by Tina Leonard
“Excuse me, miss,” a masculine voice said. “I’d like to check out this book about Curious George.”
Nina looked up with a shock of recognition. “Navarro!”
He laughed. “In the flesh.”
Nina felt happier and brighter than she had in weeks. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Well, it’s a long way to come for a library book, but Curious George is worth it.” He handed her the book and his library card.
“Newly issued, I see.”
“Absolutely. From the library with the prettiest girls in Delaware.”
Nina thought he was flattering her until she saw Colette walk by and give him a wink. Since Colette was a real-life version of Audrey Hepburn, Nina knew Navarro wasn’t just trying to butter her up.
With some irritation, she ran his book through the machine and put a card in the pocket. “It’s all yours for two weeks.”
“Thank you. Want to show me the stacks?”
“All older material is in the basement. Feel free to help yourself.”
“I might get lost.”
Nina sighed. “If you’re here, there are only two reasons that I can think of. Either you want to talk about family stuff or…it’s something about us.”
“You said there was no us.”
Nina blinked. “I guess not.”
“So that would be a fool’s errand, wouldn’t it?” He grinned down at her confidently. Then he tugged her bun gently. “I have it on good authority that men have librarian fantasies.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Nina took the next patron’s books and checked them out.
“I’ll have to make sure you remember better next time,” Navarro said. “Do you want to go out for dinner?”
Of course she did. She’d missed him like crazy. But he’d let her walk out of his life too easily.
Actually, he’d let her do exactly what she’d wanted. Which had taught her a hard lesson about leaving a good man behind and how lonely it could be to be “right.” She’d been totally unable to forget him.
He was a true cowboy, and she’d gotten totally caught.
“Let me get this straight. You wanted me to come home and moon over you for four months.” Nina tapped her fingernails on the library desk.
“Sounds good so far,” Navarro said with a grin.
“Then when I realized just how empty my life was, I’d be so happy you finally showed up that I’d jump into your arms and move to Texas to calcify on your ranch.”
“We’re far too busy to calcify,” Navarro said, “if you hadn’t noticed. Of course, librarians may not have the best powers of observation. But,” he said, clearly pitying her, “Mimi’s baby is growing like a weed, and Last is a new man. I told my brothers to lay off him, and they have, and now we’re all looking forward to our bouncing bundle of joy.
“Valentine is dating a guy in town when she can. Mostly she comes home too tired to do anything other than fix some soup and go to bed. We try to get her to eat with us, and sometimes she does, but she likes to unwind in the privacy of what she calls a fabulous house. She loves it. In fact, Valentine and Mimi have struck up a huge friendship. For the first time in a while, there’s a woman around our parts for Mimi to pal around with. I have to say the change is incredible. Valentine’s pretty feminine, you know, and sometimes I think Mimi’s taking lessons.”
Nina blinked.
“Mimi pretty much tried to keep up with us while we were growing up. And Lord only knows, she learned an unattractive trait or two. She can outspit Mason with tobacco, for starters.”
“Mimi does not dip,” Nina said.
“Not with the baby,” Navarro said hurriedly. “I meant, in our younger days. Before we all gave up the brown ground leaves of ’baccy.”
Nina sighed and checked out another customer. “Thank you, Mrs. Weaver,” she said. “See you next time.”
“So, you were going to tell me why there’s no such thing as a real card catalog system anymore,” Navarro said with interest. “And you were going to teach me how the library of the twenty-first century operates. You know, I might volunteer here while I’m in Delaware.”
“Oh?” Nina looked at him, wondering where he was going with that. “Planning on staying long?”
“Yep.” Navarro grinned. “I know that’ll make you happy.”
She glanced down at the calendar on the desk. Each day they’d been apart had been marked off with a blue marker. “I didn’t miss you much,” she said.
“Oh, Nina,” an elderly lady said who brought her books to the counter, “is this your cowboy?”
“And you tell heap big fib’um,” he said, playfully tweaking her nose.
Nina could feel her blush go up her neck. “Mrs. Smith, this is Navarro Jefferson. Navarro, Mrs. Patience Smith.”
“Oh, I remember that name,” Mrs. Smith said with a big smile for Navarro. “We’ve heard it so often it’s fairly engraved upon our memories.” She patted Navarro’s arm. “Not that it’s a usual name, of course. One pays more attention to unusual names. Particularly as Nina never talked about a man before she met you. Our reading circle has heard all about your wonderful exploits,” Mrs. Smith said with a sigh. “We’re trying to talk Nina into writing a romance novel about the whole exciting affair.”
Navarro smiled at Nina. For the first time ever, Nina wished Mrs. Smith was a tad less friendly. “Isn’t she sweet?” she said to Navarro.
