from running away.