Chapter 15
fifteen
GEORGIE
I frown at the lock on my door.
Yesterday—while I was busy—Drew dropped off a set of keys at the library and told Ann to give them to me. I had no idea what they were for until I got home last night.
Now I can’t help the small amount of anger I’m feeling.
I should be grateful, should be pleased he wants me to be safe, except he didn’t ask. He just took it upon himself—took over—and had a deadlock fitted to my door.
Which reminds me, I need to find out how much I owe him. I guess I don’t have to worry about the cost now I’ve got a flush bank account but it’s not an expense I would have taken on.
There’s nothing in this room of value, everything worth something—monetary or sentimental—is locked up in the shed out back.
I think my anger stems from the fact his actions show me he doesn’t think I’m capable of looking after myself, and…
I sigh.
And that he cares enough to not only worry but do something to mitigate that concern.
And I can’t fault him for caring.
Can I?
He might have acted a little highhanded with the way he went about it, but his behavior comes from a good place—a place of caring.
When was the last time someone took care of me?
Granny.
Maybe that’s why I’m finding it hard to accept what he’s done with grace. I want to yell at him for not asking permission.
Granny would have my hide for that.
She’d be telling me to thank Drew and remind me sometimes people do things we don’t agree with in their effort to show their love and concern.
My insistence on paying my way once I had a job after I came to live with Granny is a classic example.
She didn’t agree with it—or like it—but she let me do it anyway.
Sighing again, I shoulder my bag and unlock the door. Outside is cold and I yank my coat closed while juggling my bag and shutting the door behind me.
“Morning.”
Startled, I squeal and drop my bag.
“Shit. Sorry. Didn’t mean to frighten you.”
Turning, I find my tenant sitting on the back step, hands in the air to show he’s not going to harm me.
I offer a smile. “That’s okay. I just didn’t expect anyone to be up this early.”
Haynes tips his head toward the house. “Lily is an early riser.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, I’d complain about it but it means she’s in bed early so…” He rocks his flat hand in front of him. “It evens out.”
Scooping up my bag, I ask, “Settling in okay?”
“Yes. The package you put together is amazing. We’ll be heading out to explore the town later this morning using the plan Lily made after we read through the information you gave us.”
I look up. The clouds are thick but I don’t think we’ll get rain or snow. “You should bundle-up. It’s going to be a cold one today but I don’t think it will rain or snow.”
“Not as cold as where we came from.”
“No?”
“No. It was gearing up to be a very cold Christmas in Chicago.”
“You’re from Chicago?” I don’t remember seeing that in any of the paperwork Spend the Night emailed me.
“Yes. But we’re checking out this area of the country. I have a job opportunity I’m looking at in Eagle Ridge.”
“Oh! I grew up there. It’s a lot bigger than Evergreen Lake and much smaller than Chicago. If you have any questions, I can probably answer them. I’m the town librarian too, so if I don’t know something I can help you find it.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Well, have a good day.”
“You too. We might see you later, Lily is a big reader, and the library is on her list.”
“Not being a resident, she can’t borrow any books to bring home but there’s a book store in town. Between the Wines. Don’t be put off by the name. They have a fantastic children’s section.”
“Thanks.” Haynes pushes to his feet. “I better get ready for our adventure.”
“Remember to take your coats.”
“We will. See ya.” He waves and slips inside.
I’m smiling when I walk through the side gate. I had about five minutes with Haynes and his daughter yesterday because I had to rush home on my break to meet them. But those few minutes, and this morning, have shown me he seems like a nice guy, and his daughter—Lily—is super cute.
“Morning.”
“Argh!” For the second time this morning I have the air frightened out of me and drop my bag.
“Sorry.”
It’s like déjà vu when I turn. Only this time it’s the man I was thinking about before I stepped outside I’m faced with. “Drew.”
He indicates his truck. “I thought I’d give you a ride to work. I missed seeing you last night.”
Oh.
Here I am grumbling about his highhandedness and he’s missing me.
“How was work?”
“Quiet. Thankfully.”
“That’s good.”
“It is.” He moves closer and picks up my bag, holds it out to me. “So, can I give you a ride to work?”
He’s treading carefully, I can see it in his eyes, and his uncertainty has my anger at him disappearing completely. “Yes. That would be great. Thanks.”
We’re quiet as we head toward his truck.
When he opens the passenger door for me, the sweet smell of chocolate surrounds me and I see two takeout cups in the center console.
“I stopped at Sips. Got you a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.”
Dammit.
Now I feel guilty for being angry about the lock.
“Thank you. And thank you for organizing the lock on my door. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I was happy too.”
“How much do I owe you?” I ask as I climb up into the truck, my mouth watering as the sugary scent of chocolate surrounds me.
“Nothing. I fitted it myself.”
The seatbelt slips from my hand and my head snaps in his direction. “You fitted it?”
“Yes. Was quicker than getting a locksmith and I know how and had the time.” He shrugs.
I don’t know what to say. This man didn’t just organize keeping me safe, he made sure of it himself—with his own hands!
“Buckle up.” He waits for me to grab the belt again before closing the door.
My gaze tracks him as he walks around the hood. He’s still in his uniform, his coat zipped up to his chin, and a quick glance at the clock on the dash tells me he’s come straight to me after finishing his shift.
Well, after a stop at Sips.
