******
“Michael, where are those two Janet Daily books that arrived yesterday?” Casey called over her shoulder from where she perched high on top of one of the sliding ladders in the romance section. “I had a call-in request for them and I’m sure they haven’t been sold yet.”
“If they’re not on the shelves, look in the box at the bottom of your ladder.” Michael called back. He was organizing the children’s reading area for the regularly scheduled Wednesday reading. Their schedule varied. Mondays were for the tiny kids, Wednesday’s they read stories for older kids and Friday they played it by ear. Whoever showed up got to pick the story to read by a vote.
Today being Wednesday Michael was trying to find an appropriate book for older children, one that had some real meat to it that might generate some discussion. These sessions often turned quite lively as the kids all vied to give their opinion on topics from separating parents to after school television shows. Wednesday’s were Michael’s reading days. He enjoyed the interaction with the older kids. Casey preferred reading to the smaller children who would sit quietly and enthralled (usually) until the end, and she considered it a personal goal to keep their attention throughout.
The door chime jingled, indicating more patrons arriving for story time.
The store was filling up fast, Casey was happy to notice. It should be a good session. When the sun shone you couldn’t tell what was going to happen. Some days they were totally dead, others they were practically standing room only. Today looked like one of the standing room only days.
Found one! Casey was jubilant. Just in time too, the ladder rung she was standing on was beginning to hurt the bottom of her feet. The other book must still be in the box. It was around here somewhere.
Mumbling about disorganization and the desperate need to find someone to help out part time, Casey descended the ladder – and walked straight into the arms of Andrew Peterson!
Casey stared at him in surprise. Too shocked to speak she could only watch bemused, as he carefully disentangled her suddenly numb arm from where it had become caught in the ladder. The touch of his warm fingers on her bare skin sent electric shocks through her body; she felt her backbone melt and her blood course hotly. Attracted seemed such a tame word for how he made her feel.
Fully conscious, alert, with that sexy little smile on his face, he was even more incredible looking than she had remembered.
When she spoke her voice was no more than a squeak. “Andrew!” Clearing her throat awkwardly she continued in a more normal tone. “What are you doing here? I mean…” Doubt, confusion and awareness combined to enhance her uncertainty.
He was standing so close she could feel the heat emanating from his body, smell the spicy scent of his aftershave, see the little flecks of gold in his startling blue eyes; his breath fanned the hair at her temple. If she’d thought he was sexy on the hill then she didn’t even know how to describe him now.
She couldn’t breathe.
Casey managed to choke out a feeble “excuse me,” and pulled away from him. Turning on her heel she marched stiffly around the corner of the bookshelf. Leaning her flushed forehead against the cool wood of the bookcase she took a huge breathe of air and tried to pull herself together. Did she know how to impress a man, or what? He must think she was a stupid blathering idiot.
She smoothed her hair, tucked in the periwinkle t-shirt that had come loose from the waistband of her white shorts, took a deep breath and strode purposefully back around the corner.
Andrew was standing in the same spot she had left him, leaning against the shelf. With surprised laughter in his eyes and a half smile on his full lips, he watched her approach.
Casey nearly chickened out and ran and hid in the storeroom but squashed the impulse.
Holding out her hand, she tried to pretend the last two minutes had never happened and approached him. “Andrew, welcome to my bookstore, I’m sorry about that, I just had to put a book away before I lost it again.” She fibbed almost convincingly. Her voice was as professional as she could make it. “How are you feeling after the accident? I must say you’re looking fit.” That was lame. “I mean of course that you seem to have recovered well.”
Andrew grasped her hand in his and she had to choke back the gasp that threatened.
“I’m feeling much better, still a bit tender but recovering quickly.” His gentle smile and slightly mocking tone indicated better than words his awareness of her discomfort, and suggested he found her attempt to cover them up amusing. “I brought Paula and Janie by for your famous story time. They seem to be pretty excited.” He dropped the overly formal tone and smiled.
Casey looked over at the story area where the two girls were busy setting up their seating, piling the cushions as high as they would go around them, and smiled with him, and then felt momentarily deflated. Of course, that was the reason he was here. For a moment she’d had a silly notion that he was here to see her. But that of course was dumb; he couldn’t have known this was her store until he walked in.
She moved some books around on the shelf; extremely aware of how closely Andrew was watching her. A man like him wouldn’t have to search for a woman anyway; he probably had hundreds stashed all over the city. That thought gave Casey the edge she needed to cool her overactive imagination. She turned back to face him. “Of course, you must have read about us in the Times. They did a wonderful story covering the new, upcoming businesses in the area didn’t they? It should really help tourism.” She turned and as nonchalantly as possible, strolled over to stand behind the relative safety of the cash desk.
“Please let me know if I can help you with anything.” She finished, sounding as prim and proper as her grandmother used to, and turned to face him.
Her eyes widened.
Andrew was leaning across from her with his forearms on the desk and was so close she nearly bumped noses with him. She fiddled with the keys on the cash register. “Can I do something for you?” The primness was gone; her voice wavered.
Andrew pushed himself up and relaxed one hip casually against the edge of the desk. He was staring her straight in the eye with such intensity that Casey felt the hair on the back of her neck tingle.
