by Laura Ann
Suddenly, the stranger grabbed her wrist. “I don’t think so,” he said, his tone dark and hard.
Pinching her lips, Lillith yanked her arm back. “You have no right to read those,” she snapped.
“You put them on social media. The whole world has the right to read them.” Ruby wiggled her phone at Lillith before going back to the screen. “Looks like my lucky day! Met a hot guy who happened to be looking for someone else. Now I’ve got his attention. Winky face.” Once again Ruby scrolled. ‘Ah, here is my personal favorite. Again, I quote, ‘Tossed my boyfriend to the curb last night. He can no longer take care of my needs. Guess he can go back to the pathetic girl he was looking for in the first place.’ Or how about, ‘Have decided to work at this school full time. Now, how to get one of the other teacher’s out? The Principal is out of town for awhile. Plenty of time to cause a scandal ... for somebody else. Lol.’ “
“You can’t be serious!” Lucy said. Her eyes were wide and she could feel herself trembling. Mateo pulled her in tighter, wrapping his other arm around her, as if to offer support. “How could you do something like that? You lied to Mateo, to me ... to everybody! What’s wrong with you?” Lucy’s face was scrunched in disgust and she shook her head back and forth.
Lillith straightened her shoulders and threw her hair over her shoulders. “It’s not that big of a deal. People do it all the time.”
“Trying to create a problem to get someone fired is done all the time?” Lucy’s voice had risen and she started to walk towards Lillith.
Mateo pulled her back and rubbed his hands down her arms. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear. “Let her go. She obviously has no leverage to hurt you. Just let her go.”
Lucy calmed at his words. “You’re right.” She turned over her shoulder and gave him a weak smile. Facing Lillith again, she dismissed her. “If I never see you again, it will be too soon.”
“Oh look.” Ruby piped up. “I can screenshot all these posts, so that no one can deny they existed and decide to cause trouble. What a neat feature!”
Lillith growled, her lip curling at the edge before turning and stomping down the sidewalk.
Once she was gone, Lucy turned and wrapped her arms around Mateo’s middle, hugging him tight. He returned the gesture, planting a kiss on the top of her head.
“Well, Lumberjack, I think our work here is done.” Ruby jumped up from the bench and went to stand beside her companion.
Pulling out of Mateo’s embrace, Lucy walked over to Ruby and grabbed her in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Anytime,” Ruby whispered back as they embraced. Standing straight she said, “Oh yeah.” Jerking a thumb over her shoulder. “This is Derek Woodsman. He’s the director of The Center. The one Rory and Steven volunteer at.”
“Hello.” Lucy stuck out her hand. The man was big, as big as Nash, their school football coach. She felt tiny next to him and her hand felt swamped by his large one. “I’m sorry about all the drama you had to witness today. I promise we aren’t usually quite so crazy.”
Mateo reached around and shook Derek’s hand as well. “Good to meet you.” Mateo said.
Derek nodded and said, “Likewise,” in a quiet tone.
His eyes were continually straying to the surrounding area and Lucy couldn’t help but feel that he was looking for someone. Glancing around herself, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Looking back, she studied Ruby next to Derek. He appeared as ease, but Lucy could see his muscles were tightly coiled, as if he was ready to spring into action at any moment.
“Well, we gotta get going. Maybe we’ll meet up with you another time.” Ruby waved and started to back away.
“Is everything okay?” Lucy asked, worry suddenly enveloping her as she watched Derek standing watch over Ruby.
Ruby only nodded, a small smile on her face.
“Is this ... is this who you met online?” Lucy asked before Ruby could escape further.
“Oh! No. Derek and I met at Piper’s barbecue.” Her creamy cheeks suddenly carried a pink tone. “That other guy didn’t work out, like I said before.” She grinned. “At least there’s one success story from that stupid site, huh?” With that, she and Derek walked quickly out of the park.
