With a quick wave at the front desk clerk, Lila, I headed to the Children’s Section to reshelve books. The fresh scent of paper greeted me as soon as I pushed my cart into the first aisle.
Shelving books made for a quiet, peaceful night, which was why I loved it. My life before returning to Henley had been anything but peaceful. My worst fear was my old life catching up to me.
I’d run from it at all costs. I could never go back to that darkness again. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that anytime soon, but if it did, I was ready.
Chapter 2
Orion
Olivia eyed me from head to toe, shaking her head with disgust.
“God, I’d kill to be as in-shape as you are,” she muttered.
I laughed and arched my brows at her. “I’d be unemployed if I let myself slide. I have to work out six days a week this summer, you can join me if you want.”
“Eh. That sounds less than awesome.”
“It’s not that bad,” I said. “Just a few hours in the morning and I’m done for the day.”
My sister wasn’t the subtle type. The kids were playing outside and Mom was at work, so she cut right to the chase in the first conversation we’d had alone since I got home.
“Have you seen Amy?” She studied me, gauging my honesty before I’d even answered.
“Nope.”
“Don’t you dare even think about it. I forbid it. She’s a lying, backstabbing bitch. Do not sleep with her, Orion. You may think you can handle it, but—”
“Liv,” I said, cutting her off. “I’m not gonna see her, and I sure as hell won’t sleep with her. I’ve moved on.”
“Have you? You’ve been with other women, then? Are you seeing someone?”
I shook my head and stepped back, leaning against the kitchen counter. “No. I don’t have to sleep with another woman to be over her. I’m done. We haven’t talked since the week after we broke up.”
My sister regarded me skeptically. “Really? Because you were pretty upset when it went down.”
“I was,” I agreed, shrugging. “But it’s been several months, and I’m over it now. I’m just sorry I wasted almost two years of my life with her.”
“More than that, if you count the year you dated her in high school,” Liv muttered.
“Yeah, thanks for reminding me. Point is, we’re over. I came home for the summer to see you and the kids and Mom.”
“Okay,” she said, nodding slowly. “But if I find out you’ve spent one minute with that whore, I will kick your ass. I still can, and I won’t hesitate.”
“Yeah, I’ve got it. So what about you? You doing okay? Seeing anyone?”
Her laugh turned into a snort. “No. I’m not even officially divorced yet. I can’t find Joe’s ass to have the papers served.”
“I’d like to find him. Maybe share my feelings on him ditching his wife and kids.”
“We’ve both had a hell of a year,” Liv said, walking to the pantry and taking out a jar of peanut butter. She took two spoons from a drawer and handed me one.
“Me getting cheated on by Amy and breaking up with her doesn’t compare to your husband leaving you to raise two kids alone, Liv. We weren’t even engaged.”
Liv eyed the spoonful of peanut butter she’d just scooped from the jar. “Would you have? Did you ever think about proposing to Amy?”
I shook my head. “Never even crossed my mind. I thought we had a good relationship, but I never felt the urge to get married. It’s really fucking hard to be married in my line of work.”
“Yeah.” Liv sighed and stuck the spoon in her mouth.
“Seriously, you doing okay?” I asked. “I worry about you.”
She smiled. “I’m doing okay. Exhausted most of the time from school and work, but the kids keep me going.”
“My offer stands. Let me give you some money so you can focus on school without working. I can more than afford it.”
She offered the peanut butter jar and I took it. “Thanks. You paying for my school is a load off, really. And we need the insurance from my job. It’s only for a year. I want my kids to see me do this and be proud of me.”
On cue, Drew bounded into the room and threw open the freezer, Chloe on his heels.
“Can we have popsicles?” he asked.
I found myself hoping for a second that Mom was out of popsicles so I could offer to run to the Supersaver. Though I knew she wasn’t anxious to see me again, I was still thinking about my run-in with Samara. She wasn’t like any other woman I knew. There was something about her not being impressed by my status as a pro athlete that made her all the more impressive to me.
Drew pulled out a box of popsicles and sifted through it, looking for a purple one. I’d have to find another reason to stop by the Supersaver soon.
Samara
I ran barcodes across the scanner on my lane at a rapid clip. We were busy this morning. Hopefully we’d slow down soon so I could get back to the bakery. There were several cakes yet to be decorated today.
The older woman in my lane rifled through her purse after I gave her the total, and I smiled politely when she glanced up at me.
“I know my checkbook is in here somewhere,” she said. I forced myself to hide my exasperation, instead turning to the customer behind her to offer an appreciative smile for their wait.
My smile was forgotten when my gaze landed on Orion Caldwell. He was scrolling through something on his phone, so he didn’t see me looking. Which was good, because I couldn’t help myself. His gray t-shirt with its sleeves torn off was soaked with sweat. It stuck to his chest, outlining the muscles there.
I hadn’t noticed a man in a really long time, but I couldn’t help appreciating him. His arms were cut with perfect muscles—strong but not obnoxiously huge. He’d clearly been exercising, because his short brown hair was as wet as his shirt. And as soon as he glanced up and busted me staring, his best feature made my heart pound.