“Have lunch with me?”
“Pardon me?” Casey was so mesmerized by his expression: a combination of laughter, tenderness and pure male interest that she nearly missed the question.
“I have to be honest Casey; I couldn’t stop thinking about you after you helped me on Sunday.” His voice was almost apologetic. He rubbed one hand across the back of his neck. “This is no chance encounter, I called the ski hill to find out where you worked during the week but they weren’t much help.” A small grin lit his face. “I couldn’t believe it when I opened the morning paper and saw your smiling face. It was a great write up they did on your store-very impressive….”
She nodded weakly in thanks, and couldn’t ignore the thrill she felt at his words.
"…. So I grabbed the girls and brought them over. I’d very much like you to have lunch with me.”
Casey shot him a look of total incomprehension.
His tone turned teasing. “No strings, just lunch” He smiled wolfishly and leaned closer. “So what do you say?”
He wanted to take her to lunch. He was impressed with her little business. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Her? Casey? Wow. She shook her head to clear it.
“Well,” She cleared her throat. “As long as we’re being honest…” Casey took a deep breath. “I went to find you at the hospital on Monday to ask you to go to lunch with me…” She blurted.
“I know.” Andrew’s smile grew wider.
Casey just gaped at him. “How could you possibly know that?”
“The nurse described you.” His smile still firmly in place he leaned towards her and twined on strand of hair around his finger. “I don’t know too many women with hair like this.”
“Oh.” Casey could feel the heat rise in her cheeks as she blushed.
> “So…. is that a ‘yes’ then.”
Casey could feel her mouth stretch into a huge grin. “Yes Andrew, that would be a ‘yes’.” Was it Christmas already? Was this some sort of gift for good behaviour? To have this incredibly handsome, charismatic man search her out… it was more than she could have ever asked for. Her smile grew wider and wider as the full import of his invitation registered. He not only remembered her, but he was as interested in her as she was in him. Wow.
Andrew drew in his breath, his eyes registered shock for a moment before a veil came down and he smiled slightly. “Good.”
“Oh wait.” Her face dropped. She scowled in irritation. “I’m sorry, I really can’t. We’re shorthanded as it is and…”
“You have to eat don’t you.” Andrew’s expression was teasingly persuasive.
“Well, yes…but….”
“No buts, I’ll pick you up here tomorrow. Say 12:30?” He untwined her hair carefully and moved purposefully away from the desk.
She couldn’t say no. “Yes… yes, ok…since you put it that way.” Her smile was shy. “I’d love to.”
“Great.” He smiled. “I’d better let you get back to work. I’ll just go check on the girls.” He saluted quickly and strode purposefully over to the reading area where he stopped next to an incredibly gorgeous blond woman.
Casey felt a white-hot knife of jealousy stab her in the heart. It was unexpected, it was silly and childish…. Stop it! He’s only asked you out for lunch. You do not have the right to be jealous.
Even so, she was relieved to see his nieces run over to the woman and call her Mommy… His sister. Casey breathed a little easier.
Her attention was taken up for the next hour by the steady rush of customers. When she finally looked up Andrew was just leaving. She blushed as he caught her eye and winked roguishly. Then, with a small wave, he was gone. Disappointed, Casey reminded herself she would see him tomorrow. Hugging that thought to her like a security blanket, she turned to help a waiting customer.
“So…. who’s the man?” Michael’s voice whispered in her ear as she counted change for the customer.
“Shoo!” waving him away like a pesky fly, she thanked the woman in front of her and wished her a good day. “What man?” Casey swung around, her tone innocent. She tried to keep the smile off her face and failed miserably.
“The one that had you so flustered you couldn’t even talk straight, the one that had you blushing like an over ripe tomato, the one that…should I go on?” Michael’s voice was mocking.
“It’s a long story.” Walking over to a recently vacated table in the reading room, she started to remove the dirty dishes. “Suffice it to say I have a date for lunch with him tomorrow.” She smiled impishly and walked towards the small cleaning sink set back in one corner.
“Well, I’ll be damned. Go Girl! Good for you.” Michael whistled appreciatively. “I don’t suppose he had a single sister?” He gave her his best pathetic, hangdog look.
He thought it was endearing, but it really only made him look like he’d eaten something that had gone bad.
“I don’t think so Mikey. Find your own girl. What do I look like: a dating service?” Casey scoffed as she washed the mugs.
“Well you seem to be doing so well for yourself….” At her sardonic look he relented. “Ok. Seriously then, if he turns out to be not such a nice guy, just let me know. I’ll put him in his place. I mean it.”
Casey could tell by the look on his face that he did mean it. She gave her hands a last swipe with the towel and walked over to where Michael was still lounging against the cash desk. “Thanks Mike,” She gave him a quick hug. “Now get back to work.” Casey slapped him on the rear end as she walked off. “I don’t pay you to hold up the desk.”
“You mean you pay me? Wow, you learn something new everyday. I was beginning to think I was your slave labour.” Michael laughed and returned to stacking shelves.
Casey just smiled and shook her head at him. She was deep in thought about what to wear tomorrow. The butterflies were already making themselves felt deep in her stomach.