Mateo came up behind Lucy and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin against her temple. “I’m glad that’s over. But did you get the feeling that something was up with that Derek guy and Ruby?”
Lucy nodded. “He almost seemed like he was protecting her, but from what? Surely he didn’t think Lillith was a real threat. She might make trouble behind the scenes, but she wouldn’t outright attack someone.”
“No ... it wasn’t Lillith he was worried about. At least, I don’t think so. He hardly gave her a second glance.” Mateo scrunched his lips to the side. “Should we try to pry it out of her?”
Lucy crossed her arms over his, enjoying the cocoon he had created around her. “No. If I get the chance I’ll try asking again, but it was obvious neither one of them wanted us involved.”
Mateo nodded. “Fair enough.” He spun Lucy around so she was facing him. “I’m sorry the drama wasn’t over like I thought it was.” He grinned sheepishly. “At least now we know it’s over for sure. If she causes any trouble we have all the evidence we need to handle it.”
Lucy grinned, “Even Lillith isn’t that crazy.” Lucy ran her fingers through Mateo’s hair, enjoying the feel of the dark, silky strands. “I’m just glad it’s over now. I wasn’t sure how I was going to stay away from you until Principal Grimm got back. And I was also worried Lillith would have stolen your heart during that time.”
Mateo gave an exaggerated shudder. “Uh, no. I’ve never been into women who prefer my money over me. That’s one of the reasons I joined that dating site. I was trying to find someone who didn’t see dollar signs when they looked at me.” He leaned down for a quick kiss. “I love you Lucy. I think I fell in love with you the first time you argued about Captain America being better than Superman.”
Lucy blinked rapidly as her vision filled with tears. “I love you too,” she whispered around the lump in her throat. “Your emails made me feel alive and wanted and I was completely shattered when I thought Lillith would get you instead of me.” She buried her face in his neck, inhaling his scent and reveling in the feel of his arms around her; strong and steady.
Mateo kissed her head, then reached up, using his hands to pull her face from his shoulder. His eyes roamed her face, memorizing every line and plane. “My goose girl,” he finally whispered, before leaning down and capturing her lips with his own.
Dear Lucy,
Wow, I didn’t realize what school starting
Would do to our schedule. I miss our lunches
At the park and am pretty sure the geese miss
Their lunches too. ;) I’m looking forward
To our date tomorrow night. Be sure to wear
Something nice. :)
Mateo
PS
Evidence #124: Superman came back from the dead.
Dear Mateo,
I miss our lunches too, but I’m pretty sure
The geese can do without all those empty
Calories I was providing for them. :) I’m
Counting down the hours until our date,
But just where are we going that I need to be
Fancy?
Lucy
PS
Refute #124: Captain America never died at all.
CHAPTER 20
Lucy grinned as she hit send on her latest email. The rest of the summer had flown by and had been wonderful. Charlotte had gotten engaged just a couple of weeks ago, Piper and Nash were counting down the days until their Thanksgiving wedding and Lucy and Mateo had become inseparable.
While school was out, she had met him almost every day at ‘their’ bench. They ate, fed the geese, talked and kissed. Yes ... lots and lots of kissing. It was Lucy’s favorite part of the day. However, now school was back in session and their lunches had
come to an end. They had restarted their email correspondence and Lucy looked forward to every word that came through.
“But I wonder what he has planned for our date, tomorrow,” she mused. “Dress nice, huh? Alrighty then.”
MATEO’S HANDS SHOOK as he knocked on Lucy’s door. He was dressed in his nicest suit, his hair had been recently trimmed and his goatee groomed.
He caught his breath as Lucy opened her door. She’s stunning. He thought. She wore a gauzy mint green dress that flowed to her ankles, which were strapped into glittery, white sandals. Their three inch heel gave a sexy look to the shoe and her already attractive legs. The soft pastel of the dress made her golden skin glow and her blonde hair look brighter.
“You look beautiful,” Mateo said, leaning in to grab a quick kiss.
