"Nice save."
"I thought so."
Continuing to scan the titles, I said, "Anyway, since she loves hockey and likes to laugh, I'm getting a few of my favorite sports romances too. The list of recs Lottie sent had 30, and she said she was working on part two. She wanted to get input from Bo before she finalized it."
"Wow," he repeated.
"I know."
"Hey, who's Bo?"
"That's Lottie's boyfriend," I said, smiling as I thought of my bookish cousin. "He's her total opposite in every way. Bo is all grumpiness and storm clouds. Lottie is pure happiness and sunshine. It's crazy how they fit together so well."
Tolliver sent me a look. "Sometimes opposites attract."
"Yeah, and sometimes they clash. Lottie and Bo certainly did. At first."
"How'd they finally get together?"
"Bo wooed her by checking out romance books for his grandma." I threw him a smile. "Lottie was a library volunteer, and he came here all the time just to see her. Isn't that romantic?"
Tolliver shrugged, nearly upsetting the books in his arms. "If you worked here, I'd come in."
I arched a disbelieving brow. "You'd drive to the next town over just for me?"
"Yeah. You doubt it?"
"No," I said after a moment. "I think you're a secret romantic, Tolliver Stone."
He laughed quietly, but I meant every word.
"Is that a good thing?" Tolliver asked.
"It's definitely not bad."
A squeal escaped my lips as I spotted one of my all-time favorites.
"If Elle doesn't like this one," I said, placing it on top of the pile, "we can't be friends."
"I'll be sure to tell her that," he said.
"I mean it. This is a deal-breaker."
Tolliver smiled.
"What?"
"You're cute," he said.
"Absolutely not. I'm terrifying, remember?"
"You can be both."
"I prefer to be scary," I mumbled.
He nudged my shoulder with his. "Let's go. Leave some for the other bookworms."
"Book dragon," I corrected.
