Chapter 10 Tate
tate
“I do not.” I followed her into the bookstore.
Her cinnamon scent had a new layer. Whatever the salon had done to make her hair look like a golden halo probably had something to do with it.
The difference between her costume last night to the woman in front of me was a bit jarring. She was wearing a pair of white corduroys and brown ankle boots with an oversized sweater in a butterscotch color that made me want to reach out and see if it was as soft as the rest of her.
The bookstore was surprisingly big inside and one of my favorite places.
I herded her toward the back of the store where the bookcases were taller than me and could give us a little cover.
Her beautiful head was on a swivel as she took everything in.
I ushered her deeper into the store when I spotted someone following us.
“I wanted to look at that book.”
“Later,” I said close to her ear. “We have a tail.”
She sighed. “Of course we do. How do you know how to spot them?”
“Because I had quite a few of them when I first won the lottery.”
“I can’t believe you won the freaking lottery.” Her voice was incredulous. “Who actually wins that?”
“Me. I’m pretty sure the taxes alone could have fed a medium sized country for a year.”
She snickered. “So can mine.”
I hooked an arm around her waist and guided her through a narrow doorway.
“Where are we going?”
“Where they probably won’t find us. Maybe.”
She did a little twirl in the children’s reading room. This time of day there were only a handful of kids and they were all more interested in their piles of books than who we were.
I hustled her into the corner where a tree was painted on the wall with little leaves for the book fairy.
One of my favorite charities I’d set up for the bookstore.
If kids didn’t have the money for a book they could pick a leaf off the tree and turn it in at the front desk for a book of their choice.
I also had donated a lot to the library in secret to keep them afloat as well.
Reading had saved my life, and I wanted to make sure kids could have the same joy I did. Even when money was tight, my mother always found a few dollars for a comic or book for me.
The sound of a butt hitting a bean bag chair dragged me out of my musings. Her eyes shined up at me. “I always wanted one of these things.” She crossed her long legs and snuggled in then held out gimme hands. “Find me a book.”
I laughed. “What’s your poison?”
“Adventure.”
I turned around and spotted one of my favorites as a kid and pulled it off the shelf and handed it to her, then dropped into the bean bag chair beside her.
“Don’t you want a book?”
“I’ll read over your shoulder.” I shifted in the big bean bag chair until I was behind her.
She snuggled down. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
“Oh, I’m definitely sure.”
She opened the book and the immediate peace that came over me was staggering. So much so that I hadn’t realized just how wound up I’d been after a long day dealing with the business of creating a dream.
I wasn’t sure how long we sat there reading together, head-to-head.
“How did I not read these as a kid?”
“Maybe gods and monsters weren’t your thing?” I tucked my chin over her shoulder.
She grinned at me. “Oh, they were. But I guess watching Xena reruns with my dad was enough for me at the time.”
“Xena, huh? I can see you wielding a sword with a breastplate.”
She snickered. “Oh, I dreamed about it. She was so tall and badass. I was all legs and arms. However, the long fingers worked out for learning the piano.”
I reached around her and lifted her hand. Her long fingers were bejeweled with gold rings that sparkled in the light. “I used to pause outside the music room to listen to you sometimes.”
“Really?” She closed the book around her finger on her other hand to hold the page.
“Yeah. I used to cut over through that hallway after gym class. Sometimes it was guitar, sometimes it was piano, but I couldn’t help stopping for a few seconds to hear what you were doing. I never recognized the songs.”
“Because they were mine.”
“You wrote your own music back then too?”
“Around twelve, I started coming up with melodies. At first my brother thought I was ripping off songs I heard on the radio.”
“There’re only so many chords, right?”
She laughed. “That’s true. But gosh, it consumed me back then.”
“It doesn’t anymore?”
She was quiet for a minute as I toyed with her fingers. “When I let it.”
“What does that mean?”
“Producers and managers get in my head sometimes. They see something is hot out there and want a dozen more of them instead of something new and different. It’s hard to push back against that and still keep the fire in my belly for a new song.
Especially when I’m tired. Sometimes it’s easier to give up. ”
“That sounds like it can be stifling.”
She looked over her shoulder. “God, don’t repeat that.” She started to get up.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to run and tell that to a reporter, I promise.”
She sagged against me. “Sorry. I—” She cut herself off.
“Had it happen before?”
She opened the book. “Let’s just read, okay?”
“Okay.”
