Chapter Six
Monday flew by in a flurry of emails and phone calls from clients.
Some authors, June had discovered early on in her career, needed much more support than others.
Hank Scott was one of those. She’d contacted him after she’d seen the gorgeous photos he took while traveling to exotic places.
Publishing his first book had taken every ounce of her patience, something she didn’t have much to begin with.
Hank had kept her busy until late Monday afternoon.
By the time she had calmed him down about the timeline for publishing his next book, it was too late to go into town like she’d planned.
So she worked late, hoping that when she focused on her work, she’d stop thinking about Dylan Weston and wouldn’t again have explicit dreams of being in the cowboy’s arms.
No such luck though. She’d tossed and turned, felt feverish until the early hours of Tuesday morning. At some point, she was even on her phone, asking ChatGPT whether it was possible to experience menopause at thirty.
That was also when her phone bleeped with a message from Dylan. Her heart had literally kicked her in the ribs when she saw his name, but the message only had the mechanic’s name and telephone number.
So, he wasn’t sleeping either. It was all she could think about. Everything in her was urging her to phone him but not trusting herself not to say something she’d regret later, she’d put the phone down without even thanking him for the information.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, she’d finally managed to fall asleep only to wake up late, her body on fire, Dylan firmly in her mind.
By late morning, she’d attended to the most urgent emails and messages and was on her way into town. She’d contacted the mechanic. He was apparently waiting for parts but reckoned she’d have her car by Friday.
The library was her first stop. Hopefully they’d have a copy of Shirley. Afterward she could maybe have a light lunch somewhere before she visited Ellie’s yarn shop. Ellie should be able to help her decide on a simple knitting project.
The library was in a beautiful garden next to the courthouse and not far from where June was staying.
The magnificent old building, according to a board against the wall outside, was the third public building constructed in the 1880s during Marietta’s short-lived copper boom. Inside the building it was cool.
Standing in the marble foyer, June looked up at the tall windows and the high ceilings.
The place was clearly something from a different era.
The wooden staircase to the side probably led to the other floors in the building.
Looking around, she tried to find someone who could help her, but there wasn’t anyone behind the counter.
As she turned, she heard it—children’s voices.
Following the sound, she found the librarian in the children’s section.
The pretty brunette surrounded by kids, was wearing a pair of big glasses and was clearly enjoining reading the story as much as the children were enjoying listening to it.
It was still school holidays, if she wasn’t mistaken.
As June stepped closer, the woman finished the story.
“Oh, please, Mrs. Sheenan, read us one more story!” a little boy cried.
“Please, please, please!” the other kids called out as well.
“I’m sorry,” the friendly woman was saying, “but I have to get back to work.”
June hurried closer. “I can tell them another story,” she offered.
Getting up, the woman smiled. “June Kincaid, I presume?”
Surprised, June stared at her. “How …? Oh, yes, small towns.”
Eyes twinkling, she held out her hand. “I’m Taylor Sheenan, the librarian. It’s lovely to meet you. Rumor has it,” she lowered her voice, “one of the most sought-after bachelors in town is already smitten with you.”
Stunned, June stared at the woman. “How …?”
Taylor’s eyes were twinkling. “Oh, Aurelia Hill made sure everyone in town knows which cowboy’s truck was parked in front of your house on Sunday evening.”
At a loss for words, June closed her mouth.
Smiling, the woman patted her arm. “People haven’t been this excited since Rose Dalton arrived a year ago. If you’re willing to read or tell the children one more story, I’ll find you the two books you’re looking for.” Winking, she moved away.
“How do …?” June asked.
“Ellie phoned yesterday!” With a wave she disappeared behind a huge bookshelf.
There was a tug at June’s dress. Looking down, she found a little girl staring up at her. “Will you read us a story? I’m Lucy.”
Smiling, June crouched down. “Hi Lucy. May I tell you a story?” She looked at the other kids.
“I’ll let you in on a secret. I want to write a book just like these,” she motioned to the books lying around, “but I’m not sure whether you’ll like it.
If I tell you the story, will you let me know what you think? ”
“As long as it’s not about another fairy,” a little boy grumbled.
“What about a story about a little dragon?” June asked.
Their eyes lit up. “Yes!” they all cried in unison.
