Page 71 of Here & Now

“Sort of.”

He chuckled. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I want to. Please let me.”

“When?”

“Tonight if you’re free.”

“As a matter of fact, I am. What time do you want me?”

He didn’t even flinch at how that sounded, but she did, and not in a bad way. “How about six?” She needed time to figure out what she was going to make, go to the grocery store, clean the house…

“Don’t fuss on my account,” he said as if he’d read her mind. “I’m easy.”

Focus! “Is there any food you absolutely won’t eat?”

“Spinach,” he replied immediately.

“Okay, no spinach. Anything else?”

“Nope, that’s about it.”

“You are easy.”

“Told ya,” he said with a smile.

Her arms were getting tired from holding the heavy basket, and she shifted positions.

“Can I carry that for you?”

A man who volunteers to carry your book basket—swoon worthy! “Don’t you have to get back to work?”

“Marco will be okay a while longer. Let me take that off your hands.”

She gave him the basket and shook out her hands and wrists.

“Shopping is hard work, huh?” he teased.

“I was just getting started.” Now came the ultimate test. If he was willing to follow her around the bookstore without complaining, he deserved a medal or maybe a kiss…

“Lead the way,” he said.

She went over to the sale table, and the two women who’d been watching them moved so she could squeeze in. He stood back and held her basket while she perused the books.

One of the women leaned in and said, “What a sweetheart. You couldn’t get my husband to come here if you paid him.”

“Mine, either,” the other woman said. She motioned to Zane. “He’s a keeper.”

Bree gave them a brief smile. Then she glanced at Zane, who either hadn’t heard or was pretending that he hadn’t. In any case, he stayed with her while she made her selections and added them to the basket.

Finally, she said, “I’m all set.”

“Are you sure?”

She eyed the full basket. “I think that’ll hold me for a while.”

He chuckled and followed her inside to the cash register. While the clerk rang up her purchases, he idly perused a rack of bookmarks nearby.