Lucy beamed. “Thank you. So do you.” When he went to straighten from kissing her, she grabbed his tie and pulled him back down.
With a chuckle, he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a more thorough greeting. “Are you ready?” He whispered when they were catching their breath.
Lucy nodded. He took her hand to lead her to his car. After closing her door, he all but sprinted over to his side. He felt jittery and on edge with tonight’s plan and was having trouble controlling his energy.
“Where are we going?” Lucy asked as she watched the scenery go by.
“Not far,” Mateo hedged. He knew she would recognize their destination soon enough.
After pulling into a public parking spot, he turned off the engine and shifted in his seat to look at Lucy.
She smiled at him in puzzlement. “The park? We’re going to the park?”
Mateo nodded.
Lucy shrugged. “Okay. But why did I need to dress up for that?”
Mateo smiled, “You’ll see soon enough.” Hopping out of the car, he walked around, opened her door and put her hand in his elbow.
The sun was still bright in the early evening and other couples and families were enjoying the warm weather before fall and winter set in.
As they walked down the sidewalk toward their favorite bench, Lucy suddenly gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth.
At their spot was a table, set with two chairs and plates, candles and a bouquet of daisies. Leading Lucy over, Mateo got her settled before grabbing a cooler from underneath the bench.
“Pasta for the lady,” he said, putting a take-out container on her plate.
Lucy giggled as he also pulled out fresh bread and drinks. “This is wonderful, thank you Mateo.” She looked up at him, her eyes shining with adoration.
Mateo felt his chest swell with love for this wonderful woman. “Anytime,” he said softly.
After their meal, he took her hand and pulled her to the bench, where he tucked her under his arm and they gazed at the lake and the stars that were starting to pop up in the twilight sky.
“Oh!” Mateo said suddenly. “I almost forgot.” Reaching under the bench once more, he grabbed a brown paper bag and handed it to Lucy. “I brought you your favorite activity,” he said with a grin.
Lucy laughed and took the bag. It crinkled as she opened it and reached inside for the breadcrumbs that were sure to be there. Grabbing a handful, she threw them at the geese swimming at the edge of the pond, then smiled as the animals honked and flapped after the food.
Reaching in again, she froze when her fingers touched something hard, but smooth. Grasping it, she pulled it out and immediately broke into tears.
Mateo slid off the bench and onto one knee. He took the bag from her, setting it to the side and grasped her hands in his. “Lucy.” He cleared his throat, which suddenly felt drier than the Sahara. “I know we haven’t known each other for very long, but I know that you are exactly what I have been looking for. I love you. I love your sense of humor, I love how you are willing to indulge my geeky side by watching historical documentaries, I love your love for those silly geese behind us and I want to spend the rest of our lives rejoicing in that love. Will you marry me?”
Lucy eyes were shiny with tears, but the smile on her face couldn’t have beamed any brighter. She threw her arms around his neck, “Yes! Yes! I love you too and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Keeping his arms around her, he pushed them both into a standing position and quickly found her waiting lips. Time was irrelevant as they lost themselves in each other. The sun disappeared over the horizon and the geese wandered to their nests, but Mateo and Lucy held on, knowing they would never let each other go.
THE END
Author’s Note
I hope you enjoyed Lucy’s story! Are you curious as to what is happening with Ruby? Well, never fear, her story will be available in September 2018.
Here is the series order:
Prequel: A Home for the Ugly Duckling (FREE for my newsletter subscribers, HERE)
Book #1: The Librarian and Her Beast
Book #2: Ms. Cinder’s Prince
Book #3: Waking Ms. Briar
Meanwhile, here’s a sample of Piper and Nash’s story, the one that started it all.
The Librarian and Her Beast
CHAPTER 1
Piper normally found teacher orientation horribly boring. Principal Grimm would introduce all the new faculty and then go over the same rules every year before dismissing the teachers to mingle and prepare their classrooms. This year, however, everything was different. Time stood still when the new high school math teacher/football coach, Nash Wilde, had been introduced. Tall, dark, and handsome barely covered what this man was.