“That’s your chair,” a little girl said, pointing to the chair where the librarian had just sat.
“If you don’t mind,” said June as she sat cross-legged in front of them, “I’m going to join you on the carpet.”
As she settled, a little girl moved closer until she was just about on top of June. As if this was some kind of sign, all the other kids moved closer as well.
“Gather closer,” she said as she dropped her voice, “nobody else can know about our story just yet, okay?”
“Okay!” they called out in unison.
“Well, Pepper was a little dragon with bright purple scales and a tail that was a bit too long. Whenever Pepper tried to walk quietly, his tail swish-swish-swooshed behind him, knocking over buckets and flowerpots and even the laundry.”
Big, round eyes were drinking in every word she was saying.
*
A water line had broken, and when Hayden asked at the breakfast table if anyone was going into town later that morning to pick up a length of PVC pipe, Dylan volunteered. He was restless, out of sorts.
“He’s talking again,” Becket chuckled. “Everything okay, Dylan? You weren’t yourself yesterday.”
“Well,” grinned Willow, “Auraelia Hill has apparently been spreading the news that your truck has been seen parked in front of the house June is staying in.”
Gnashing his teeth, Dylan got up from the table. “Well, I won’t be parking there again.”
“What happened between you two?” asked Ellie. “On Sunday night I picked up on some sizzling between the two of you.”
“Yeah, well,” Dylan said, “apparently, she wants to date other people as well. I’ll see you later.”
As he was leaving the kitchen, Isabella hurried closer. “What time will you be finished in town, Dylan? I need a favor.”
“For you, anything.” His smile was stiff, but how the hell was he supposed to be smiling when all he could think about was June?
“I’m taking some of the younger kids of the workers to the library this morning for story time.
I don’t have anything else to do in town so it would be great if you can bring them back when you’re done, then I can return earlier.
Susan, Sam’s wife, is going with them, but her car is in for repairs. ”
Sam was another one of the regular cowboys working on the ranch. “I could probably get them around twelve—will that work?”
“It’ll be perfect, thanks, Dylan. I appreciate your help.”
Carson joined Dylan as he left the house. “You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Carson grinned. “Maybe if you don’t snarl the words, it will be more convincing. Woman trouble?”
Sighing, Dylan rubbed his face. “What the hell do I know about women and relationships? I obviously have no idea what I’m doing.”
“I don’t know you as someone who gives up easily,” Carson said.
“Well, she’s not interested.”
“Okay, so you won’t mind if I make a move?”
Cussing under his breath, Dylan marched to his truck, Daisy at his heels. Carson’s laugh followed him all the way.
*
It took much longer to tell her story, because the kids had some hilarious and sometimes marvelous ideas to add. By the time June was nearly finished, some parents were already waiting at the door to the children’s section.
“That night,” June said, “Pepper looked up at the stars again, but this time he whispered, I like being me. And from that day on whenever Pepper’s tail knocked over something, he would just laugh and say, oops! because he knew …” Stopping, she looked expectantly at the children.
“An awkward dragon could be just right!” they shouted.
Laughing, June nodded. “That’s right!” Getting up, she motioned to the people at the back. “I think your parents are here to pick you up.”
As she smiled in the general direction of the parents, her eyes met a pair of familiar blue ones fixed on her. Dylan. Her breath hitched somewhere in her throat. Oh, my. With his hat on, his arms crossed, showing off some impressive muscles, he had her knees just about buckling.
“Thank you, June!” the children called out as they were leaving, thankfully distracting her.
The little boy who hadn’t wanted to listen to another story about fairies, rushed up to her. To her amazement, he hugged her legs. “That was awesome,” he smiled. “I’m Clayton and I like stories. I hope you write Pepper’s story.”
Touched, she crouched down. “Thank you, Clayton. You will be the first person to get a copy.”
Beaming, he turned around and ran toward Dylan. Lucy and two other children were standing next to Dylan. It couldn’t be his kids, could it? Hadn’t someone used the word bachelor recently when referring to him?
Dylan was waiting at the door.
June slowly followed the little boy. Was Dylan waiting for her? Or just for the kids? Dylan smiled down when Clayton reached him.
“Everyone here?” he asked.
“Yes and my mom,” Clayton said, taking his mother’s hand.
