against one
another.
Her lipstick brightened her smile, and her lips were so close to his that he had this
ridiculous urge to kiss her—to sample her lipstick to see if it tasted like raspberries—the
exact color of her mouth.
The situation was getting comfortably uncomfortable, and he wanted to do something
about it—to take it up a notch, to reach for her hand or put his arm around her shoulder
or something. He liked the way it all felt. He liked the way she smiled at him, and
he liked the way she looked at his side. He liked everything.
“April?” a voice from behind them called out.
They both jumped and wheeled around at the same time. Their knees tangled in their
turn, and his arm automatically moved to support April’s back.
A serious look came over the face of the young woman who stood a few feet away as
she asked, “Is everything okay?”
April looked at Bull, then again toward the young woman who was nervously adjusting
her navy cardigan. “Everything’s fine, Jenna. What are you doing here?” she asked
in an almost inaudible voice.
“I forgot to give you the Ladies League application I had brought to your condo earlier.”
She held out some papers.
April stood. “Excuse me for one minute,” she said to Bull and walked a few paces away
with her friend’s elbow in hand.
Jenna’s mouth moved rapidly, but the only thing Bull could hear was “Rebel Angels”
and “bikers.” April glanced over her shoulder at Bull, and Jenna looked in his direction,
too. He could tell that whatever slight connection he had felt with April a few moments
earlier had slipped away. He was definitely not on any approved list of men to be
hanging out with. And Missy, Prissy Jenna—or whatever her name was—had spelled it
all out to April.
Maybe it was for the best. Jenna had brought April an application to the Ladies League.
They were nothing but a bunch of social-climbing young women who wanted to follow
in the footsteps of their elite predecessors. Why would April want to belong to them?
The same bunch of women who’d ostracized his mother when she’d come to live with him
right before she’d passed? The only thing his mom had wanted to do was to leave behind
some of her favorite family recipes with the group to include in their stupid, old
cookbook. But they had a list of hoops and challenges that his mom couldn’t make it
through to belong to their club. They could have simply taken her recipes and let
her die knowing that they’d live on for others to enjoy. No harm done.
They were obviously a gang of mean girls—all grown up. He shook his head. If that
was the kind of gang April wanted to belong to…well, they had less in common than it had first appeared.
Bull turned from the computer and stared as April walked her friend to the door. April
stood and watched her friend—probably to see that she got into her car safely.
Then April paused at the front desk as a mother and her young daughter walked toward
the shelves with the books that were on the counter. April stopped the pair and brought
them back. She reached into her jeans pocket and took out some money and handed it
to the librarian.
The small girl beamed at April.
She started walking in his direction.
April pulled her chair away from him and gave him one of those fake smiles that strangers
gave to one another. He should have known. She was just like all the rest. Her intense
talk with Jenna had transformed her from the way she’d been with him earlier.
Well, he’d had enough of her kind. He wasn’t about to change anything—not even for
her. No matter how intriguing or cute she was. Or how kind she was to little girls
in libraries.
She started gathering her things.
“You got to go?” he asked, knowing her answer.
She nodded. “Soon,” she said.
He took one last breath of her fragrance. Which was far weaker now that she was almost
sitting across the room from
another.
Her lipstick brightened her smile, and her lips were so close to his that he had this
ridiculous urge to kiss her—to sample her lipstick to see if it tasted like raspberries—the
exact color of her mouth.
The situation was getting comfortably uncomfortable, and he wanted to do something
about it—to take it up a notch, to reach for her hand or put his arm around her shoulder
or something. He liked the way it all felt. He liked the way she smiled at him, and
he liked the way she looked at his side. He liked everything.
“April?” a voice from behind them called out.
They both jumped and wheeled around at the same time. Their knees tangled in their
turn, and his arm automatically moved to support April’s back.
A serious look came over the face of the young woman who stood a few feet away as
she asked, “Is everything okay?”
April looked at Bull, then again toward the young woman who was nervously adjusting
her navy cardigan. “Everything’s fine, Jenna. What are you doing here?” she asked
in an almost inaudible voice.
“I forgot to give you the Ladies League application I had brought to your condo earlier.”
She held out some papers.
April stood. “Excuse me for one minute,” she said to Bull and walked a few paces away
with her friend’s elbow in hand.
Jenna’s mouth moved rapidly, but the only thing Bull could hear was “Rebel Angels”
and “bikers.” April glanced over her shoulder at Bull, and Jenna looked in his direction,
too. He could tell that whatever slight connection he had felt with April a few moments
earlier had slipped away. He was definitely not on any approved list of men to be
hanging out with. And Missy, Prissy Jenna—or whatever her name was—had spelled it
all out to April.
Maybe it was for the best. Jenna had brought April an application to the Ladies League.
They were nothing but a bunch of social-climbing young women who wanted to follow
in the footsteps of their elite predecessors. Why would April want to belong to them?
The same bunch of women who’d ostracized his mother when she’d come to live with him
right before she’d passed? The only thing his mom had wanted to do was to leave behind
some of her favorite family recipes with the group to include in their stupid, old
cookbook. But they had a list of hoops and challenges that his mom couldn’t make it
through to belong to their club. They could have simply taken her recipes and let
her die knowing that they’d live on for others to enjoy. No harm done.
They were obviously a gang of mean girls—all grown up. He shook his head. If that
was the kind of gang April wanted to belong to…well, they had less in common than it had first appeared.
Bull turned from the computer and stared as April walked her friend to the door. April
stood and watched her friend—probably to see that she got into her car safely.
Then April paused at the front desk as a mother and her young daughter walked toward
the shelves with the books that were on the counter. April stopped the pair and brought
them back. She reached into her jeans pocket and took out some money and handed it
to the librarian.
The small girl beamed at April.
She started walking in his direction.
April pulled her chair away from him and gave him one of those fake smiles that strangers
gave to one another. He should have known. She was just like all the rest. Her intense
talk with Jenna had transformed her from the way she’d been with him earlier.
Well, he’d had enough of her kind. He wasn’t about to change anything—not even for
her. No matter how intriguing or cute she was. Or how kind she was to little girls
in libraries.
She started gathering her things.
“You got to go?” he asked, knowing her answer.
She nodded. “Soon,” she said.
He took one last breath of her fragrance. Which was far weaker now that she was almost
sitting across the room from
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