closer and peeked through a narrow gap in the divider.
A dozen children sat in a semicircle on a colorful ragrug. All eyes were riveted on the woman who sat cross-legged in front of them, holding a picture book on her lap. A snow-white apron shrouded her slim frame and a tall chef’s hat was propped on the tawny head, but there was no mistaking the face that had been invading his thoughts. Even with the tip of her nose and porcelain cheeks dusted with something that looked like…flour.
The children, who had obviously heard the story before, all shouted together on cue. “What will you do with your cakes and bread?”
“‘I’ll give them away,’ Chef Charlotte said.” With a flourish, Emma waved a wooden spoon in the air as if it were a scepter.
Jake could feel his chin scraping against the floor.
What had happened to the Emma Barlow he knew? The buttoned-up woman who had worn a skirt and blouse to a Saturday picnic? The one who didn’t seem to like people?
Or maybe, Jake had a sudden epiphany, it was just him that she didn’t like. “Who’s that?”
Jake stepped back but not fast enough. The freckle-faced boy who’d spotted him pointed to the gap in the divider, giving away Jake’s exact location.
“It’s a stranger!” The little girl sitting closest to Emma let out a shriek with a decibel level high enough to break glass.
“Stranger, stranger!” The rest took up the chant.
Jake winced.
“No, it’s not.” One brave little soul had peered around the divider. “It’s a p’liceman. He gotsa badge, see?”
Before Jake could blink, a pint-size posse surrounded him. He was, to use official police jargon, busted.
“Are you going to read us a story like Miss Emma?”A petite girl with melting dark eyes and a cloud of black curls tugged on his pant leg.
Jake shot Emma a panicked look.
“That’s a good idea, Hannah.” Emma’s smile made Jake’s blood run cold. “And I think I know the perfect one for Chief Sutton, don’t you?”
“Sheriff Ben Rides Again!” The children hopped up and down, making Jake feel as if he were caught in a blender. They captured him before he could protest, towing him over to the rag rug Emma had occupied moments ago. Jake felt a little like Gulliver amid the Lilliputians.
Emma managed to work her way to the front of the jubilant crowd. Relieved, Jake smiled. But instead of rescuing him, she handed him an oversize picture book. And a stick horse with a tangled mane of red yarn and button eyes.
Jake couldn’t believe she hadn’t put a stop to this yet. She should be upset that he’d interrupted her story time…
Their eyes met over the children’s heads and Jake suddenly understood.
This was a challenge.
And Jake never— never —walked away from a challenge. He unleashed a slow smile in Emma’s direction. “Don’t I get a hat?”
Hat.
Emma suddenly remembered the chef’s hat perched on her head. She swept it off and smoothed away some flyaway strands of hair from her face.
The bells over the door of the library usually alerted her if a patron entered the library, but the story she’dbeen reading was interactive and this particular group of five- and six-year-olds tended to be a bit exuberant.
As Jake would soon discover.
Emma almost felt sorry for him. Almost. The man should be shaking in his boots for sneaking up on her like that.
How long had he been watching her? And why?
She had the uneasy feeling it wasn’t because he needed a library card. And if he did, Emma doubted that he would stop in while on duty. Did his visit have something to do with the stolen property that Jeremy had found on Saturday?
The thought should have made her relax, but it didn’t. If she was uncomfortable, Emma deemed it only fair that Jake Sutton be uncomfortable, as well.
Except that Jake didn’t appear uncomfortable at all.
Reggie, the boy who’d spotted Jake hiding behind the divider, retrieved a battered cowboy hat from the trunk of dress-up
A dozen children sat in a semicircle on a colorful ragrug. All eyes were riveted on the woman who sat cross-legged in front of them, holding a picture book on her lap. A snow-white apron shrouded her slim frame and a tall chef’s hat was propped on the tawny head, but there was no mistaking the face that had been invading his thoughts. Even with the tip of her nose and porcelain cheeks dusted with something that looked like…flour.
The children, who had obviously heard the story before, all shouted together on cue. “What will you do with your cakes and bread?”
“‘I’ll give them away,’ Chef Charlotte said.” With a flourish, Emma waved a wooden spoon in the air as if it were a scepter.
Jake could feel his chin scraping against the floor.
What had happened to the Emma Barlow he knew? The buttoned-up woman who had worn a skirt and blouse to a Saturday picnic? The one who didn’t seem to like people?
Or maybe, Jake had a sudden epiphany, it was just him that she didn’t like. “Who’s that?”
Jake stepped back but not fast enough. The freckle-faced boy who’d spotted him pointed to the gap in the divider, giving away Jake’s exact location.
“It’s a stranger!” The little girl sitting closest to Emma let out a shriek with a decibel level high enough to break glass.
“Stranger, stranger!” The rest took up the chant.
Jake winced.
“No, it’s not.” One brave little soul had peered around the divider. “It’s a p’liceman. He gotsa badge, see?”
Before Jake could blink, a pint-size posse surrounded him. He was, to use official police jargon, busted.
“Are you going to read us a story like Miss Emma?”A petite girl with melting dark eyes and a cloud of black curls tugged on his pant leg.
Jake shot Emma a panicked look.
“That’s a good idea, Hannah.” Emma’s smile made Jake’s blood run cold. “And I think I know the perfect one for Chief Sutton, don’t you?”
“Sheriff Ben Rides Again!” The children hopped up and down, making Jake feel as if he were caught in a blender. They captured him before he could protest, towing him over to the rag rug Emma had occupied moments ago. Jake felt a little like Gulliver amid the Lilliputians.
Emma managed to work her way to the front of the jubilant crowd. Relieved, Jake smiled. But instead of rescuing him, she handed him an oversize picture book. And a stick horse with a tangled mane of red yarn and button eyes.
Jake couldn’t believe she hadn’t put a stop to this yet. She should be upset that he’d interrupted her story time…
Their eyes met over the children’s heads and Jake suddenly understood.
This was a challenge.
And Jake never— never —walked away from a challenge. He unleashed a slow smile in Emma’s direction. “Don’t I get a hat?”
Hat.
Emma suddenly remembered the chef’s hat perched on her head. She swept it off and smoothed away some flyaway strands of hair from her face.
The bells over the door of the library usually alerted her if a patron entered the library, but the story she’dbeen reading was interactive and this particular group of five- and six-year-olds tended to be a bit exuberant.
As Jake would soon discover.
Emma almost felt sorry for him. Almost. The man should be shaking in his boots for sneaking up on her like that.
How long had he been watching her? And why?
She had the uneasy feeling it wasn’t because he needed a library card. And if he did, Emma doubted that he would stop in while on duty. Did his visit have something to do with the stolen property that Jeremy had found on Saturday?
The thought should have made her relax, but it didn’t. If she was uncomfortable, Emma deemed it only fair that Jake Sutton be uncomfortable, as well.
Except that Jake didn’t appear uncomfortable at all.
Reggie, the boy who’d spotted Jake hiding behind the divider, retrieved a battered cowboy hat from the trunk of dress-up
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