“My truck is outside,” he said to Susan. “I need to talk to June, but I won’t be long.”
With a wink in June’s direction, Susan steered the kids out.
As the last of the parents also moved away, June was aware of heads swiveling in their direction.
“The kids?” she asked to fill the silence.
He shook his head. “They belong to the families on the ranch. No kids for me, I’d probably scar them for life. You’re very good with them.”
She smiled. “I love books and so do they. A common interest. Thank you for the mechanic’s telephone number. I … I was going to text you back …”
“But you didn’t.” Without conscious thought, he touched her nose. “I can’t see your freckles.” Dropping his hand, he moved away. “I get it, you’re not interested. So have you already found another cowboy who wants to kiss you?”
“Oooh, who is kissing who?” Taylor asked as she appeared behind Dylan.
“No one is kissing anyone,” June said quickly. “Thanks for letting me share my story with the kids.”
“I have to thank you,” Taylor smiled, her eyes moving first to Dylan before she looked at June. “The kids can’t stop talking about Pepper, the awkward little dragon. I have your books downstairs when you two have … um … finished.” Grinning, she disappeared.
“I have to go,” June said.
“I want to see you again. Just pizza or a drink. Tonight?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “I have a date tonight, sorry.” With a quick wave, she just about ran in the direction of the counter.
If she were to stay a moment longer close to Dylan, she might just do something seriously stupid.
*
All the way back to the ranch, the kids talked about June and Pepper, the little dragon. By the time Dylan dropped Susan and the kids off, he knew the story by heart.
“And June is so pretty,” Lucy was saying as Susan helped the kids out of the truck. Lucy was the leader of the pack of children on the ranch, he’d noticed.
According to Isabella, Lucy was six but she had a vocabulary and an imagination that blew his mind.
“We should find her a husband, then she can stay here and read us lots of stories,” Lucy said as Dylan helped her from the truck. “Or”—she pinned him with her eyes—“why don’t you marry her? You don’t have a wife, do you?”
Shaking his head, he helped down all the other kids. “Nope, no wife. I don’t want to get married.”
Clearly baffled, Lucy stared at him. “So who is going to give you babies? I’m not sure how it works, but,” she held up two fingers, “I do know you need a mommy and a daddy to make a baby.”
As Susan turned away laughing, Lucy’s mother opened her front door and called out to Lucy, saving him from having to answer.
Chuckling, Dylan quickly got into his truck and drove toward Hayden’s homestead. It was lunchtime. It was way too easy to picture little girls with a spatter of freckles over their noses like their mom. Maybe he should run Lucy’s idea by June at some point to see her reaction.
His thoughts filled with the freckled brunette, he got out and entered the house. He found the rest of the family in the kitchen.
“… were talking about kissing,” Willow was saying.
As he entered, her eyes zoomed in on him. “We were just talking about you.”
Irritated, he pulled out a chair. “I’ve just been in town, how do you know …?”
“You and June were talking about kissing in the children’s section?” Willow grinned. “Turns out, Aurelia Hill was also in the library.”
Hunter groaned out loud. “Sweetheart, do leave the poor man alone, meals are supposed to be an enjoyable time.”
Willow threw up her hands. “Jeez, I was just teasing. I’m not reading everything that’s going on in his mind …”
“She told the kids a story about Pepper, the awkward little dragon.” Dylan didn’t realize he’d spoken out loud until the silence around him reached him. “Um …”
“So tell us the story,” Willow grinned.
Aware of everyone watching him, Dylan quickly relayed the story. “I can’t tell it the way she does, but that’s the gist of it.”
“It’s a lovely story,” Willow said.
“Sorry, I have to go and get ready, but I’ll drive tonight,” Ellie interrupted Willow. “Shall I pick up all of you?”
“Yeah, sounds great,” Willow says. “Mom is bringing June. She still doesn’t have her car.”
“Is it Tuesday already?” Hayden asked.
Laughing, Laura hugged her husband. “Yes, it’s our weekly book club outing.”
Dylan heard everyone talking but it took another minute for him to process the information. June didn’t have a date, she was going to the book club with his cousins and aunt.
Relieved, he exhaled slowly as a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.
Willow’s eyes twinkled. She didn’t say anything, but she knew what he was thinking.