He could never date a woman who wore makeup to go on a hike in the woods. The new boots were simply a rookie mistake, but the makeup and the fact she’d sacrificed effectiveness for a pretty smell in her insect repellant told him she probably didn’t spend a lot of time outdoors. Matt practically lived outside.
Hell, she’d probably never even baited her own hook. A man like him had no business thinking about a woman like her.
THREE
THE WHITFORD PUBLIC Library was usually open from ten in the morning until five o’clock on Mondays through Fridays—the board having recently agreed it no longer made sense to be open until eight on Fridays—and three hours every other Saturday afternoon, but on this particular Saturday Hailey was there at seven-thirty to unlock the door and turn the lights on.
When Drew Miller had stopped by and asked her if they could hold the six-hour ATV safety class at the library, she hadn’t hesitated even a second before saying yes. She was all for anything that brought kids through those doors.
They had the two computers, as well as board games and jigsaw puzzles, and she allowed the kids to hang out and use the Wi-Fi without giving them sideways glances. Whitford didn’t offer a lot for children, so she made sure the library was a relaxed place with heat in the winter, air-conditioning in the summer and lots of comfortable places to sit. She built her displays carefully and every time a kid paused to look at a book, she mentally high-fived herself. When the book was actually checked out and brought home, she did a butt-wiggle dance in her chair.
Her predecessor had been one of those scary women who peered at people over her reading glasses and shushed them for breathing. When she’d retired, Hailey had been given the job because she’d been the only applicant, and she’d thrown herself into turning the library’s reputation around.
She’d gotten to know her patrons’ tastes and built the collection around what they wanted to read, but always kept her eye out for a book that might surprise them. In a long battle with the trustees, she’d fought to build the audiobook collection. A lot of people had to make long commutes to find jobs and she could barely keep the popular titles on the shelves. She hadn’t won the digital book battle yet, but she’d educated herself and was able to offer tech help to her patrons. Even with more and more residents turning to ebooks, the library remained valuable to them because Hailey worked her ass off to make sure it did.
She’d knocked on every single door in Whitford until she got the donations and volunteers she needed to rehab the interior. Not a lot. She had a strong respect for the history of the building. But she’d brightened the paint and replaced the ancient, dark carpet with colorful tile and rugs.
Sometimes it was discouraging, all the battling against video games and the budget committee. But in Whitford, the library was a cool place to hang out and reading was a cool thing to do. As far as Hailey was concerned, she was winning the war.
She went into the oversized closet masquerading as her break room and started a pot of coffee. Josh was supposed to show up, since he was the president of the new Northern Star ATV Club, and she hoped he’d be carrying a basket of baked goods from Rose. Rosie Davis may have been the housekeeper for the Northern Star Lodge for as long as any of them could remember, but she’d managed to spoil the entire town with her cooking.
With her eye on the clock, Hailey opened the package of paper hot cups she’d bought and set a stack next to the coffeemaker. The sugar bowl was full, and they’d figure out there was milk in the mini-fridge.
At fifteen minutes before eight, the door opened and Josh walked in, carrying a big basket covered with a checked towel. Hailey’s mouth started watering and she didn’t want to share with the other guys filing in after him, all of whom she knew except for the game warden who entered about a minute after the others.
There was something about men in uniforms, she thought. Dave Camden, the newest member of the WPD and the school resource officer, didn’t do much for her, which was good since he was also too young. Sam Jensen, who was a volunteer fireman and pretty much the sum total of the Whitford rescue squad, was wearing his WFD polo shirt and black pants. They’d dated twice, shortly after Hailey returned from college, but there hadn’t been any chemistry between them.
The game warden, though, was a strong possibility. His crisp green uniform showed off one hell of a body, which she’d had a chance to check out at her leisure while he was introducing himself to the other guys. His hair was buzzed pretty short and his jawline was so clean-shaven she wanted to run her fingertips down the rugged lines of his face.
A man with a career, good grooming habits and a great ass right here in Whitford. Maybe it was her lucky day.
“Where should I put these, Hailey?” Josh called, holding up the basket.
“In my car.”