She found she couldn’t breathe. Squirming, shuffling, and a droning voice existed in her periphery, but her world was stuck. He looked to be well over six feet. His shoulders showed he actually played the sport he had come to coach. His dark hair was longer on top, but short on the sides and it looked like he hadn’t shaved in about three days. Piper found she had the strangest desire to rub her fingertips over the stubble.
Ouch! Her concentration was broken when her best friend elbowed her in the ribs.
“Stop staring and wipe that drool off your chin,” Lucy teased. “People are gonna start to notice if you don’t get ahold of yourself.”
“Sorry,” Piper mumbled. Shaking her head, she tried to bring her attention back to what Principal Grimm was saying, but her eyes kept wandering back to where Nash had retaken his seat.
“I can’t say that I blame you,” Lucy whispered. “He is one nice specimen of the male species. A bit gruff looking for my tastes, but still, looking never hurt anybody. Better be careful though. Miranda Long Legs seems to have her eye on him as well.”
“What?” Piper snapped to full attention and honed in on the beautiful redhead. She grimaced when she saw Miranda eyeing the coach like a panther sizing up its prey. If Miranda was after him, she didn’t stand a chance. Miranda was 5’ 10” of runway model elegance. Her flaming red hair was always perfectly coiffed and her large, pouty lips perfectly glossed. Men didn’t resist her. They were simply lucky if they survived her.
Folding her arms across her far less impressive chest, Piper slouched, feeling defeated. Her petite frame was no match for the voluptuous woman. The biggest thing about Piper was her head of long, coffee colored hair. Thick and luxurious, she couldn’t bear to cut it, believing it to be her best feature. Her large hazel eyes were always hidden behind glasses that were constantly slipping down her small, straight nose. A nose that was usually buried in a book. And although Piper glossed her lips with her favorite candy cane lip gloss, she never seemed to be able to attain the same pouty attractiveness as Miss Model.
Ugh. Miss Hoity Toity is gonna be all over him like a homeless man on a bologna sandwich. She sighed, giving up before the fight had even begun and forced her head back to the principal, who continued to wax poetic about school policies.
CHAPTER 2
Since Piper was the school librarian, she had the unique opportunity to meet all the teachers in their small, private school. Middleton Prep was a
K-12 academy with a pricey tuition. She loved her work. Helping kids on their literary adventures was exciting and fulfilling. Today, however, her body shook with nerves. All school textbooks were kept in her back rooms and she often delivered them to each teacher before school started.
Okay Piper, you can do this. He’s just a man. A really, really, really handsome man, but still. Just. A. Man.
Taking a deep breath, she thrust her shoulders back and chin high. With one hand on her library cart, she knocked on the classroom door and pushed it open. Peeking her head in, she glanced around.
“Hello? Mr. Wilde?”
Double checking that she had the right room, she peeked her head back in.
A deep, rumbling grunt sounded from behind the door.
Confused, she shifted around so she could see him. Putting on a nervous smile, she said, “Hi! I’m Piper, the librarian. I’m just delivering your textbooks for the semester.”
Ooh. He’s even better up close! A girl could get lost in those eyes.
He cleared his throat and Piper realized she was staring. Blinking rapidly, she pulled herself together and worked on maneuvering the cart into the room. As luck would have it, one of the wheels got caught in the doorway. Her cheeks burned with humiliation as she tried to adjust the cart while holding the door open with her foot, but her small stature made it difficult for her to lift the wheel.
She registered a loud sigh of exasperation behind her, moments before she felt a heated presence at her back. She jumped and bit back a squeal when his arms came around her and shifted the cart before retreating.
“Small.”
Her eyes widened in shock at his comment. “Excuse me?” Her hackles were raised now. She didn’t put up with jerks, no matter how handsome they were. “I’m plenty big enough for my job, thank you very much.”