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"One ticket for what?"
"Here. I'd like to…come in…here." He looks around the library.
I can't tell if he's having me on or not.
"You don't need to pay admission to come in," I tell him with a straight face, in case he's being serious. "This is a public space. Everyone is welcome."
"Okay." He glances around again. "And what, everyone's allowed to take whatever book they want?"
"Borrow. People can borrow books, and then they return them."
"And how do I borrow a book?"
You know what, I actually think he's being legit. He really doesn't know, and something about that is both charming and a little concerning at the same time.
But I won't judge him for it. Lord knows I've been on the receiving end of people's criticisms my whole life. It's a horrible feeling. I guess some people don't know the ins and outs of how public libraries work. That's nothing to be ashamed of.
"If you'd like to borrow books, I can sign you up so you become a member."
"I see. And how much is that?"
I smile because the cuteness is just too much. "Nothing. It's free."
"Okay. Let's do it. Sign me up…" His brown eyes drift to my name badge. "PJ."
I latch on to the countertop for support. My name hasneversounded so sexy or so husky…ever.
I walk over to the computer, and he follows from the other side of the counter.
"All right, let's start with your personal details. Name?"
"Branum Grady Duncan."
I swallow a grin. Awww, he supplied his middle name.
I remain professional as I collect his remaining information, before explaining how things work and printing out his library card.
I manage to do a pretty good job of ignoring how deliciously attractive he is.
Full disclosure, I have a thing for mountain men. It's not the only reason why I moved to Thickehead, but I'm not going to deny that the thought of getting swept off my feet by one of the big, burly alpha mountain men I read about in my romance novels every night may have played some part.
Except, in the books I read, the character who the mountain man falls in love with isn't a nerdy ginger librarian with OCD, a passion for birdwatching, and a strong preference for staying at home curled up on the couch with a good book rather than doing anything involving people.
That said, as far as meet-cutes go, catching a glimpse of a handsome, barrel-chested, naked guy in the river ranks pretty highly.
But is it really a meet-cute if we didn't actually meet?
"Great. Thanks, PJ."
I'm snapped back to reality by Branum's deep voice. I look up at him and smile shyly. I must've reached the end of my new-member spiel. Okay, so maybe I haven't been doing as good a job as I thought I was at staying professional. But in my defense, how often does a romance-cover-model-worthy muscled mountain man swoop into my otherwise plain and boring existence?
Ne-ver.
Well, apart from yesterday at the river…
Oh, yeah,that.
Did Branum see me yesterday? Is that why he's here? Or is a man who thought he had to pay an admission fee to enter the library really here to borrow a book?
