Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“I remember you.”
He said it low and confident, and my heavens, it made my entire body shudder. “Oh, okay. Good.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to pull myself together as I continued, “I just wanted to come by and thank you for what you said to my boys yesterday. It’s a conversation we’ve had many times before, but they don’t always listen to me. Sometimes it’s like it goes in one ear and out the other, but they actually listened to you. More than I expected. They even talked about it after we left, and it kind of surprised me. You know, they’re at that stage where they think no one is as smart as they are, and that’s a whole thing in itself. But anyway, I wanted to say thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to stop and talk to them.”
His gaze softened, and his lips curled. It wasn’t exactly a smile, but it hit harder than any grin could have. “I’m glad they listened. They seem like good kids.”
“They are.” I smiled. “Mostly… Generally, except when they’re not. They do have this annoying tendency to wear me down and make me question all my life choices.”
“Boys have a way of doing that.”
“Yes, they do, but don’t get me wrong. I love them. They are my heart and soul, and there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for them.” I raised my brows and smiled. “But there are days when I fear they might take me out. Not on purpose or anything like that, but…”
“I get it,” he chuckled.
Before I could decide whether to get out of there or keep rambling, one of the waitresses squeezed behind me with a pot of coffee. I shifted awkwardly to the side and stammered, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“You’re fine, doll,” the waitress replied with a smile.
Once she’d squeezed by, the man asked, “You wanna sit?”
I didn’t answer right away. I just stood there staring at him, trying to decide what I should do, and before I’d really thought it through, I asked, “You sure?”
“Wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t,” he answered, sliding his plate out of the way.
“Okay.”
With that, I eased into the seat across from him and clasped my hands in my lap. My leg started to bounce with nerves, but I couldn’t help myself. It was the first time, in a long, long while, that I actually felt excited about something.
For a moment, we just sat there. I was trying to remember to breathe while he watched me with an unreadable expression that made my leg bounce even faster. Finally, he asked, “Want some coffee?”
“Coffee would be great.”
He gave me a nod, then motioned over to the waitress. Seconds later, she appeared at the table with a fresh cup of coffee. She placed it in front of me and asked, “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
Once she was gone, he cleared his throat and asked, “Are you from around here?”
“Afraid so. I grew up about twenty minutes from here. I went off to college, married someone from the same town, and ended up right back here.” His eyes never left mine, and I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. The man was positively beautiful, from his dark, thick hair to his full lips, and I was completely spellbound. “What about you?”
“No. Just here visiting.”
“Oh, that’s nice… So, where are you visiting from?”
“There was a time when I’d say Kansas City, but not anymore… Not for a long time.”
“I see.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I didn’t push. “I am the librarian at Clairmont Elementary. It’s a few blocks from the house.”
His brows rose just slightly. “School librarian, huh?”
“Somebody’s gotta keep some control over the chaos.”
“So, does the school librarian have a name?”
“Oh, gah. I don’t know what I was thinking,” I giggled. “Yes, I’m Raelyn Pierce. Sorry. I should’ve mentioned that before. I guess I got carried away.”
“That makes two of us,” he scoffed. “I’m Walker Dunn. It’s nice to meet you, Raelyn.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
From there, the conversation moved through your typical small talk about the weather and cool places to see in the area. The conversation was never forced or awkward. He didn’t seem annoyed or rushed to get me gone. Instead, he moved from one topic to the next, like he was truly interested in what I had to say.
The waitress came by and refilled our cups of coffee, and we just kept at it. Almost an hour had passed when he finally said, “So, tell me more about your boys.”
“They’re typical teenagers… Well, Lucas isn’t quite a teenager yet, but he sure likes to think he is. But they’re both really good. They’re respectful and protective, and nosey. Very, very nosey.”
“You raising ‘em alone?”