“Quite wonderful, and so informative, too. I find the older, more experienced population has a lot of valuable insight and wisdom to impart to us younger folk. Nina, maybe you should consider writing a romance.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Smith said, her eyes alight with mischief. “Four months is too long to wait before the hero shows up.”
“I just think you should know, Mrs. Smith,” he said, taking her hand gently in his, “that in Nina’s dry-run, first-time-try romance, she had the hero and heroine stay apart for six years. And they were unhappily married to other people.”
“Really?” Mrs. Smith looked at Nina. “You always said love at first sight was the best thing that could ever happen to a person. But maybe that doesn’t work as well on a blank page,” she said philosophically.
“Love at first sight, huh?” Navarro said to Nina.
Nina raised her chin. “Don’t get cocky.”
“Nina reads to us,” Mrs. Smith continued happily. “In our reading circle, a lot of the ladies can no longer see. Some have macular degeneration. So we like to ride the old-lady van and come down here for story time. Nina dresses up like—”
“Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. I know.” Navarro grinned at Nina. “And one day, I want to see that. I have fond memories of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle myself.”
“No,” Mrs. Smith said, tapping his arm. “That’s how Nina dresses for the children. For us, she dresses as different movie stars of the silver screen, first ladies of eras gone by, and important female personas. We try to guess and then she gives us a history lesson. It’s almost like our own college lecture,” Mrs. Smith said, beaming. “And then she reads us a classic. Nina’s very patient with our love of classic literature.”
The smile had left Navarro’s face. “I bet she is,” he said sincerely. “Nina has a good heart.”
Nina checked out another client.
“So, are you taking our girl away from us?” Mrs. Smith whispered when she thought Nina was too busy to hear.
“No,” Navarro said. “I’m just here to check out a book.”
Nina’s heart seemed to break, though after Navarro left, she couldn’t say why she hadn’t expected it all along.
“DINNER?” Navarro asked as Nina walked outside onto the library steps.
“No librarian worth the fantasy ever turns down dinner with a handsome male,” Nina said, keeping her stride even.
Navarro caught up. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Yes, it is.”
“Do I get to see your apartment?”
“Yes,” Nina said with
a smile. “You get to see my apartment. And a few other things.”
“Oh, goodie,” Navarro said. “I love seeing other things.”
They boarded a bus, and Nina paid his fare.
“I can do that,” he said with surprise.
“You don’t know how,” she told him. “Shoeshine Johnson’s bus never charges the Jefferson boys. Was it you who told me that or Crockett?”
“I don’t know.” Navarro shrugged and sat down. He stared at the streets as the bus drove on, amazed by the difference in colors, tones and vegetation.
“So why are you here?” Nina asked.
“To get to know the real you,” he said sincerely. “I felt like something was missing.”
She nodded. “Thank you for only waiting four months. I was afraid of the six-year curse.”
“No.” Navarro shook his head. “Life’s too short.”
They got out on the block where Nina’s apartment was and walked to it.
“City girl,” Navarro said.
Nina laughed. “Not really. Maybe when I move to New York.”
“New York?” Navarro sounded shocked.
“Well, it was once a dream of mine.” Nina opened the door and two cats rushed out. “I promised to show you some things,” she said, “and these are Thing One and Thing Two.”
“Oh,” Navarro said. “You aren’t the things I was hoping to see in Nina’s apartment, but hello Thing One and Thing Two.” He bent to stroke them as they brushed up against his boots.
“You probably smell very good to them,” Nina said. “Where are you taking me to dinner?”
“Someplace quiet.” Navarro looked around the apartment. “Lots of greens, very tidy, very homey. I like it, but it’s too small.”
Nina smiled. “Come see my bedroom.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Navarro said, following her.
In the center of the bedroom, the charmed heirloom bed was standing beautiful once again. “I love classics,” Nina said. “And wonderful old things.”
“It looks right in here,” Navarro said. “Something was missing about it down in Lonely Hearts Station.”
“I shouldn’t have let Valentine take it. But she was using it in her apartment next door, and I agreed that she would need a bed in Texas and—you know the story from there.” She smiled at Navarro. “Thanks for helping me win it back.”
“Maybe I should write a romance novel about that,” Navarro said. “I’m going to need a job while I’m here.”
“You’ll never make it. You’d be as out of place off the ranch as this bed was at Marvella’s.” She ran a hand lovingly over the wooden headboard. “This bed has had some adventures. If only it could talk.”
Navarro sat and the cats jumped into his lap. “I’ve been thinking about your fear of horses.”
Nina walked into the bathroom to change, closing the door. “After Bloodthirsty, I shouldn’t be afraid anymore, but the fact is, I’m not cut out for ranch life.”
“I reluctantly agree. So I was wondering if you wanted to elope.”
Nina opened the bathroom door to stare at him. “Elope?”
“Elope.”
“Me and you.”
