Closer To You (Tales of the Sweet Magnolia Book 1)

by McIntyre, Amanda

  “I think you and I are the only ones left,” Lil replied. “Thank goodness it’s almost closing time.” She removed her reading glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I have a few books left to put away. You can go ahead and lock up front.”

  “Another headache, Lil?” Burt asked in his soft-spoken voice.

  She nodded, feeling the strangest urge to cry. “I don’t know what’s wrong. I can’t seem to sleep well.”

  “You might try a shot of whiskey in your tea tonight.” He shuffled toward the lobby, scooting his pail and broom in front of him, the methodic squeak of the wheels echoing in the vast dome of the front foyer.

  “Yeah, maybe I’ll try that,” she answered absentmindedly as she opened her bag to drop the small box inside. Her eye caught the cover of the book she’d checked out months ago, the one she’d been reluctant to let go of. She pulled it out holding it reverently as she studied the cover. It showed an old Victorian clapboard house—perhaps an old farmhouse at one time, but it stroked a sentimental chord within her that she couldn’t explain, like looking at a forgotten picture of a special time in your past. Perhaps it signified a dream that would forever remain in her heart, but could never become a reality.

  Lil realized suddenly that she didn’t remember ever telling Burt about her nighttime ritual of tea. Or maybe she had. She shook her head, her shoulders slumping with her sigh. Maybe it was time that she stopped living in the past. These musings, dreams, whatever you wanted to call them were causing issues for her health—both mental and physical. Deep down she knew she needed to shelve the book and her obsession with the lives of those of Deadwater. In her futile attempts to place some connection between her dreams and reality, it had served no other purpose than to make her aware that whoever this man in her dreams was, he did not exist on any plane other than her imagination.

  “Like I said, Burt,” she said wistfully, “there are no cowboys left to ride off into the sunset with.” Lillian pushed from her chair; book in hand, following through with what she should have done weeks ago.

  Her heels clicked a rapid tattoo as she walked with haste to the far western corner of the library. She checked the Dewey number on the binding and with a quick perusal discovered it belonged on the top shelf. She scooted the rolling ladder to the exact spot and untucking the book from beneath her arm, leafed through its pages once more. Perhaps she hoped to find something that would explain the void inside her? Lil paused at the picture of Reverend Sloan, his dark gaze intense. They reminded her of the man’s eyes in her dreams. Her gaze flitted to the picture of his wife and their young son. The photo appeared to have been a special occasion, perhaps first communion, given the fine clothes they wore. She stared at the young Jake Sloan’s face and tried to imagine him as a grown man.

  With an unexplainable resignation, she closed the book. She could no longer dwell in her imagination. She had a life to live, a good career and she was doing what she loved. All she could hope for was that these things would eventually fill the void within her. She climbed the ladder’s two short steps and when she came eye level to the top shelf she made a note to return soon with a dust cloth and some wood polish.

  “Excuse me, I’m looking for a Miss Lillian White?”

  The low-timbered sound of a man’s voice resounded in the silence of the near empty library. Burt must have let him in. Lil continued her pursuit of placing the book between the others on the shelf. “I’ll be with you in a moment,” she stated aloud to the patron, hoping that whatever he wanted wouldn’t take too much time. Lori was supposed to call from Greece later. Disgusted with the thick covering of dust, she swiped the bindings with her fingers and followed by trying to blow it away. A small cloud of dirt particles flew up in her face, and she squeezed her eyes shut instinctively.

  “Burt said you were back here. Seems like a nice man, though a little on the eccentric side, maybe.”

  Lil turned her face away, waving her hand to dissipate the swirling haze lingering in the air. Her gaze landed on the rays of the western sun, just beginning to filter through the beautiful stained glass window accentuating its dark green twisted vines and large white magnolia blossoms. She realized she hadn’t defended the man’s unwarranted perception of Burt. “I beg your pardon, sir. Burt is a pillar of honesty and hard work and he’s been around here for as long as I can remember. You’d be surprised at what you can learn from your elders. They’ve lived through what we know as the past, so have a little respect, please.”

