Real Romance

chapter Four



Marie surrendered the floor to a round of applause.

"Thanks, Chad," she said, walking over and taking the sheriff's hand.

"No problem, hon." He smiled as his silver hair caught the light. "I like a good who-done-it just as much as the next guy." He leaned forward and winked. "Just as long as the bad guy winds up behind bars."

"Didn't know you had the time for reading, Sheriff."

Chad let out a laugh. "Well, I'll tell you a secret if you keep it quiet..." He brought his head to hers and whispered in her ear, "The life of crime is dead in Covesville."

Marie laughed and patted Chad on the arm. "Since you've got to be here anyway, pull up a chair and join us."

"Think I'll do that," Chad said. "To tell you the truth, Marie, it's been kind of hard to fill the hours since my Emily passed away."

She caught a glimpse of Joanne, bending low to shelve books at the far end of the aisle.

"I know it's been a rough couple of years," she said, smiling warmly at the older gentlemen. "You sit. Plenty here to take your mind off that extra time you've got on your hands."

Then she walked down the aisle and asked Joanne to take Chad a complimentary glass of Chablis.



"Mind if I join you?"

Marie raised her eyes from Destiny's Desire just in time to see David break into a broad grin.

"Looks good," he said, surveying the flesh-revealing cover.

She settled her book next to her cup of cold coffee and checked her watch. "Not working today?"

"Boss gave me the day off."

"Look, David," Marie said, stopping him from pulling out a chair, "I'm really not interested."

"Of course, it helped that I took such good care of her dog."

He must have showered just for the occasion and put on an extra splash of cologne, because he smelled even sexier than the last time he'd been this close. The time he'd laid his strong, masculine hands on her yielding flesh...

Wait a minute! That was Destiny talking. Destiny, the heroine from her steamy historical novel who had the hots for a man named Cane. A man she'd sworn was sweeter than sugar.

David picked another chair at the table and sat down, undaunted.

"Hey, that Jupiter was a real handful."

"Jupiter?" she asked, stifling her surprise.

"Sure, you've met him. Big, black hairy beast with a penchant for civil disobedience."

If she'd been outdoors, Marie was certain her glasses would have fogged with embarrassment.

"Are you telling me that Jupiter, the dog you were with, belongs to your boss—Caroline?"

David nodded. "Caroline Richards, a real taskmaster."

"So why take care of her dog?"

"Oh, well, she needed a favor. Besides," he said, leaning over with a whisper, "I have a soft spot for the physically challenged."

"Oh, poor woman," Marie said, thinking of her father. "What's she got?"

"Two kids and a husband," David answered.

"What's so challenging..." Marie thought of her brothers and stopped herself. "Was that supposed to be funny?" she asked David, who had begun toying with her book.

She slapped her hand down hard upon its cover to prevent him from picking it up.

David coolly withdrew his hand and settled it under his square jaw. He gazed into her eyes, seeming to search for something.

She was even more gorgeous than he remembered. Tastefully dressed in a black turtleneck sweater that made the most of her curves. If only he could figure a way to get her fiancé out of the way... Out of the way of those beautiful brown eyes.

"Has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?"

Marie stood abruptly from her chair, knocking the tabletop with her knees and sending her coffee dregs sloshing.

David sprung to his feet and piled napkins on the mess.

"Whoa! Hey! Where are you going?"

"Coffee break's over, David. My boss didn't give me the day off."

Unbelievable, Marie thought, leaving him there with coffee dribbling on his shoes. Utterly unbelievable!



"Well, I really don't see what the harm was in a cup of coffee," Joanne said, as she closed down her register.

"It wasn't the coffee, Joanne, but the sugar that went with it."

Joanne smiled understandingly and shook out her hair. It wasn't often she wore it that way, long and straight down her back, salt and pepper streaks enlivening the gray.

"I think he's sweet on you."

Marie scanned the day's receipts, then set down her clipboard. If she didn't know better, she'd swear Joanne was humming a love song.

"Jo-anne?"

Joanne looked over with a distant smile.

"Something going on I should know about?"

"As my boss or my friend?" Joanne asked.

Marie tapped her fingers against her chin. "Why, Joanne Bright, to look at you one would almost think there was a man in your life!"