I remembered his blue eyes from high school. I’d stolen glances at them during lunch and art class. They were the bright shade of a clear sky, and I’d wondered more than once what it would feel like for those eyes to look at me. But guys like him didn’t look at girls like me.
The corners of his lips curved up in a smile and I came to my senses, looking back at my elderly customer. She’d found her checkbook and was slowly filling a check out. When she finished, I ran it through, and the sacker offered to help her out to her car.
“Hi again,” Orion said, setting a huge bottle of an orange sports drink down on the conveyor belt.
“Hi,” I said, avoiding his gaze as I ran the barcode.
“How’s it going?”
“Fine. How are you?”
It was part of our training to converse with customers so they had a pleasant shopping experience. That was what I was doing here – not having a conversation with a very hot man.
“I’m good. Just ran through the park.”
“It’s two dollars and fifty-eight cents,” I said, looking up at him. There was a smile in his eyes as he ran his debit card.
“You ever go to the Dugout?” he asked.
I shook my head. I knew of the sports bar, but it was way outside my comfort zone.
“Thanks for shopping at the Supersaver. Have a nice day,” I said, handing him his receipt.
“You too.” He smiled and this time, I was annoyed. Playboy. He apparently just wanted all females to fall at his feet. Getting the freaky Goth girl from high school to fawn all over him would only feed his ego. And I didn’t fawn over any man.
I wouldn’t let myself go slack-jawed over him again. This had been a weak moment. I’d been unprepared for a hot, sweaty man to show up in my lane. That rarely happened at the Supersaver. Sure, I’d stared and he’d seen me. But it wouldn’t happen again.
Orion
Drew and Chloe’s bickering in the back of my car made me smile. It sounded just like me and Liv had when we were kids. But Liv was the older one with us. Drew wa
s seven and Chloe was five.
“Stop touching me!” Chloe snapped. “Uncle Orion, he just poked my arm.”
“Tattletale,” Drew muttered.
“Alright guys, we’re at the library now,” I said. “No fighting in the library or we’ll get kicked out.”
“Really?” Chloe asked, sounding a little scared.
“Yep. I’ve also got a penalty box at home, and you’re gonna get five for fighting there, too.”
“No you don’t,” Drew said, meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Wait and see,” I said, grinning. “Come on, guys.”
I’d taken them off Mom’s hands tonight because she’d picked them up from school and done homework with them before making dinner for all of us. This would allow her an hour of peace before their bedtime. Liv had class until nine tonight, so they were staying the night at Mom’s.
As soon as we walked in the front door of the Henley Public Library, Drew took off toward a circle of kids in the Children’s Section.
“Story Time!” he cried. Chloe was right behind him. I smiled, following them and finding a spot next to an aquarium to wait.
I hadn’t been here in years, but the place hadn’t changed much. It was a bright space with colorful posters and worn-out gray carpet.
I pulled my phone from my pocket, planning to cruise the Internet. But when I glanced over to see what face went with the smooth, pretty voice reading to the kids and doing a damn good owl voice, my e-mail was forgotten.
It was Samara. Her caramel-colored hair was loose around her shoulders, and there was a smile in her eyes. Without the apron she wore at the Henley Supersaver, I got a better look at her. She sat on the floor, looking as enraptured as the kids who encircled her as she held the book up, turning it so they could all see the pictures.
Damn. I wanted to go sit in that circle, just so I could be closer to her. I’d blurted out that she looked good at the Supersaver my first day home without even thinking, but seeing her like this – joyful, nurturing, carefree – was making my palms sweaty.
“Whooo’s there?” she read in her owl voice. Drew and Chloe were transfixed, just like the rest of the kids.
I dropped my phone back into my pocket, still staring. I didn’t have a hard-on. I was at a library for Christ’s sake. No, I had something much worse. More like a heart-on. I wanted her to smile at me the way she was smiling at these kids. With utter happiness in her eyes, the chip fully removed from her shoulder.
Her light blue t-shirt wasn’t low-cut. She wasn’t wearing much makeup. Unlike the women I was used to, Samara had a natural beauty I couldn’t look away from. And seeing her read to my niece and nephew was surprisingly hot.
I didn’t want to fuck her, which was often my first thought when appraising an attractive woman since becoming single again. I wanted to kiss her – to taste those pretty pink lips and see what her eyes looked like when they were lit with arousal.
I slid closer to the circle of kids, trying to get a better look at her eyes without her noticing me. But I stopped before I got close enough. I didn’t want to risk breaking this spell. She was blissfully unaware of me right now, her guard completely down.
When she finished the book and closed it after showing off the picture on the final page, the girl next to Samara jumped up and hugged her. A couple other kids joined in, and Samara’s expression was a glow of happiness.
Drew and Chloe got up from the floor and headed for a display of children’s books. I stayed in my spot by the fish tank, letting my eyes wander back to Samara. She seemed to feel me looking, and she glanced up. I raised a hand in a sheepish wave, but she turned away.