  “I meant no disrespect,” the faceless voice answered.

  Admittedly, her emotions were running a bit on edge. “I’m sorry, but the library is closing. May I help you find something?”

  “All this dust sort of gives new meaning to the historical section.” She heard a low chuckle. “I’m here about the ad.”

  The man’s voice, closer now, startled her, and the book slipped from her grasp.

  It landed with a loud bang, sounding like a gunshot when it hit the floor. Lil backed quickly down the ladder, fearing that the binding had been broken and vowed she would go back to her sensible flats tomorrow. She bent down and as she reached to pick it up, a man’s hand closed over hers. Startled yet again, she jerked her hand away at the spine-tingling sensation that went through her body. Lil straightened on wobbly legs and reached for the ladder to steady her. She placed a hand to her chest, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Something was not right. Maybe she’d call for an appointment with her physician, it had been a while. Her heart raced at the residual jumpstart she felt when the strangers hand touched hers. Lil licked her lips, preparing to open her eyes and face him. “

  “Are you here to identify the necklace?”

  “I am, but here, I believe you dropped this.” The obscure faces of the women on the cover of the Tales of the Sweet Magnolia stared up at her. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. What was happening to her? Had she fallen and bumped her head?

  “I suspect the necklace you have resembles a gold shamrock?”

  Lil accepted the book, unable yet to look at him. There was something familiar about his voice and it stopped had temporarily stopped her brain from functioning.

  “And I believe this must be yours as well.”

  She could only stare in disbelief as he turned her hand and placed a red ruby amulet in her palm.

  “You left it in my pocket the night you left,” he stated quietly. “I’ve been looking for you for so long, Lil. I thought I’d never find you again.”

  ***

  Lillian gawked at the necklace. This was crazy…impossible. She swallowed, cautiously lifting her gaze, and met the dark eyes that had plagued her dreams. “It’s you. You’re real? But how…?”

  He was dressed in faded blue jeans, a gray University of Nevada T-shirt and a weathered old leather motorcycle jacket. He was sexy as hell and looked like heaven. He took a step toward her and reached up, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. “Jesus Lil—that look, you know what it does to me.” He swallowed hard. “It was the ad. This guy I know down at the jail….”

  Lil shook her head in disbelief. “The jail…what, here?”

  He shrugged and pulled out his badge, flashing it to her. “Yeah, it’s where I work. I’ve been looking for this woman I knew once. All I had to go on was her name. The ad caught the eye of one of the guys I know. I took the chance it might be you.” Jake pulled a yellowed piece of paper from his pocket. “Paddy had forgotten you gave him this.”

  She took the paper, recognizing her own handwriting. Was it possible that these thoughts, these images she’d experienced like flashbacks to another life were real? “If this is true, how did you get here?” She drank in the sight of him. The man in her deepest fantasies stood before her. She wanted to touch him, but feared he would disappear like the cloud of dust.

  He took another step, boxing her in. He hadn’t touched her, but her skin felt on fire. The foggy memory of a dark hallway popped in her brain—she wore a skimp
y robe and she was speaking to an angry cowboy with a black hat and a worn duster. How was this possible?

  “We have so much to catch up on, Lil.” He leaned in, nuzzling the curve of her neck.

  “Oh lord,” she sighed, dipping away from him. “This can’t be happening.” Her evasive maneuvers didn’t stop him.

  A wicked smile appeared on his handsome face. “You know it’s real, Lil. One kiss. Let me prove how real I am.” He curled his hand around her neck and she went willingly into his embrace. “You smell the same as I remember, like sunshine and soap.”

  She searched his eyes. “It is really you, Jake? I don’t understand.”

  He held his face in her hands. “Some things are beyond understanding, Lil, but maybe what we want most is never further from us than our deepest desire. I needed to tell you how I felt about you. The thought that I didn’t have that chance was what kept me looking for you. I never gave up.”

