Page 7 of Touch My Shelves

“The big man himself. Dane is actually doing work and staying late most nights. He’s not happy about it either.”

The smug grin that pulls at my lips shouldn’t make me so happy. “So he’s making everyone else’s life miserable.”

“You got it in one, but forget about me. How are you doing? You sound like you’re in a good place.”

“You know I am. I’m happy with the bookstore and your lingerie line is selling like hotcakes. I could literally sell double what you send me. You should think about that.”

I’ve tried my best to get Naudi to start her own brand and move here with me. I never anticipated small-town gossip would be the best marketing tool imaginable.

“No, we’re not talking about me. How goes the dating life?” Naudi asks.

A handsome, sweaty man in a dark alley comes to mind. My tummy flutters “You know I’m not the relationship type. If I wanted to, I could go out every day of the week. There is no shortage of eligible men around here, just none I’m interested in.”

That’s not a true statement. The man I may or may not have bumped into that night sends a shivering pulse over my skin. The next morning, I wasn’t sure if I’d dreamed the whole thing, or if I had in fact mowed him down and then threw myself at him shamelessly.

If he is real, it’s going to be incredibly embarrassing the next time I see him. I’ve been looking for him around town since then, but no luck. I’d remember those blue eyes. It’s just as well that he’s my dream boyfriend since that’s the only kind I plan to have. Anti-marriage is my middle name.

The bell above the door rings when a customer comes in and I end the call with a promise to talk this weekend.

I stick my phone in a drawer and greet Jen as she pushes a baby stroller through the doorway. Her daughter is the cutest thing. “Hey, Jen, what can I help you with today?”

“Do you have the new Sawyer Reynolds book?”

I don’t even have to stop and think. I know the one she’s talking about. It’s the third book in a hockey romance series and I’ve been waiting for it too.

“If you’re talking aboutGorwen, I sure do. It came in yesterday.”

Her face lights. “Perfect. I want a copy and I want to browse a bit. Especially in the back room,” she says with a wink.

I grin. I have a purple bra and panty set that would go incredibly well with her skin tone. “No problem. I’m here if you need anything. I’ll have your book waiting for you at the front. Want me to keep Brianna while you shop?”

“You don’t mind? It’s time for her nap so she might get fussy.”

I look down at the cooing cherub as she plays with a giraffe stuffy. That’s the thing of being from a big family, I was forever being volunteered for babysitting. “Nope. I love kids. We’ll figure it out. I’ll take her to the kids’ area and see if we can find a book she likes.”

Brianna looks up at me with a snaggle-toothed grin and proceeds to toss the giraffe to the floor. I bend down and pick it up. “You’re a happy baby girl, aren’t you, precious? Come on, let’s go see if we can find a book about animals. Those were always my favorites.”

Brianna lasts through one reading and then zonks out in her stroller. Another customer comes in and I straighten the skirt of my cotton dress—marine blue with red cherries and a sweetheart neckline—and push the baby behind the counter with me. I ring Mrs. Bryant out after we talk about cookbooks. She mostly talks and I just nod and make the obligatory comment. While I haven’t had the kitchen or the time to cook since I left home, I do know how. My mom is an incredible cook and I learned by her side helping her to put meals on the table for hungry farmers—my father and brothers. I probably wouldn’t have a clue how to make a meal for two people, but two dozen? I can do that in my sleep.

“Hey, Poppy, do you have the pink teddy in a size twelve? I think Hannah would love it for her birthday next month,” Jen calls from the back room.

I gently push the stroller so as to not wake Brianna and join Jen in the lingerie room. “I’m not sure. Let me check the back.”

Jen’s eyes open wide when she sees the peaceful state of her daughter. “She’sout.”

I grin down at the sleeping baby. “She was out before we got to the second book.”

“You are magic, Poppy. She never goes to sleep that easily for me or for Rod. You must be a baby whisperer.”

“No, not really. She was just tired and the sound of my voice lulled her right to sleep. I’ve been told before that I have a boring voice.”

Jen frowns. “That’s not true. I love your accent. Where are you from originally?”

“Alabama, all my life, until I moved here.”

I miss my family and wish I could visit more often, but I’ll never move back. I just don’t fit in there. I never felt like I did.

“Wow, that’s sure a culture shock. You have the country twang and I think it’s charming.”

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