Chapter 59
FIFTY-NINE
Love is YOU!
“Do I have to do this?” I whined.
“Yes,” Ali and Mae said at the same time. And because they were worried I might make a getaway, they flanked me as we walked down the street toward Bookmarks, the bookstore in town.
“You promised us three blind dates. We have one more shot,” Mae said, Lulu strapped to her chest. My niece was almost six months old and cuter than ever.
She faced forward in Mae’s carrier, her arms and legs kicking in excitement.
I guess it was worth it to see Lulu even if it meant I had to go on yet another blind date.
“I sort of figured there was an expiration date on those dates.”
“Wrong. Honey and blind dates. The only two things in the world that don’t expire.” Ali stopped in front of the bookstore.
I sighed. “It’s only been six weeks and I’m not sure I want to get back up on that horse for a good long while. Plus I’m going to have to pretend to be interested in everything he says.”
“That’s the spirit,” Ali said.
“Who am I meeting again?” I asked in resignation.
Mae and Ali shared a look.
“I need to tell you a couple of things,” Mae said. “He has a few…areas of concern.”
“What does that mean?”
“He does have tattoos,” Ali said. “And he knows how to ride a motorcycle, and he plays the guitar.”
I threw my hands up. “Why even bother? You’re just wasting my time now. I could be home with Oliver.”
“Just try to go into it with an open mind,” Mae said. “You never know.”
I held a finger out to Lulu who grabbed it and stuffed it in her mouth. “Lulu, I like you more than your mama, you know that?”
“He knows you’ll be wearing a red dress.” Ali pulled a piece of lint, or maybe a crumb from the cookie I ate before we left, from my dress. “He’ll find you.”
“Fine.”
“Smile,” Ali demanded. “And stand up straight. And don’t make that face.”
“What face?”
“The one you’re making right now.”
Ali and Mae stood back, inspecting me with a critical eye. Lulu smiled, a string of drool dangling from her mouth. “You’re both acting weird.”
“Just go in,” Mae said, waving a hand at me.
“And call us later,” Ali said.
I pulled open the door and stepped inside.
Bookmarks was a cute little shop with both used and new books.
A teenage girl behind the counter said hello.
On a table right at the front was a huge display of pirate romances by Alicia Night.
Front and center, The Pirate’s Booty . I still hadn’t finished that book.
Maybe one day. I made a beeline for the true crime section.
Nothing like serial killers to keep a girl warm at night.
Keeping my eye open for tall, dark, and handsome. Or maybe short, blond, and okay-ish? Ali and Mae had given me very little information about this guy. I had no idea what his name was or what he looked like. Blind date was right.
In the true crime section, I browsed the books before pulling one out to look at it more closely.
“I’ve heard that one’s pretty good,” a man’s voice said right next to me. “Although I also heard he had a thing for clowns.”
I gasped and fumbled the book. It landed with a thud on the floor between us.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” He bent down and picked up the book. His fingers brushed my hand when he passed it back to me. I stared at the spot, fascinated by the zap of electricity that one small touch seemed to produce.
“Are you my blind date?” I asked breathlessly.
“You’re the woman in the red dress.” He leaned down and whispered, “You look beautiful, Eleanor.”
“Thank you.” He was in a gray suit, his dark hair combed into submission. Navy-blue eyes stared back at me through dark-rimmed glasses. He looked good in that suit. I wondered if he’d wear a toolbelt with it if I asked nicely.
“Thanks for agreeing to go out with me,” he said. “I’m new to town.”
“You are?” My voice was barely above a whisper. But I hardly had the strength to talk; all that energy was needed to keep me standing upright. I placed a hand on a bookshelf to steady myself.
“Yes, my brother and I just moved here. I lived here for a few months not long ago. In fact, I think we’ve even met.”
“I think so, too.”
“My brother loves it here. Asked every single day if we were coming back. I thought he wanted to live back at our house in Austin. But it turns out, he just wanted to be wherever I was.”
I smiled slowly. “He sounds like a great brother.”
“He definitely is. So, we sold our house and moved to Two Harts. We found a little house to rent for the time being. We’re looking for a fresh start.”
I cleared my throat. “I did that a few years ago. Came to Two Harts for a fresh start.”
“How’d that work out for you?” he asked, his voice low and calm, the exact opposite of what was happening inside me right now.
“It worked out pretty well, actually. But why Two Harts?”
“Did you know it was number two hundred and eighty-seven on the list of three hundred best places to live in nineteen eighty-seven?”
I grinned. “I have seen the plaque, even.”
“Well, there you go. Your mayor is persistent, too.”
“Ali?” What had she done?
“See, I have a plan. I’m hoping to open a group home for adults with disabilities and she thinks that would be a great addition to Two Harts, so she wooed me. It will take some time, though.”
I smiled. “That sounds like an amazing idea.”
“Actually, I’m looking for some land. I’ve heard someone around here has twenty acres of land lying around. You know anything about that?”
“I just might.” My heart beat wildly as hope raced through me. “But why did you decide to jump into the dating pool so quickly?”
“Oh, that’s easy. There’s a woman who stole my heart here in Two Harts. I’m not sure if she’ll have me, but I’m planning on making sure she knows exactly how I feel about her every single day.”
“Something tells me you’ll win her over.” I straightened and held out my hand, my pulse fluttering. “I’m at a disadvantage here. You know my name. What did you say yours was?”
He smiled slowly and I felt it in my toes. “Gilbert Dalton.” He tilted his head to the side, his eyes warm and soft. “But you? You can call me Gil.”
* * *
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