  “I thought I’d imagined you. That you were nothing more than a fantasy.” Her heart pounded in her chest. She reached up with a shaky hand and touched his unshaven cheek. The urge to pull his mouth to hers made her dizzy with need. She blinked, smiling as she held back tears of joy. “What was it that you wanted to tell me?” If she’d bumped her head and was in a coma, she prayed she wouldn’t wake up. Her memories, everything was coming back to her in a rush of awareness. Here he was, flesh and bone, those dark eyes searching deep into her soul. “I’m plum crazy about you, Lil. If that’s love, then so be it. All I know is that

  I about died when you left.”

  His admission opened the floodgates of emotions she’d been trying to deny for months, chalking them up to nothing more than her vivid dreams. “Jake,” she spoke softly, her eyes resting on the lips that could bring her to heights of untold passion. “I’ve missed you. Where have you been?”

  “Looking for you, sweetheart.” His lips found hers at last, gentle, precious—Lil savored their reunion.

  “But how?” she mumbled between kisses that ignited the passion she remembered between them.

  “Later, Lil,” he stated, pressing her to the bookcase. Heat built between them, a raging grass fire, reckless and wild. She pushed his jacket over his broad shoulders, and he stepped away only long enough to let it drop to the floor.

  “I wanted you the first time I laid eyes on you.” His hands pushed beneath her skirt and Lil began to unfasten the buttons of her blouse.

  “You don’t happen to be wearing that little number you had on that night?” he asked, trailing kisses down the curve of her throat. He brushed aside her cotton blouse and stopped, his face filled with the joy of a kid on Christmas morning. “Bless you, woman.” He unhooked the front clasp, freeing her breasts to his hands and his hungry mouth.

  Her knees grew weak, the need rising fierce inside her. She should have cared about where they were, should have considered that someone could come around the corner and see them, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was Jake and that he was there with her. His calloused hands smoothed up her thigh, bunching her skirt around her hips. He moved his hand over her soft mound, caressing slow and easy, causing her to squirm.

  “Oh, Jake.” Her voice shook with desire.

  He teased unmercifully, pleasuring her with teeth and tongue as his hand performed magic between her legs. Lil turned her head and looked up at the beautiful Magnolia and vine-covered window. Helpless to the delirious splendor, a gasp tore from her throat and she surrendered to the exquisite joy that claimed her body and soul.

  “That’s the look I’ve waited to see. You, coming undone for me.”

  She swallowed, relishing the contentment of surrender. He pressed his lips to her shoulder. She laced her fingers through his dark waves of thick hair, holding him close. “Tell me, you really are Sheriff Jake Sloan, aren’t you?” she asked breathlessly.

  He straightened to look at her, a cocky grin plastered on his face. “Give me a few minutes to jostle your memory.”

  In a hurry to make up for lost time, they shed their remaining clothes, helping each other between soft kisses. The rays of the sun low in the western sky illuminated the brilliant stain of the window, bathing their naked flesh in its colors. Lil pulled him close, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him tight. “I don’t ever want to be apart from you,” she whispered, breathing deep his familiar scent.

  “Lil, honey, I’ve got to be inside you. Jesus it feels like forever.”

  “I know.” She nodded. “I need to have you.”

  He lifted her in his arms. “These are sturdy?” he asked, looking above their heads at the ancient wooden bookshelves.

  Lil nodded. “They’ve withstood the test of time.” She smiled at Jake and knew he understood the double entendre.

  “I’ve waited a hundred fifty years to do this again.”

  He kissed her, at the same time pushing deep, their joining a miracle, unexplainable, perfect. Her breath caught at the rapturous sensation of his hard length, the glorious friction of each determined thrust. She clung to his muscled shoulders feeling them flex and bunch beneath her fingers. Night after night, in the seclusion of her dreams, she’d tortured herself with the memory of his lovemaking. It was nothing by comparison to his skills in reality. She pulled herself close, resting her cheek on his shoulder, delighting in every sense, in how he’d never given up looking for her.

