“Are you kidding? I always follow the rules.”
“So do I.” She looked up at him.
His pulse started to race, and he took a step back. Being this close was too dangerous, even though they were only reading Ms.Periwinkle’s antiquated rules. “What other changes have you made?”
“I’m especially excited about our children’s program.”
Kingston sat back down. It was best to keep his distance. “I’d like to hear about that.”
She sat back down at her desk, and he listened as she explained the different events and programs she’d developed for children and young adults, her brown eyes warm and sparkling as she talked. “Sounds like you have a soft spot for kids,” he said when she finished.
“I have a passion for literacy. The younger a child learns and develops a love for reading, the more literate they will be. They’ll also pass that love on to others, even the adults in their family who might not enjoy reading or aren’t able to read.” She glanced down at her desk. “I’m not good with kids, though,” she said, her voice low. “I don’t have the patience.”
“That’s what a lot of people say, until they spend time with them. Patience is a process. Even the most patient person can lose it when a kid presses the right buttons.”
“I can’t see you losing patience with anyone.”
“Oh, it’s happened, trust me.” He thought about Sylvia and Sailor. From the online reviews, they weren’t the only ones he’d been impatient with.
“RaeAnne’s doing a great job reading to the toddlers and preschoolers. I’d like to start a book club for the older students on the weekends this winter. That’s still in the planning phase. I have an upper-elementary-school reading group on Tuesday afternoons, and it’s been a success.”
“Could you use any volunteers?” he asked. “I wouldn’t mind doing that occasionally. It would be fun reading to the kids.”
“I don’t know.” She smirked. “Can you fit it into yourbusyschedule?”
He laughed. “Very funny.”
She picked up her pen and wrote on a pink sticky note. “You could be a special guest. This month’s theme is weather. I’ll have the book ready to go. All you need to do is read it to the kids and field questions.”
“Perfect. Just let me know the time and date, and I’ll be here.” At the doubt emerging in her eyes, he said, “I promise.”
She paused, then nodded. “Thank you.”
He grinned, excited about the opportunity. But they still hadn’t defined their new bogus relationship. “Are you sure you’re okay with this relationship thing?”
Her smile dissolved into a frown. “I don’t like being deceptive. But I don’t see that we have much choice.” She glanced at the clock on her wall. “My lunch is almost over. I have to go back up front.”
The time with her had flown by. He stood. “I hope I didn’t mess up your lunch schedule.”
“It was already off before you got here.” She looked up at him. “How should we proceed on Saturday?”
Taking her businesslike cue, he said, “We show up for supper. Dance a little. By the end, we’re a couple.”
“Okay. We can talk about specifics then.”
She was being so clinical about this now. He knew that was for the best. But it didn’t mean they couldn’t have a little fun. “How about we throw Mom for a loop, and I pick you up?”
When she hesitated, he realized this was an opportunity to restore some trust with her. “I promise I’ll show up.”
“All right,” she said, her voice barely discernible.
Good enough. “I’ll see you around five, then.”
She wasn’t quite smiling, but there was a little softness in her eyes. “See you then.” She tapped on her phone and entered the date on her calendar.
He gave her a little wave and headed out of her office. He took the time to stop at the front desk. The older woman who had brought him to Olivia’s office wasn’t there, but he checked out the brochures advertising the toddler and preschool story time, plus a few other programs the library was offering. Next he went and read the calendar of events posted near the front door, then left the building. When he returned to work in October, he could recommend the children’s programs to the parents of his patients. He also thought of a few of them who could benefit from the adult literacy program the library offered. He would talk to them privately about it, knowing it was a sensitive subject.
As he walked to his car, the hot summer sun beating down on his back, he thought about his and Olivia’s scheme. He wasn’t exactly having second thoughts, but he wasn’t too keen about the dishonesty part. It was only for a little while, though, and he’d get to spend time with Olivia.As friends.Only friends. And he had three days to convince himself that was all they ever would be.