I look down at the cups and grin. When he opens his door I ask, “Which one is mine?”
“Both if I can’t stomach mine.” He smiles. “I figured I should at least try your drink of choice once.”
“Are you heading home to sleep?”
“No.” Warm air blasts through the vents when he cranks the engine. “I’m not back on shift until tomorrow morning.”
“It must be hard switching between day and night.”
“I’m used to it.” He pulls away from the curb. The traffic on Granny’s street is never much and at this hour it’s non-existent. “Although here is a little different than Chicago. There it was multiple shifts of days or nights before switching to the other, here we can switch back and forth all the time or not at all.”
His mention of Chicago has me thinking of my tenant. “The guy renting Granny’s house is from Chicago.”
He glances at me with a frown. “I thought you said it was a family.”
“Oh, it is. He’s got a daughter. I guess she’s about eight.”
“But there’s no wife?”
“No. His is the only name on the contract and I met only the two of them yesterday afternoon when I gave them the keys.”
“And he’s spending Christmas in Evergreen Lake?”
“Apparently. He mentioned looking at the area because he’s got a job opportunity in Eagle Ridge.”
“What does he do?”
With a shrug I say, “I don’t know and I didn’t think to ask. I offered to answer any questions he might have though. I grew up in Eagle Ridge.”
“I know.” He smiles at me.
“Did I tell you that already?”
“No. Your grandmother did. She told me a lot about you.”
“When?”
“Don’t remember exactly but the majority of it within the first year or so after I moved here.”
“Huh.” Did she tell every man who came into the library all about me or just this one?
“I don’t think she gave away your life secrets to anyone else.”
Life secrets? Did she tell him the one thing only she and I know about me? No, she couldn’t have or he would have confronted me about it last Christmas. “I don’t have any skeletons in my closet.”
“Didn’t think you did.” He frowns over at me again, but this is more his usual scowl so I don’t worry about it.
“I’m finishing early today.”
“You’re what? Why?”
“Ann made me change the way I roster the library staff, including myself. She’ll close two nights a week and I’ll close three then we’ll switch, and we’ll only work the Saturday the weeks we’re on close twice.”
“So kind of like what you all did before your grandmother…”
I nod. I know he didn’t finish his sentence for my benefit but I’m okay with talking about it. “Yes, the exact same way as things were before Granny died.”
“What will you do with all that spare time?”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “Well, I recently started dating this guy. He seems pretty nice so I might give him some of that time if he’s not working.”
“Are you starting your rolling roster this week?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re on three closes this week?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, I’ll mark it in my calendar and let the Sheriff know so he can see about lining up my shifts to match your early days.”
“You’d do that?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“Well, I don’t know. I guess I just thought…” I shake my head. “You know what, I didn’t think about it at all.”
“We’ll work it out.”
He turns onto Main Street and disappointment flares in my chest because I can see the library up ahead and that means in a few minutes our time together will be over.
“What time do you finish?” Drew asks as he drives slowly up the road. I hope his slow speed is because he’s just as reluctant to part as I am.
“About three-thirty.”
“I’ll be back to get you. I thought seeing how you’ve given up your kitchen for the next month you could come to my place and I’ll make us dinner.”
“You cook!”
He laughs. “Why is that so shocking?”
“I guess it’s not shocking, more of a surprise. Although it shouldn’t be.”
Pulling to a stop in front of the library, he puts the truck in park and turns toward me. “I can cook. Probably not as good as you but I won’t poison either of us.”
“Okay.” I grin. “I’d love that.”
I’d also love seeing where he lives but I don’t say that out loud. I want to know what kind of things he surrounds himself with. Is his place the typical bachelor pad with empty beer bottles and pizza boxes? Or is it neat and tidy?
“All right. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
Before I register what him leaning closer means, his lips are on mine and I moan.
The kiss is hot and fierce and possibly not appropriate for public viewing, but I don’t care.
Drew’s mouth is on mine, his tongue diving deep to toy with mine, and I wish I didn’t have to go to work. That we weren’t in his truck parked on the street in the middle of town where anyone can see us.
I’m not sure which one of us unbuckles my belt but I’m all but climbing over the center console to get closer when he pulls back, holds my upper arms to keep me in my seat.
“Watch the hot chocolate. I don’t want you to get burned.”
My brain is scrambled from our kiss and I can’t get it to work out what the hell he’s talking about.
“Georgie.”
Gaze on his, I take a breath and try to control my racing heart. “Drew.”
He smiles. “I like it when you say my name like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like it’s the only thing on your mind.”
“It is. You are. Gosh.” I press my hands to my hot cheeks. “I don’t think we should kiss in public.”
“No?” He’s grinning now and those lines at the corners of his eyes are deeper than they’ve ever been.
“No.” I shake my head which makes him chuckle. Probably because I’ve still got my hands on my face. “We definitely can’t kiss in public. It’s too dangerous.”
“Kissing you is dangerous?”
“No. Yes. No. I.” I roll my eyes to the cab roof. “It’s dangerous because I forget where we are whenever you kiss me.”
“As much as I love hearing that, I have to admit to the same. I forget a lot of things around you, Georgie Bookman, and I’m loving every second of it.”
“You do? You are?” I ask the roof.
He puts his hands over mine and tips my head down. Then he lowers his lips to my brow and speaks against it. “Yes. I’m loving every second of being with you.”