  “Aw Lil, God, you feel so good,” he murmured against her cheek. Books, one after another, fell around them, banging to the floor in periodic succession.

  “You’re not going to scream, are you?” He turned his head to look at her, his dark eyes glittering with mischief.

  “Hell of a time to ask about that now, cowboy.”

  “About us, Lil….” He moved in tandem with her, the sensation undeniably magnificent.

  “What is it, Jake? It’s been a very long time, I’d really like to....” He shifted his hold, changing the angle and creating all new miraculous sensations. Pleasure obliterated all thought. A moan of utter joy escaped her lips.

  He paused, his chest heaving from exertion. There was a solemn look in his dark eyes. “I don’t ever want to lose you again, Lil.”

  She tightened her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. “I have no intention of letting you lose me.”

  “Marry me.”

  Fat tears welled in her eyes and she nodded.

  “Tomorrow…high noon…the courthouse,” he said resuming with greater fervor his lovemaking. “No…more…waiting—” His hands grasped the soft flesh of her thighs. “What do you say, Lil?” He kissed her quick and pressing his forehead to her shoulder, quickened his thrusts.

  Lil gasped and she opened her mouth in an unbridled scream of joy. “Yes,

  Jake, oh God yes!”

  “I love you, Lil, I always have,” Jake whispered, holding her tight, emptying himself body and soul, the past and present joining as one.

  The clang of the old grandfather clock in the library’s main entrance resonated through the empty library, marking the end of another day. Lil held Jake close, realizing she’d found her cowboy at last. Her sister would be ecstatic.

  ***

  Burt glanced up from his solitary cleaning and smiled at the sunset on the horizon. It looked like a giant red ball in the sky, blazing across time and space. “Now, there’s a lovely sunset, Lillian.” He turned the lock and flipped over the closed sign on the front door. “And here’s wishing you and your cowboy a lifetime of riding off into them.”

  Dear Readers,

  I hope you enjoyed the story of Jake and Miss Lillian. There are more Tales of the Sweet Magnolia to come, starting with Miss Angel’s story in Book II of this series. Will she find the elusive Billy, the man of her dreams whose lyrical way of speaking touches her very soul? Find out in CHRISTMAS ANGEL. Here is a sneak peek at the first chapter!

  Happy reading & cowboy dreams!

  Amanda

  Christmas Angel

  by

&n
bsp; Amanda McIntyre

  Chapter One

  Present Day~

  It was a hell of a way to spend a winter’s night. Shado tore open the instant heat packets, stuffing them inside the thick rag-wool gloves he wore. He’d cut out the fingertips to allow quick access to the gun he carried in the waistband of his jeans.

  “How's it lookin' out there?” His partner in the operation sat huddled, warm and toasty in the van parked half way down the block—ready to roll at the given signal.

  They at least had hot coffee.

  He took a gulp of stale, cold coffee, grimacing as he tossed it in the rusty oil barrel nearby. For a fleeting moment, the thought of a nice can fire passed through his head—quickly dissipating as he glanced at the stacks of Christmas trees surrounding him.

  “Was this your idea, Gleason?” he muttered into the microphone discreetly attached to the silver diamond stud he wore on his left earlobe. It wasn't his style—the earring—but Gleason thought it would add character to his cover.

  “The Christmas tree lot? Hell, yeah that was my brilliant idea. Look, you've got a straight shot to the valet parking of that joint.”

  Shado sneezed, wondering how long it would take his toes to thaw from the cold.

  “What's the temp out here?” He smacked his hands together, grateful for the warmth provided by the packs as he reminded himself to bring some for his boots the next night.

  “They said it’s going for record cold tonight, could beat the old record of twelve below zero.”

  “Nice,” he responded with no enthusiasm. At least it wasn’t snowing.

  “Yeah, it makes it a good night to snuggle up to with something warm, right?