We read more than a quarter of the book when a voice came over the speaker for last call. I hefted my bulk out of the chair and groaned a little on the way up.
She smiled up at me. “Still recovering from the haunted maze?”
“And hours of pouring cement pads today.” I held a hand out to her.
“I’m not sure what that means.” She yelped when I hauled her up and she stumbled against me.
“My plans for the Haven Winter Wonderland include quite a few structures that need a foundation.”
“Oh, I see. Kinda.”
“Backbreaking, dirty work.”
She grinned up at me. “I think you might love it.”
“Mostly.” I stopped at the shelf and slid out the second book, then took the first one from her. I grabbed a bookmark off the little spinner under the tree and tucked it in the book where we’d stopped. “Shall we go?”
“Are those for me?”
“Maybe.”
She hip bumped me. “I won’t say no. Now, I know what I’m reading before bed tonight.”
“I’ll have to dig up mine and reread it and we can discuss.”
“I’d like that.”
We were quiet as we wound our way to the front of the store.
The press had given up. Probably because it was Haven and everything closed up at eight o’clock.
Especially in the middle of the week. The bookstore was one of the few things open past nine.
Mostly because there were quite a few book clubs that met in the evenings.
I’d had a hand in helping Courtney expand the bookstore. She needed the capital and I wanted my hometown to have a bookstore. It had taken off because she was a master at BookTok and lured many people here for bookish functions.
“Tate!” Courtney was at the registers. “I didn’t see you sneak in.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my gosh.”
Amber smiled warmly. “Hi. This place is amazing. We got lost in the kid’s section.”
“Thank you.” She linked her fingers together under her chin. “Can I ask you a question?”
I felt her brace herself, but her smile never faltered. “Sure.”
“What’s your favorite book? I’d love to feature it.”
“Oh.” She laughed. “That’s like asking me to pick my favorite pet.”
“I don’t mind it being a bunch of them.” Courtney pushed a pad over to her.
Amber tapped her finger on the pad. “Tell you what. Let me think on it. I can write little reviews for why I love the books.”
“You’d do that?”
She shrugged. “Sure. That sounds fun. I’ll come back in a few days.”
“That would be amazing.”
I slid the two books on the checkout counter. “These please.”
“Great choice.” She rang them up and tucked them into a navy paper bag with a pack of vanilla colored cards. “If you want to fill out these cards for your favorites I’d love it. People love your handwriting.”
“Better put in two sets. I’m a perfectionist.”
Courtney laughed and dropped a second set in the bag. “Thanks for coming in.” Her gaze tracked from me to Amber then back again with a little too much glee in her eyes.
This was going to be all over Haven by tomorrow. As if the maze hadn’t already started the gossip cyclone.
I walked her down the quiet street. Destiny Street was dark and quiet with the late hour. The sound of her booted heels echoed between us.
“This was probably one of the nicest days I’ve had in a long time.”
“Even over the maze?”
She laughed. “The maze was definitely a highlight.” She bumped me again. “You?”
“Highlight puts it mildly.”
She nibbled on her lower lip. “Are you starving?”
“I did miss dinner.”
“Can’t have that.” She frowned. “I’m assuming there is nothing open this late around here.”
“Not really. Much different from Manhattan.”
“A million times, but that’s a good thing. Though I could go for some midnight lo mein.”
I rubbed my stomach. “Don’t put that in my head.”
“Pretty sure PostMates would be stone cold by the time we got it. However, I do make a mean ramen. Think we can find a grocery store still open?”
“I think we can do that.”
“Good.” She swung her bag and lengthened her stride. “Is that your truck?”
I nodded. “Sure is.”
She hooked her arm through mine and dragged me into a jog. She stopped at my mud spattered black truck. “This is a beast. I know you don’t need to...”
I laughed. “It’s mostly for work. Not because I’m compensating.”
“Oh, I know you don’t need to do that.”
I opened the door then boosted her up. “Is that so?”
Her gray eyes widened as she gripped the door. “That tight costume told me everything I need to know.”
I leaned in and brushed my nose with hers. “Were you checking me out, Ms. Dalton?”
“Pretty sure everyone was, Mr. Reynolds.”
“Pretty sure I only care about one woman.” Before I did something stupid, like kiss her in the middle of Destiny Street, I closed the door.
Even at this late hour there were a lot of eyes in this town.
I got in on my side and started the truck. We needed to go a town over for a late night grocery store. Watching Amber wander the aisles and pile up the cart was an experience.