Page 4 of Bean Flicker
JOSH
Having stayed up most of the night reading, I'm running on about three hours of sleep when I approach my new neighbor's house to return her book. There hasn't been anyone living in this cottage since the last occupant, an elderly woman named Odette, passed away in her sleep about five years ago. I don't know if that's what kept would-be buyers at bay, or if it's just that Cedarwood Valley is so far off the beaten track that most people don't even know it exists. Either way, I'm glad someone has finally moved in. It's nice to have another human being around who isn't my sister or a farmhand.
Climbing the steps of the small cottage, I clear my throat before I raise a hand and knock on the door. After a few moments, my neighbor appears, peeking through the lace curtains that cover the arched window inlaid at the top of the wooden door. Her eyes go wide.
"No thank you," she says, ducking behind the curtains again.
I grin to myself, my grip tightening on the book as I hold it up for her to see. "Don't you want your book back?"
She opens the door with a jerk and snatches the book out of my hand. "Did you read it?" she asks, fanning the pages as she inspects the book's condition.
"I did," I say, allowing my eyes to drink in the full figure of the woman before me. While I thoroughly enjoyed our impromptu meeting yesterday, I'm still just as taken by her today. She's wearing a fitted blue tank with an open button-down tied at the waist, along with a pair of black yoga pants and a red polka-dot scarf that's covering her pulled back chocolate-colored hair. On her face, there isn't a scrap of makeup, and her feet are bare save for the bright pink nail polish. I can imagine coming home after a long day in the fields to this, picking her up and—
"Already?" Her doubting tone cuts through my thoughts before they turn lewd.
"Well, you made it look so good..."
She rolls her eyes, and I can't help the way my mouth kicks up at the side. "I'm never living that down, am I?"
"Not a chance, flick."
"It's Reggie, by the way. Well, Regina, actually. But my friends call me Reggie—or Reg. Either one. Just don’t call me Gina. I hate that."
“Got it.” My brow goes up. "So…we're friends now, are we?"
She places a hand on her hip and looks me up and down. I can tell she's taking in my farmer's attire—jeans, plaid shirt, and mud boots—with a critical eye. "You tell me, farm boy. You're the one knocking onmydoor."
I laugh. "That I am. And you know, I suppose I wouldn't mind bein' friends. If you can recommend another book for me, of course. I've never read romance before, but between you and me, I really liked that one."
"Really?” She pulls her head back in surprise. “I’m happy to hear that—as long as you don't tell me what happens, because I was only a little over halfway when you took off with it."
I can’t keep the smirk from my face at that admission. "Let me guess, you got to the part in the locker-room showers?"
Her cheeks flush pink, and I know I'm right.
"How about, never you mind? You stay right there, and I’m gonna go get you another book to read," she says, clutching her copy ofPucking Gorgeousto her chest as she turns and disappears further into the cottage.
I wait on the front stoop since I haven’t been invited to follow. Plus, I've been out in the fields all day and don't want to track mud inside.
"You're lucky I just finished unpacking my bookshelves," she says when she returns, a different book with similar branding in her hand. "This one is by the same author, but it’s the book before the one you read.”
“It’s a series?”
“Yes. But they're standalones that are connected by the guys on the hockey team. It doesn't matter if you don't read them in order." She holds it out to me, and I read the title,Pucked All Night.
"Thank you," I say, reaching out to take it from her but finding that she pulls it away.
"Just make sure you bring it back in perfect condition. Same rules as the last time."
"No sticky pages. Got it, " I say, giving her a cheeky grin as a pleasant jolt courses through my body when I take the book, and her fingers brush briefly against mine. She sucks in a breath and quickly pulls away.There’s just something about this woman…
We stand there for moment longer, not saying anything as I run my thumb over the raised text on the front cover and wonder what kind of story I'm going to find inside. Another hockey one,obviously. But what are the characters going to be like? In the last one, the heroine was filled with hidden insecurities that she covered with outspoken bravado. And the hero was so afraid of commitment due to his upbringing that he struggled to trust anyone could see past his sporting fame to the man he truly was beneath it all. I went in expecting to possibly get my rocks off, but in the end, I got a well-rounded story. I was both moved and longing for more. I'm never reading another war story again.
Finally, Reggie breaks the silence with a soft chuckle and a shake of her head. "You know this is kinda nuts, right?"
My eyes fly up to meet hers. "Neighbors lending books to each other?"
"Sure. That's all that's going on here." She laughs and looks to the side, like she can't make eye contact right now. "I seriously contemplated just calling the moving company to come and take my stuff back to the city last night."
