Page 40 of Loving Words
?Jack
“Mr. Jack Halliday,back so soon?” Mrs. Angie Wade, the town librarian, said from her mobile library.
Grinning, I hefted the bag in my hand onto the counter. “I couldn’t resist seeing your beautiful face.”
Her head tipped back as loud laughter left her soul. “Kennedy better watch out because I’ll snatch you up in a heartbeat. Let all those old biddies call me a cougar.” She adjusted her large breasts, and I lowered my head to hide my laughter.
Meeting her gaze, I winked and watched her deep-brown skin brighten with a blush. “I’ll make sure she remembers I have options.”
Mrs. Angie fluffed her hair once as she pursed her lips and laughed. “All right, enough of that, you flirt.” She leaned forward and placed a hand on the bag. “Now tell me what you have here.”
I tapped the side of the bag. “Those are Aileen Mills novels.”
“Oh! Thanks, ma’baby!” she squealed as she dived into the bag.
“Gran mentioned how you wanted to expand the romance collection, and she suggested this author,” I said, fibbing a bit. It was one thing for my closest family and friends to know who Aileen Mills was, but I didn’t want the pressure that would come with others knowing.
“I was just telling her how badly I wanted to read the rest of the series. That old broad! These look brand new!”
I shrugged. “Is that a good thing?”
She sighed. “Yeah, it is.”
Laughing, I asked, “Then why do you sound so dejected?”
Mrs. Angie ran a hand along the cover of the third in the series. “I’m just feeling a little envious that these are going into the library’s collection and not my own.”
I made a mental note to get her a signed set mailed for her own personal collection. My PA could handle the ruse well enough, and the lovely woman could enjoy the treat.
“Gotcha.” I twisted my wrist and peered at the time. “Well, I better get going, or there will be a real chance Kennedy will kick me to the curb so you can snatch me up.”
Mrs. Angie laughed and shook her head. “Trouble, that’s what you are.”
After a quick wave, I slid my sunglasses into place and headed in the direction of Norina’s little downtown. The salty air of our small town filled my lungs as I passed the police and fire departments. I’d been in town for six months, and I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Okay, maybe that wasn’t true, as I could imagine not living under Gran’s roof—not because the woman was nosey. I was just eager to have Kennedy under, over, and around me without the added worry over Gran hearing us.
Suggesting to Kennedy that we move out had been on the tip of my tongue for the last three months, but I was terrified I’d scare her off. We promised each other we’d take things slow, but who was I kidding? Not myself, that was for sure. Slow or fast, I was done for. Kennedy was the only woman I wanted.
Hell, Gran had tossed out all convention once Kennedy had finally made the move down two months after me. Any box we put in Kennedy’s room magically appeared in mine. After the fifth box, we found a Cheshire grin on the older woman.
“Live a little! And if you make me a great-granny, even better!”
Kennedy had burst into a coughing fit while all I had been able to do was laugh.
Six months with Kennedy and I couldn’t see myself living without her presence in my life. She was the fresh air I hadn’t realized I’d been missing. The woman was feisty and smart as hell. The patience and understanding she showed me when I was lost in my story was unlike anything I’d ever experienced with a past lover, let alone a girlfriend.
Turning onto the next block, I was filled with a boyish excitement at the mere thought I’d be seeing Kennedy. In the distance, I spotted Roll with Us, the sandwich shop, a few businesses down from theNorina Timesbuilding, where Kennedy worked.
My brows drew together as I realized there were people gathering in front of the small post office, two doors down from the sandwich shop. Kennedy huddled with a few in the inner circle. As if she could sense my nearness, she pushed to her feet, her eyes locking with mine.
Her face brightened as she moved between a few people and met me halfway. “The gnome bandit struck again!”
Wrapping my arms around her waist, I drew her to me and pressed a kiss to her soft mouth. “Hey, princess.”
“I don’t know how they did it, Jack! It wasn’t there when I walked by an hour ago.”
Shoving one hand into her hair, I kissed her again, passionately, before pulling back and raising a brow.
Kennedy blinked, a smile tipping her lips. “Hi.”