What was it with this woman? I’d never done anything to deserve the cold shoulder from her. She turned to leave the Children’s Section and I kept my gaze locked on her until she disappeared around the corner.
I approached Drew and Chloe, who were sitting side by side in two beanbag chairs, both absorbed in books.
“Hey, you guys ready?”
Chloe furrowed her brow at me. “Mom always lets us stay and read. Then we check out books.”
“And get ice cream,” Drew added, looking up from his book with a grin.
“Is that right?” I crossed my arms and looked around the Children’s Section. There wasn’t even a place to sit down and wait—the chairs were all too small for me. “Okay, I’ll just hang out here for a bit then.”
“You should go get a book,” Drew said. “That’s what Mom does.”
I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to come up with a response. I hadn’t read a book in years, unless Sports Illustrated counted. But I didn’t want the kids to think I found reading uncool.
“Yeah, I might. You guys are okay here for a few minutes?”
Drew nodded. “We know the rules. No talking to strangers, even if they seem nice.”
“Even if they say their dog is lost,” Chloe cut in.
“Right,” I agreed.
Chloe continued, her blue eyes wide and serious. “And if a bad guy grabs you, scream and hit him and poke his eyes and kick his balls really hard.”
I tried not to laugh. “I guess, yeah … that’s a good plan.”
“It’s what my mom told me.”
“Okay, good.” I rubbed my unshaven jaw line. “So I’ll be over on the other side. Back in a few.”
I planned to sit in a normal size chair over in the Adult Section and check the news on my phone. Maybe I’d grab a random book and check it out for the kids’ sake.
I’d made it across the building and was about to sink into a worn brown leather chair when I noticed Samara pushing a cart into the section of lined bookshelves. My legs headed that way before I even had time to think about it.
I walked down the row over from the one she’d pushed her cart into. This part of the library was nearly empty and eerily quiet. The wheels of the cart and the sound of Samara sliding books onto shelves were all I heard.
When I found an opening over the top of a row of books, I chanced a look at her, hoping she wouldn’t notice me. Her hair hung down, draping over her face. She reached up and tucked it behind her ear.
She was meticulous, running her fingertips over the numbers on the book spines until she found exactly the right spot. I watched her slip a couple books back into their places, but then I started feeling like a creeper. I couldn’t just stare at her like this. It didn’t feel right.
As I emerged around the corner and stepped into the row she was working in, she looked up. Her eyes widened just a bit before she looked back into the cart of books.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hi.”
“How’s it going?”
“Fine. Is there something I can help you find?”
She still hadn’t looked up. When I stepped closer, she finally did, and her hazel eyes met mine. For a few seconds, I just stared. She was so damn pretty. How had I not noticed her in high school?
“Are you looking for a book?” she asked.
“Uh …” I tried to think of a book title – any book, but my mind was blank. All I could think about was her. She was so close. And yet, the few feet separating us seemed like a lot. “Yeah, I’m looking for a book. So you work here too?”
She nodded, reaching into the cart to sort through the hardbacks inside. “Just some evenings.”
“Do you … uh, need any help with those?” I asked as she lifted a stack of three heavy books from the cart.
“No, thanks.” She set the books on a shelf and turned back to me. “So what is it? Maybe I can help.”
“What is what?” I asked, drawing a blank.
A small smile touched the corners of her lips. “The book you’re looking for.”
“Oh. You know, I didn’t really have one picked out yet. I’m looking for one, though. Maybe you can recommend one.”
Her brows wrinkled in thought. “What kind of books do you like? What are some of your favorites?”
Shit. I wished like hell I wouldn
’t have blown off my College Lit class, barely skimming the required reading.
“I don’t know …”
“It’s okay, I won’t judge,” she said. “Sports biographies? Romance novels?”
I shook my head and laughed. “I don’t need any of that shit. I’m romantic.”
“Okay, well … maybe I should just let you look.” She put her head back down and pushed her cart past me.
“No.” When she turned to look at me, I decided to just be honest. “The truth is, I don’t read much. I haven’t actually read a book since I finished college five years ago. I’m not dumb or anything, I’m just busy with other stuff.”
“That’s okay.” She leaned a hip against the cart and locked eyes with me again. “Want me to recommend something?”
“Yeah, that’d be good.”
She considered for a second before turning back to the cart. “Follow me.”
I let my gaze wander up and down her body, unchecked since I was behind her. She had a nice ass. I didn’t get to enjoy it for long before she stopped the cart, leaning down to a shelf near the floor and running her fingertips over the spines of the books. She pulled one out and handed it to me.
“The Count of Monte Cristo,” I said, reading the title. “You like this one?”
“I love it.”
I held the book against my hip, meeting her eyes again. “Thanks. You know, for the book and for … being approachable. I was starting to think I’d done something to offend you.”
Her warm expression melted away, and she grabbed the handles of her cart to push it away. “You didn’t.”
“Hey, wait. What just happened there? I thought we were finally getting along.”
She paused, seeming to consider for a few seconds. “Is there anything else I can help with? I need to get these books put away.”
“Samara, what’s up? Do I need to apologize for something? If I do, let me know.”
Release Page 2