Joanne turned the most curious shade of peachy-amber.

"No need to sound so surprised, love. You're the one who turned him on to me."

"Chad?" Marie asked, trying to keep her jaw from dropping.

Sure, that had been her idea. But she'd never dreamed it would work. Chad and his late wife Emily had been together since grade school. He'd never in his life looked at another woman.

"What?" Joanne asked, setting both hands on her hips. "Did you think me incapable?"

Oh, no, Marie definitely believed Joanne was capable.

Marie felt her lips pull apart in a half laugh, half smile.

"Oh, Joanne," she said, rushing forward and taking her friend in her arms. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, sweetie," Joanne said, returning the hug and patting Marie soundly on the back. "Now, it's your turn."

Marie pulled back, suddenly overcome with emotion.

"Oh," she said, tears spilling forth, "Joanne."

"Hey, hey," Joanne said, stepping forward and taking Marie in her arms again. "Everything's going to be all right."

Marie shook her head, her eyes hot, her lips trembling—grateful that, at this hour, no one else was left in the store.

"You just don't understand, Jo. I've had my chances. Two of them. And I blew them both."

"You, angel, didn't blow anything. It was those devils disguised as men who did the damage."

"They're all devils," Marie said, more tears bursting forth. "Demons... with the impulse to destroy."

"Well, maybe he's not like that."

Marie lifted her head from Joanne's shoulder and stared into her eyes with a betrayed look.

"He thinks I'm engaged, Joanne. Engaged. And today he had the audacity to call me pretty."

Joanne gasped and brought her free hand to her mouth.

"The gall!"

Marie softened her anguished face into a semblance of a smile.

"Sweetheart," Joanne said, dabbing Marie's damp cheek with a tissue. "You shouldn't blame the poor man for being persistent. You are quite a catch, after all."

"Joanne," Marie said, holding the older woman so tightly she nearly breathed her in, "you should have been a mother."

"Well, to see that old coot Chad in action," Joanne said, with a shy grin, "I would almost swear he's working on it."



David scanned the groom's checklist for maybe the twelfth time in the last two hours. He closed the wedding planner wearily.

"Ridiculous," he said, sighing out loud. If all the to-dos on that list were optical prescriptions to be filled, David would be grinding glass indefinitely.

And, from what David had heard, that would only be the start of it. After the wedding, then the honey-dos would begin. "Honey, do this..." and "Honey, do that."

David caught himself smiling and realized with surprise that he'd actually enjoy Marie ordering him around. He stretched back in his chair indulging in a fantasy about just what she might order him to do. But his fun was interrupted by his ringing cell.

"David, this is Caroline. Look, I have to wait at the doctor's office with Sally. Hope you can hold down the fort the rest of the afternoon."

David swung his feet to the floor and cleared his throat.

"Sure thing, Caroline. Been working like a madman, but another hour or two alone won't kill me."

"Thanks, David, I really owe you."

"No problem, boss. Say, how is your little girl anyway? That fever of hers any better?"

"Not really." Caroline huffed into the phone. "The nurse thinks she might have chicken pox."

"Chicken pox? Holy cow."

"Yeah, right, say a prayer. Please. I can't have chicken pox right now. The nurse says she'll have to stay out of daycare for at least two weeks. I knew I should have gotten her that vaccine, but Jim insisted..." Her voice dropped off and David could tell she was covering her cell while she talked to someone else. "...Oh. Oh, okay, just another minute," she was saying.

"David? You still there?"

David slid the wedding planner in his desk drawer and shut it.

"You bet. Hey, I'm awfully sorry about Sally."

"You and me both! Well, anyway, the receptionist says I have to get off the phone. I really appreciate your filling in."

"This afternoon's no problem, Caroline. Don't you worry."

"This afternoon? David, I'm talking about possibly the next two weeks."

Two weeks with no supervision and the whole place to himself? David grinned wickedly, because he knew she couldn't see it.

"You can count on me to keep things humming."



Marie stretched out her neck and rolled her head on her shoulders. She'd been having trouble getting into the swing of things all day, and now this. Her children's storyteller called in sick. Something about a chicken pox epidemic, and guess whose kids had it?

