AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Sorry!” called Nolan and the woman at the sametime.
They stared at one another. “Just… Don’t worry about it,” she said again. “If you have somewhere you need tobe—”
“I can help you with this first. It’s the least I can do, considering I’m half responsible.” Nolan reached a foot out to shepherd a huge pile of the coloring instruments closer tothem.
The blonde watched and winced, but she didn’t say anythingmore.
“So,” Nolan asked, “how do we get thisorganized?”
The blonde stared down into the box and looked about to cry. “I guess we don’t,” she said, tossing a couple of markers in unceremoniously. She growled. “I was supposed to have dropped these off at Tildy’s Tots and returned to Earl’s and my office bynow.”
Nolan grabbed more markers and threw them in the box before reaching out a hand. “That’s right. You’re the new assistant manager. I’m Nolan. Nolan Gregosky.” Tanya had said her name, but it’d been too hard for him to hear inside thecostume.
“Lilac Townsend.” She took his hand quickly and shook it up and down. Her skin was so soft and her shiny nails made her hand look like a hand model’s. Actually, she looked like she could totally be a model… A curvy, businesswoman model. Nolan quickly tore his eyes away from her chest and back to the remaining markers, checkinghimself.
Lilac cleared her throat and he could hear her gathering other pencils and markers as they worked for a few moments insilence.
“What department do you work in?” asked Lilac. “Nolan… Are you… That is, back at Tildy’sTots—”
But before Nolan could answer, someone else said, “Wow. I didn’t think I’d have you crawling on your hands and knees thissoon.”
Nolan froze and looked up, but Earl wasn’t talking to him—naturally. He stared down at Lilac’s backside. Nolan’s gaze flicked there on instinct and he saw her blazer and blouse had come untucked and with the way she was reaching, the very top of her soft curves back there peeked through. Lilac seemed to feel the eyes on her there in that moment and snapped up, pulling her blazer down immediately. “I…” she started. “I’m sorry. There was a bit of an accident. I’m almost finishedhere.”
“It was my fault,” Nolan offered. He tossed the last of the markers into the box and stood, standing between Earl’s leering eyes and the blonde on the floor. “We ran into eachother.”
“I see,” said Earl, lifting a mug to his lips and taking a step back. He seemed to sense a threat unsaid and Nolan didn’t blame him. After what Cheryl had told him about Grabby McGrabberson, Nolan had no patience for men crossing linestoday.
“Hey, Nolan,” said Earl, diverting his eyes to a corkboard with reminders and notices affixed haphazardly across it. “Picking up thekids?”
Nice try, buddy, thought Nolan.She already knows they’re my siblings, not my kids.He didn’t know why, but Nolan got the feeling Earl had been trying to make it seem as if Lilac should have no interest in befriending a twenty-one-year-old “father.” He turned around to help her lift the box, but instead of letting go, he took it from her. “Yeah. In fact, I can carry this for you to TildyTot’s.”
“Thank you,” said Lilac through a faltering smile. “But I don’t mind… I mean, it was asked ofme—”
“Great,” said Earl, slapping his free hand on Lilac’s shoulder. “Then you can come back with me, Lilac, and we’ll wrap up for theday.”
Lilac smiled, but the movement didn’t reach her eyes. She lookeduncomfortable.
“Do you mind not doing that?” askedNolan.
Earl’s smile dropped immediately, but his hand stayed put. “What are you talkingabout?”
“She doesn’t want your hand on her shoulder,” said Nolan, lifting the box and gesturing toward the offendingappendage.
Lilac went scarlet red and she stepped out of Earl’s reach, his hand shifting casually to his side, his fist clenched. “No, it’s…” She looked between Earl and Nolan, and Nolan could have sworn her eyes grew wider when she looked at him, her head cocked as if to tellhimto knock itoff.
Himand notEarl.
“I should go finish that spreadsheet,” said Lilac, rushing back the way shecame.
She didn’t say a single wordmore.
Earl sipped his coffee loudly, a smirk on his thin, chapped lips. “Thanks for helping out,” he said, ignoring everything else that had happened. “Brad, you sonova!” he said, staring over Nolan’s shoulder as Brad appeared once more in the hallway behindhim.
Nolan could feel his phone buzz and his eyes darted to the nearby clock on the wall.Shit. I’m late.He jogged the rest of the way, already rehearsing his apologies to his little brother andsister.
Chapter Five
When Lilac had gottenhome that first day, she’d gritted her teeth and told Aunt Frankie about the amazing time she’d had at her new job over the Indian curry her aunt hadmade.
