Page 17 of Then Came You

The woman with the reddish hair leaned in. “I think I’ll stay and listen to the hot cop.”

“Me too!” the brunette said.

Gillian forced a smile and was glad when the women went to sit down. Then she glanced at Sam, who was busy talking to the boys about the equipment on his utility belt.

She wondered how many other moms would be more enthralled by the “hot cop” than the merchandise in the store.

The front door opened again, and in walked a few more kids and their parents/caregivers. At least this time, she saw a few men in the mix. Certainly, they wouldn’t be enamored with Sam like the women were, or would they?

Soon all the seats were filled, and a few of the adults were left standing. She made a mental note to put out more chairs next time, assuming they drew as large a crowd.

Sam stood in front of the group, looking calm as could be, and when their eyes met, he gave her a smile and a slight nod. It was time to get started.

She went over and stood beside him, and the group naturally quieted down. Surprisingly, she felt less nervous now than she had before everyone had arrived. She should have known it was the anticipation that had rattled her more than the actual event.

“Hello, everyone, and welcome to A Latte Books’s first-ever children’s story time. We’re so glad you’re here. Today we’re honored to have Officer Sam Nichols joining us from the Holly Police Department.” She turned to Sam, and the audience immediately joined her in applause.

“Thank you. I’m happy to be here,” Sam said.

“Officer Nichols is going to read a story about a policeman and his canine helper. Afterward, you’re welcome to go into the coffee shop next door for complimentary cookies and lemonade. And if you sit and listen really good, Officer Nichols might give you a peek inside his police car.” She’d directed the last sentence at the kids but noticed some of the moms had perked up too.

She motioned for Sam to take over and stepped off to the side so as not to block anyone’s view.

When Sam began to read in his deep, soothing voice, everyone was held rapt—kids, moms, dads, and Gillian. He spoke clearly, varying his pitch whenever the story called for it and making eye contact with the audience.

She hadn’t asked him to show the illustrations, but after he read each page, he held the book up high so everyone could see. It was too much. Who knew a “hot cop” reading a children’s book could be so…sexy?

Glancing around at the other women, Gillian knew that she wasn’t alone. Then she looked for Savannah and saw her leaning against the bookstore counter, her cheek in her palm, gazing at Sam with doe eyes.

It shouldn’t have bothered her, but it had. Savannah would have reacted the same to any good-looking guy, but Sam wasn’t just some guy. Not anymore. Gillian was starting to think of him as a friend, and she didn’t like the idea of Savannah toying with him.

But come to think of it, she’d never seen him give Savannah a second glance, nor Lauren. He was always friendly toward them but hadn’t expressed an interest beyond that. Yet he’d continually sought her out even though she hadn’t given him any reason to.

The sound of applause interrupted her musing, and she realized Sam had finished reading. He stood up and took a slight bow, which caused some tittering, especially from the ladies.

It was Gillian’s cue to speak again. “I hope everyone enjoyed the story.”

Some of the kids shouted out their approval.

“Feel free to browse around the store and be sure to stop in the coffee shop for a treat. Thanks for coming, and we’ll see you next time.”

The group dispersed except for a few boys and their parents, who’d gathered around Sam.

One of the boys asked, “Can we see inside your police car now?”

“Sure.”

Sam started to walk away, but Gillian placed a hand on his arm to stop him. Just as quickly, she pulled it back, surprised that she’d done it.

“I just wanted to thank you again.” She suddenly felt warm and blamed it on the number of people in the shop.

“I wasn’t leaving yet. I’ll be back in for one of those cookies.” He smiled at her and then led the group outside.

Once he’d gone, Gillian joined Savannah at the counter.

“That went well,” Savannah said.

Gillian nodded. Several people were milling around looking at books, and some had gone next door.