Kirk’s remark about gossip being a form of entertainment in small towns. He grinned to himself as he walked along. A small short-haired Jack Russell terrier bounded off a lawn, yapping. Tim stopped, giving Rowdy a soft command as he did. Rowdy sat down immediately, patiently waiting for the terrier to calm itself.
“MacTavish, come!” A gray-haired woman hurried from a house. “I am sorry, Mr. Blair. Jack Russells are so territorial. Ben,” she called to a man obviously her husband, “come and get MacTavish. My goodness, how well behaved Rowdy is. I’m Gloria Sullivan.” She smiled, holding out a hand. “I teach seventh grade.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Sullivan,” Tim said, shaking the woman’s hand.
How the hell had she known Rowdy’s name?
“Ben Sullivan,” the man now holding MacTavish said, offering a hand to shake. “I suppose you know you’re the talk of the town,” he said with a grin. “You a golfer?”
Tim shook his head. “My father was, but it never interested me much. I played squash in the city.”
Ben Sullivan nodded. “They got a good court at the country club. One of your perks as the new principal is a membership there. Think you’re going to like it here?”
“I don’t know,” Tim said candidly. “I’ve never lived out of the city, but I have to admit Doris Kirk found me the perfect house. The apartment in the city was way too big for one man after my parents died.”
“No wife?” Gloria Sullivan said. “Heaven help you, Mr. Blair. Every single woman in Egret Pointe will be chasing after you.”
“Unless you’re gay,” Ben Sullivan said. “You gay?”
Tim laughed. “No,” he said. “Just a little slow with the ladies. I spent the last three years looking after my widowed dad. Between that and my job there didn’t seem to be any time for a personal life.” He smiled his winning smile at Gloria Sullivan. “I’ll rely on you, Mrs. Sullivan, to help me sort out all the ladies who are going to come after me. Well, I’d best be getting home now that Rowdy has had his walk. Oh, perhaps before I head back, you might tell me something about your librarian. I’m afraid I had a bit of a run-in with her yesterday.”
“We heard,” Ben Sullivan said. “She’s something else, Miss Kathy. Descends from one of the original families who founded Egret Pointe in the seventeen hundreds. Her family built the library, and the librarians have all been St. John women. She can be a bit intimidating at times. I heard your car windows were open, and your dog had water. No need for her to carry on like she did.”
“Rowdy got a little frightened when I left him to grab some groceries,” Tim explained. “He set up quite a howl, and I think she thought he was harmed. She’s obviously not a dog person, I guess.”
“Miss Kathy? Nah,” Ben Sullivan said. “A pet would spoil that perfect, orderly life she lives.”
“Ben!” his wife scolded him. “Miss Kathy isn’t your mother’s librarian, Mr. Blair. She’s modernized the library, added wonderful programs for the children, for the seniors, for young mothers and families.”
“And spent the budget on a bunch of silly women’s books,” Ben grumbled.
“That isn’t so at all,” Gloria Sullivan said. “My husband doesn’t think popular commercial fiction like romance is literature. But it is! And thanks to Miss Kathy you get to read all the latest suspense and thrillers that come out, Ben, so hush up.”
“I thought I would go and make my peace with the lady tomorrow,” Tim said.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Gloria Sullivan encouraged him. “You know she runs a terrific summer reading program for the Elementary and Middle School students. Ask her about it when you see her.”
“I will,” Tim said. “Good night now, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan.” He turned back to his little house. Rowdy was tugging on his leash now, anxious for a bowl of food before settling himself on Tim’s bed
“MacTavish, come!” A gray-haired woman hurried from a house. “I am sorry, Mr. Blair. Jack Russells are so territorial. Ben,” she called to a man obviously her husband, “come and get MacTavish. My goodness, how well behaved Rowdy is. I’m Gloria Sullivan.” She smiled, holding out a hand. “I teach seventh grade.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Sullivan,” Tim said, shaking the woman’s hand.
How the hell had she known Rowdy’s name?
“Ben Sullivan,” the man now holding MacTavish said, offering a hand to shake. “I suppose you know you’re the talk of the town,” he said with a grin. “You a golfer?”
Tim shook his head. “My father was, but it never interested me much. I played squash in the city.”
Ben Sullivan nodded. “They got a good court at the country club. One of your perks as the new principal is a membership there. Think you’re going to like it here?”
“I don’t know,” Tim said candidly. “I’ve never lived out of the city, but I have to admit Doris Kirk found me the perfect house. The apartment in the city was way too big for one man after my parents died.”
“No wife?” Gloria Sullivan said. “Heaven help you, Mr. Blair. Every single woman in Egret Pointe will be chasing after you.”
“Unless you’re gay,” Ben Sullivan said. “You gay?”
Tim laughed. “No,” he said. “Just a little slow with the ladies. I spent the last three years looking after my widowed dad. Between that and my job there didn’t seem to be any time for a personal life.” He smiled his winning smile at Gloria Sullivan. “I’ll rely on you, Mrs. Sullivan, to help me sort out all the ladies who are going to come after me. Well, I’d best be getting home now that Rowdy has had his walk. Oh, perhaps before I head back, you might tell me something about your librarian. I’m afraid I had a bit of a run-in with her yesterday.”
“We heard,” Ben Sullivan said. “She’s something else, Miss Kathy. Descends from one of the original families who founded Egret Pointe in the seventeen hundreds. Her family built the library, and the librarians have all been St. John women. She can be a bit intimidating at times. I heard your car windows were open, and your dog had water. No need for her to carry on like she did.”
“Rowdy got a little frightened when I left him to grab some groceries,” Tim explained. “He set up quite a howl, and I think she thought he was harmed. She’s obviously not a dog person, I guess.”
“Miss Kathy? Nah,” Ben Sullivan said. “A pet would spoil that perfect, orderly life she lives.”
“Ben!” his wife scolded him. “Miss Kathy isn’t your mother’s librarian, Mr. Blair. She’s modernized the library, added wonderful programs for the children, for the seniors, for young mothers and families.”
“And spent the budget on a bunch of silly women’s books,” Ben grumbled.
“That isn’t so at all,” Gloria Sullivan said. “My husband doesn’t think popular commercial fiction like romance is literature. But it is! And thanks to Miss Kathy you get to read all the latest suspense and thrillers that come out, Ben, so hush up.”
“I thought I would go and make my peace with the lady tomorrow,” Tim said.
“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Gloria Sullivan encouraged him. “You know she runs a terrific summer reading program for the Elementary and Middle School students. Ask her about it when you see her.”
“I will,” Tim said. “Good night now, Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan.” He turned back to his little house. Rowdy was tugging on his leash now, anxious for a bowl of food before settling himself on Tim’s bed
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