him?”
“If I tell you yes, will you leave
me alone?”
“Nope.”
“If I tell you no, will you leave
me alone?”
“Nope.”
“I can’t win, can I?”
“Nope.”
“Is that all you can say?”
“Yep.”
“Anne, you’re going to be the death
of me.”
“Yep. Did you get any cookies for
us?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe yes or maybe no?”
“Maybe you’ll find out after we’ve
unloaded the plants and get a kettle of water boiling for tea.”
“I’ll skip the tea and go for the
cookies. Did you get the chocolate chocolate chip cookies?”
“Yep.”
Anne bounded out of the Jeep as
soon as Meara drove up to the front porch of the ranch house. Anne emptied the
plants from the Jeep in record time.
“I’m drooling, Aunt Meara. Can I
have a cookie now?” Anne danced and begged.
“Okay, kid, but if you spoil your
dinner, I know nothing.”
“It’s a deal. You never answered
me.”
“About what?”
“Do you like him?”
Meara looked at Anne very
seriously. “I do. Can we leave it at that? No teasing or asking questions?”
“Yep.”
Monday morning, Duncan awoke before
the alarm. The weekend had gone by quickly. He still wondered what had
possessed him to kiss Meara’s hand. He had made her blush and speechless at
the same time. He grinned. He bounded out of bed in nervous anticipation. He
was washed and shaved in record time.
With a towel around his waist, he
contemplated what to wear. He didn’t usually wear suits, but today wasn’t an
ordinary day. It was her first day. But if he wore a suit, Tom and Lucy would
tease him. He patted his belly and thought about joining a gym. He decided he
would wear his usual slacks and dress shirt, no tie. He dressed quickly. He even
had time for a cup of coffee and a bagel.
He made a quick stop at Maple Tree
Farm. He bought chocolate kisses and an enormous bouquet of flowers. The
bouquet was filled with brightly colored gerbera daisies, statice,
alstroemeria, mini-carnations and spider mums. He made it to the library
earlier than usual. He wanted to be there when she arrived. He unlocked the
Youth Services office. He placed the chocolate kisses in a glass bowl the
previous librarian had used for peppermints. He wrinkled his nose because he
didn’t like peppermints. He hoped Meara liked chocolate.
He found a vase in the staff
kitchen. She would probably like to arrange the bouquet herself. He had no
idea how to do it. He chuckled about her dislike of roses. What woman didn’t
like roses? He relocked the office door. He wondered if she would be early or
on time. What would she wear? Would she go home for lunch? Would she show up
at all? He rolled his eyes. He sounded like a lovesick schoolboy. He stood
at the Circulation Desk and stared out the front doors looking for her.
He spotted her coming up the walk.
She was dressed in blue slacks, a light blue blouse and brown leather shoes.
Her hair was in a ponytail. She was carrying two plastic totes and a large
dark blue bag over her shoulder. She stared at the locked door, willing it
open. He rushed forward to unlock the door.
“Thank you, Mr. Phillips. I was
wondering how I was going to manage it,” she beamed.
“Good morning, Miss Meara. Were
you planning on moving in?” He teased.
“Good morning. This is only the
tip of the iceberg. These are the bare necessities of the job. I’ll bring
more stuff once I figure out what I’m going to need.”
Holding the door, he reached for
one of the totes. “Here, let me help.”
“Thanks. They get heavy after a
while.”
“You’re not kidding. What’s in
here? Do I see tools? Are you planning on remodeling?”
“I might. I’ll need the right
tools.”
“Welcome aboard! Let me know if
you’ll need any heavy demolition equipment. It might not be in the budget, but
we’ll see what we can do.” He winked.
She
“If I tell you yes, will you leave
me alone?”
“Nope.”
“If I tell you no, will you leave
me alone?”
“Nope.”
“I can’t win, can I?”
“Nope.”
“Is that all you can say?”
“Yep.”
“Anne, you’re going to be the death
of me.”
“Yep. Did you get any cookies for
us?”
“Maybe.”
“Maybe yes or maybe no?”
“Maybe you’ll find out after we’ve
unloaded the plants and get a kettle of water boiling for tea.”
“I’ll skip the tea and go for the
cookies. Did you get the chocolate chocolate chip cookies?”
“Yep.”
Anne bounded out of the Jeep as
soon as Meara drove up to the front porch of the ranch house. Anne emptied the
plants from the Jeep in record time.
“I’m drooling, Aunt Meara. Can I
have a cookie now?” Anne danced and begged.
“Okay, kid, but if you spoil your
dinner, I know nothing.”
“It’s a deal. You never answered
me.”
“About what?”
“Do you like him?”
Meara looked at Anne very
seriously. “I do. Can we leave it at that? No teasing or asking questions?”
“Yep.”
Monday morning, Duncan awoke before
the alarm. The weekend had gone by quickly. He still wondered what had
possessed him to kiss Meara’s hand. He had made her blush and speechless at
the same time. He grinned. He bounded out of bed in nervous anticipation. He
was washed and shaved in record time.
With a towel around his waist, he
contemplated what to wear. He didn’t usually wear suits, but today wasn’t an
ordinary day. It was her first day. But if he wore a suit, Tom and Lucy would
tease him. He patted his belly and thought about joining a gym. He decided he
would wear his usual slacks and dress shirt, no tie. He dressed quickly. He even
had time for a cup of coffee and a bagel.
He made a quick stop at Maple Tree
Farm. He bought chocolate kisses and an enormous bouquet of flowers. The
bouquet was filled with brightly colored gerbera daisies, statice,
alstroemeria, mini-carnations and spider mums. He made it to the library
earlier than usual. He wanted to be there when she arrived. He unlocked the
Youth Services office. He placed the chocolate kisses in a glass bowl the
previous librarian had used for peppermints. He wrinkled his nose because he
didn’t like peppermints. He hoped Meara liked chocolate.
He found a vase in the staff
kitchen. She would probably like to arrange the bouquet herself. He had no
idea how to do it. He chuckled about her dislike of roses. What woman didn’t
like roses? He relocked the office door. He wondered if she would be early or
on time. What would she wear? Would she go home for lunch? Would she show up
at all? He rolled his eyes. He sounded like a lovesick schoolboy. He stood
at the Circulation Desk and stared out the front doors looking for her.
He spotted her coming up the walk.
She was dressed in blue slacks, a light blue blouse and brown leather shoes.
Her hair was in a ponytail. She was carrying two plastic totes and a large
dark blue bag over her shoulder. She stared at the locked door, willing it
open. He rushed forward to unlock the door.
“Thank you, Mr. Phillips. I was
wondering how I was going to manage it,” she beamed.
“Good morning, Miss Meara. Were
you planning on moving in?” He teased.
“Good morning. This is only the
tip of the iceberg. These are the bare necessities of the job. I’ll bring
more stuff once I figure out what I’m going to need.”
Holding the door, he reached for
one of the totes. “Here, let me help.”
“Thanks. They get heavy after a
while.”
“You’re not kidding. What’s in
here? Do I see tools? Are you planning on remodeling?”
“I might. I’ll need the right
tools.”
“Welcome aboard! Let me know if
you’ll need any heavy demolition equipment. It might not be in the budget, but
we’ll see what we can do.” He winked.
She
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