She shrugged and tried to work out the tension in her shoulders but it was useless. In less than twenty minutes, she'd have to put on her most sunshiny face and go greet the mini-masses.

Oh well, she thought, studying the shelves for something appropriate, that's what being a manager meant. When someone didn't show, you stepped in. The show must go on, and all that. Particularly with the sales the children's department had been racking up since Marie had initiated story hour.

Marie sat on the cushioned stool and watched as the kids filed in, grown-ups in tow. Mothers, mostly. But there were one or two dads. And, oh yes, how sweet—a set of grandparents.

"Well, boys and girls," she began, after checking the wall clock. "Does anybody know what month this is?"

"Novemberary!" somebody shouted.

Marie smiled warmly at the little boy in oversized britches. "Very good... You're Tommy, right?"

Tommy ran a hand through his curly red hair and beamed from ear to ear.

She'd thought she'd recognized him from last week when he'd come by to search for birthday books with his mother.

"Right! November! And who here in this very intelligent crowd can tell me what holiday comes in November?"



David followed the turkey noises to the back of the store. The older lady at the front desk—-Joanne, he thought, she said her name was—told him that Marie was doing story hour. David hadn't been exactly sure what that meant until he came upon Marie and the group of children following her.

David half hid himself behind a cardboard book display and watched in amazement as Marie led a line of unruly "turkeys" around the children's book department. Amazingly, it looked like even a couple of grandparents had joined in!

Marie stopped and pulled the glasses off her nose, laughing as a giggling band of children thrust themselves at her legs. She was enchanting, David realized. Absolutely charming...

And, he remembered, as someone rudely nudged past him, engaged to someone else.

David was just regaining his balance, when a second person pushed by him, completely upsetting his footing. David cast one desperate glance in Marie's direction and saw her meet his eyes with a horrified look, as he grabbed the softcover book display and carried it with him as he crashed to the floor.

For what seemed like endless seconds, David kept his nose buried in a mound of tumbled paperbacks, praying he'd awaken from this nightmare.

And then he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"David?"

It was Marie's voice. Marie's beautiful, soft voice. David swallowed hard and looked up.

"Oh my God, David! What happened? Are you okay?"

Well, at least he didn't look damaged. Only embarrassed, as well he should be. Pulling her latest merchandise to the floor. Really. What was it about this man that was just so...

Hunky, Marie thought, as he brought himself up on all fours and stared into her eyes. Heavens, he looked like a panther in that pose. And his smell...

Marie's eyes flashed at the suggestion, but then she shut them tight, recalling where she was.

"Here," she said, extending a hand, "let me help you up."

"Marie," he said, dusting off his jeans. "I'm so sorry. I'll pay for the damage. And help pick up. Whatever you want me to do."

She tried not to let herself think too hard about that, and picked up a couple of books to examine their spines.

"I think they'll live," she said, trying to sound flip while struggling to control the butterflies in her stomach.

"I ruined your story hour," David said, his face sagging as scattered hordes of children made their departure.

Marie tugged at the neck of her dress that suddenly seemed too tight.

"Oh, no. Really. Story hour was just winding down."

David righted the cardboard display and started restocking it with books, his muscular buttocks tensing under denim with each swinging movement of his arm.

Marie found herself unwilling to leave him there all alone, what with the buxom brunette in the corner who seemed to be making the same study of David's anatomy.

"Say," she said, once he had neatly finished up. "You're pretty good at that. Need a job?"

"I'm not unemployed, if that's what you're thinking."

"No, but..." It was hard to keep the smile from creeping onto her lips.

"What? What is it?" David gave himself a quick once-over, as if to verify that his clothes weren't on backwards.

"I was just thinking," Marie said, "that you must be doing a doggone good job with Jupiter for Caroline to give you all this time off."

David gave her a disarming smile that made Marie wish she hadn't started this banter.

Slow down, girl, she told herself, drowning in his deep blue eyes. You 're getting in way over your head.

"She's given me the rest of the afternoon," David said, diving into her with his stare. "Got plans?"

Marie wanted to say yes, prepared to tell him to go take a long walk off a short pier.

But then he crinkled his eyes and his playful lips turned up in another uneven smile, and she told him she left work at six o'clock.