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I grabbed Under the Setting Sun by Amelia Cooper from the ‘reserved’ section of the shelf in the storeroom and flipped it to read the back as I walked back through the store. It was the twelfth and final book in the series, and even though it sounded delightful, I wasn’t sure I had the time to dedicate to twelve books right now.
But we all knew I was going to buy book one later anyway, so it was a moot point.
“Are you…reading it?”
I jerked up and met Josh’s green-gray eyes. “Just the back.”
“So you’re reading it.”
“If the book isn’t open, I’m not reading it.” I slipped behind the register and lay the book on the white tissue paper we used to pack all orders. There was nothing worse than getting your book home and seeing bent pages or a damaged cover, and while the tissue paper wasn’t exactly a metal safe, it did the job.
I wrapped the book and secured it with a sticker before putting it into a small bag for him. “Seventeen dollars, please.”
Josh handed me the twenty with a sigh. “I’m not getting this money back from her, am I?”
“No, but you know she’ll have your favorite cake in her room waiting for you as a thank you, so don’t be so grumpy.” I handed him his three dollars in change.
Literally in change.
He looked at the coins. “Why have you given it to me in quarters?”
“To be annoying. Obviously.” I grinned and shut the drawer so he couldn’t ask me to change it for three one-dollar bills. “Will that be all, sir?”
“No,” he said slowly, dropping the coins in his back pocket. “One of the guys wants to go out with you tomorrow night.”
My eyes widened. “Alone?”
“No, he’s bringing his parents.”
“Joshua.”
“You asked a stupid question, so I gave you a stupid answer.” He shrugged. “It’s the engineer. He’s in town visiting his great-aunt tomorrow afternoon and wanted to know if you were free.”
“I am so not ready to actually go out with someone!”
“Then why am I doing this?”
“Well, I’m awkward and uncomfortable? I might climb out a bathroom window? Maybe end up choking on something so he has to Heimlich me?”
“Stop panicking.”
“I can’t!”
He put the book down and took my face in his hands. “Stop it, or I’m going to slap you.”
I stopped.
He was right in front of me, his handsome face barely inches from mine, and his gaze was holding mine hostage.
Something… tingled. Somewhere inside me.
Whatever it was, it was new.
And I was pretty sure it wasn’t a good thing.
“Please let go of me,” I breathed.
“Right.” He stepped back. “I’m giving him your number. He’ll text you so you don’t have to worry about me reading your conversations.”
“How else am I going to know if I’m being totally awkward if you aren’t reading them?”
“It’s called screenshots,” he replied dryly. “But surely you can handle one dinner with a stranger?”
“The evidence up until now would say no.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Jesus Christ. Right, okay. We’re having dinner tonight and I’m going to teach you how not to be a blubbering mess into your main course.”
“It’s cute you think I’ll make it past the starter.”
“Kinsley, I don’t think you’ll make it past the door,” he drawled, his eyes sparking with laughter. “But I was trying to give you some confidence.”
“It didn’t work.”
“I know.” He grabbed his grandma’s book and stepped back. “I’ll pick you up at seven and I’ll see if I can’t teach you a trick or two. Wear something nice, okay?”
“Nice? How nice? What kind of nice? Nice like jeans and a shirt or a fancy dress and heels nice?”
He backed toward the door with a grin. “Figure it out.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the bell dinged loudly as the door shut behind him.
He was gone.
Damn it to hell.CHAPTER SIX – KINSLEYrule six: you do have to ask about your date’s interests.To be fair, Jamie Pope—the engineer from Moose Knuckle—was a prompt texter.
His first message had come through at exactly five-twenty-eight p.m. with a note that he was sorry he hadn’t messaged earlier, but he didn’t finish work until five.
I wasn’t an unreasonable person, and considering I was still panicking about what the hell I was supposed to wear to tonight’s date trial run, I told him it was fine and thank you for texting.
It was a good start.
There was a lot that could go wrong between now and our date, but here I was.
Killing it.
If I weren’t naked, I’d totally brush dirt off my shoulder like a cringey nineties’ pop video.
My phone buzzed with a text message and I glanced down.JAMIE: So where’s good in White Peak to eat? I don’t get over there much, but my great-aunt just moved into the assisted living facility so I’ll be there more often.