Navarro nodded. “Yes. As in, get married. That kind of eloping. By the way, black is my favorite color because of the bra and panties you had on the first time we were together.” He looked smug. “You think I’m not a romantic, but the truth is, you’re kind of afraid to look below the surface. What are you running from?”
Nina blinked. “Is this a proposal here or a moment of truth?”
“With you, it has to be both. It’s best for me to think on dual levels to keep your interest.”
“Hence an elopement proposal.”
“Well, you seem to like adventure. Something you can write about one day. And I fully expect you to write about everything you learn from me. We’re good together. We’re a story.”
Nina tossed on a robe and came out of the bathroom. “Navarro, where would we live? If we get past the elopement, that is.”
He pulled her into his lap, which startled the cats and made them flee to the windowsill. “I say we drive to Las Vegas, because I’ve always wanted to see the desert. Then we come back here and find a house in the country. And not just any old house, but one in a rural area with some land. Not too far that you can’t drive in to the library to take care of your reading population, because it would be wrong to remove the source of so much pleasure from so many people. But in honor of your fear of horses, I would like to start a horse farm.”
Nina blinked. “For me.”
“Well, for me. But you made me think of it. I’d like to put together a place where kids can come to ride for lessons and summer camps. I’d like to hire people experienced in hippotherapy for those who need it, like the clinics they have around Dallas. I’d like to do some breeding, try my hand at that.” He ran a hand down her robe, admiring the softness and roundness of her body. “Mostly, I need to be with you, and I’m not too proud to say so.”
“Why did you let me go if you felt this way?”
Navarro kissed her gently on the lips, and she kissed him back, experimentally at first, trying to see if the feeling she’d remembered was still there when they touched.
To her delight, Navarro in her arms felt better than ever.
“You needed time to miss me,” he said, “and I needed time to face up to the fact that I’d finally fallen in love. I needed to give up my twin and my family for a lusty book lady. Plus, I’m a planning kind of guy. You don’t think I thought of this all in one day, do you?”
“Maybe it’s too much,” Nina said worriedly. “Too much for you to give up.”
“It’s just enough,” Navarro said, “because you made me believe in romantic love. And this bed is going to make sure I get lots of little riders.” Winking, he patted the bed and then Nina’s fanny. “Do you still believe in love at first sight?”
Nina smiled with joy, opening her arms to him. “More than ever,” she said, holding him close, “because I fell in love with you.”
Epilogue
When Nina agreed to elope with Navarro, she misunderstood the gravity of the undertaking.
First, he drove the entire trip in her Jeep Cherokee, with new maps he’d downloaded from the computers in the library. This, he said, alleviated the only thing they were ever going to fight about in their marriage, since she knew he was peculiar about maps.
Which meant Nina had to give up something she was peculiar about and that was letting him hold her feet. It was hard to do, but Navarro told her she had feet that fit in the palm of his hand, and, after a while, Nina relaxed and even decided she liked it. Even more, she liked cooking worldwide cuisine in the old barn they’d converted into a wonderful home. Nina cooked wearing Chinese sandals, an apron that said Feed Your Mind A Book, and not much else, an occurrence that assured her of Navarro’s rapt attention.
They discovered they had many things in common.
Thing One and Thing Two were impressed with the barn in the Delaware countryside. There were plenty of little field mice to chase, and the cats loved making beds in the hay, so they were very content.
Navarro arranged for the “old people” van to bring Nina’s reading circle to the ranch twice a month, so they could enjoy the nice air in the countryside and have Nina read to them in the massive library he put in on the ground floor so they wouldn’t have to climb stairs. She could also do more elaborate costume recitals for them in the gazebo he built out in the yard, and these recitals were so much enjoyed by everyone—including Mrs. Patience Smith—that Nina’s performances were soon requested by the general public.
Navarro renamed the van the Curious George Mobile, because he said no one was ever too old to enjoy a good book. When he drove the van, he wore a big yellow hat Nina said only he could wear so well.
The children also got to visit twice a month in the Curious George Mobile, but they were more interested in the ponies and horses Navarro had pur
chased than the books, so Nina had to be more creative with her efforts. Her husband, she learned, was an intellectual force in his own right. He bought a wagon and taught the children Latin as he rode them around the pasture. The children were so fascinated by the size of the Suffolk Punch pulling the wagon that they happily learned Latin to earn their rides.
Navarro so loved it when Nina dressed up like Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle that he made his own pirate costume, reminiscent of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s husband who had many chests of gold hidden in his home. Nina loved her sexy Navarro in pirate gear and never made him walk the plank.
As for the charmed bed, it resided on the third floor where the nursery would one day be. The bed had yet live up to its legend—but Nina and Navarro made lots of opportunities for the family fairy tale to come true.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-5856-7
NAVARRO OR NOT
Copyright © 2004 by Tina Leonard.
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†Cowboys by the Dozen
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