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That would have been a brilliant idea, except … “I had no idea it was even supposed to rain.”
KC’s Taphouse was less than a block away, but we were still going to get soaked.
Before I could stop him, Nolan had taken off his jacket and was putting it on me.
“Just because I forgot mine doesn’t mean—”
"Stop wiggling." His hands lingered on my shoulders after settling the jacket, thumbs pressing gently against my collarbones. When I looked up, something flickered across his face … there and gone so fast I almost missed it.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing." But his voice sounded rougher than usual. "Let's go."
Knowing Nolan’s single-minded determination, I listened. No way he’d let me out of this shop without his jacket. It smelled like cedar and soap, and I couldn’t tell if the warmth spreading through me was his, or mine.
Two
I shrugged off Nolan’s jacket that he insisted I wear home and stepped into the shop. He hadn’t loved the idea of me coming back here, instead of heading home with him as an escort, but I knew myself. Coming in to get the book would lead to finishing tidying up the display just so I didn’t have to do it in the morning.
I hated mornings, hence, the coffee station even though my favorite coffee shop was just down the street. Besides, I’d admonished him, Kitchi Falls was anything but dangerous, even at eleven p.m. and there were plenty of nights I walked the four blocks to my apartment all by myself.
Nolan couldn’t be more protective if he tried.
My phone buzzed. Turning on the lamp beside the reading chair at the front corner of the store, my new favorite place to read when the shop was closed, I sat and pressed a button.
“You are literally the only person left in the world that answers texts with phone calls.”
“Funny, I had no idea you felt that way,” she teased.
Charlee and I hadn’t been super close in school but we’d gotten to be good friends more recently.
“I have a date for you. For the wedding.”
Ugh. And I thought my mom was bad.
“That’s your news?”
“Uh huh.”
“I don’t need a date for the wedding. I’d just assume—”
“I know, I know. Go alone. I wasn’t out looking for him but the absolute perfect man just popped into my head. I’ve been thinking about it and debating on whether I should say anything. But Lucas and I are here chatting, and sometimes I think you just need to take a risk. Go for it, you know?”
“Actually, I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
A bright light was followed by the hugest crack of thunder I’d ever heard. Everything happened at once. My lamp flickered and went out. The street lights went out. Something fell in the stacks and it felt as if the entire shop rattled.
“What was that?”
“I think … maybe lightning hit close by? The lights went out.”
“Oh geez. You okay?”
“Fine,” I said. “But something fell in the stack. I’m gonna go check it out. Let me call you back.”
“Better idea. How about I bring lunch to the shop tomorrow? I have to stop by Lucas’ anyway, and I know you’ve been craving chicken cheesesteak.”
I almost told her Nolan and I already split one tonight, but were two chicken cheesesteaks—Cesar style, of course—the worst thing in the world?
