“I don’t know, kids. Catsy’s pretty smart. We could try.” The male baritone and the presence of a hand on my back sent electricity through my body.
It was Jack.
I beamed at him. “When did you get here? I didn’t see you walk in.”
He and Dave shook hands and chatted about the store. I soaked it in, drinking my glass of champagne. Pink, of course. Vera came over with a fresh bottle and topped off our drinks, then set the bottle on one of the many silver carts we’d rented so people wouldn’t leave glasses on the tables near the books.
I introduced her to Dave, and she cooed over his dog.
“This is Chanel the Chiweenie.” He pointed to the puppy, who was about the size of Catsy the kitten. Then Dave appraised my sister, who was wearing a white 1960s-style shift dress embroidered with pink flowers. “That is an adorable dress, girlfriend.”
Thrilled by his compliment, my sister informed Dave that we had a new romantic mystery novel involving dogs and led him over to the far end of the room.
Jack and I stared into each other’s eyes. “Hey,” he said softly.
“Hey back. Glad you’re here. Doesn’t it all look amazing? Look at those bookcases.”
Nodding, he scratched the back of his neck. “About that bookcase that I owe you.”
I laughed and waved my free hand in the air. “You don’t have to build it. We don’t have to pretend anymore.”
“I bought all of the materials and really did sketch out a blueprint. And maybe I’m not pretending. Don’t want to pretend. I mean, I know that things are a little, ah, new, with me and my dating life, and you’re just getting out of a relationship. But I was wondering if we could take things slow and, yikes. I’m too old for relationship games. I don’t know what I’m doing.” He laughed. “I like you, Maggie Andrews.”
“Yes.” I wanted to squeal from joy but controlled myself.
“What?”
“I’d like to take things slow. I’d like to not pretend. I like you too.”
We stood there in the middle of the crowd, grinning at each other like horny dorks. OK, we were horny dorks.
From the warmth of my face, I suspected I was an unflattering shade of pink, but didn’t care. Probably I would have stayed like that all night, staring into Jack’s sexy dark-brown eyes, if I didn’t spot Alex Holt coming into the store, looking like an extremely uncomfortable bull in a china shop.
“Guess who just walked in? Our favorite cop,” I said. My stomach instinctively tightened, because every interaction I’d had with the man had involved a homicide case. Why was he here?
“Oh, cool. I invited him. Your sister said I should. We met up yesterday for coffee. I think he’s going to read my book before I send it to the publisher. He had a lot of experience with a serial killer up in Tallahassee and I’m looking forward to his input.” Jack waved and Holt ambled through the crowd toward us, narrowly avoiding knocking over a rack of bookmarks.
Holt was casual tonight, in jeans and a blue plaid button-down shirt that enhanced his broad frame. He looked like a former football player or something.
The two men clapped each other on the shoulders.
“Everything okay?” I asked. “You’re not here to give us any bad news, are you?”
Holt laughed. “Nope. Just here to wish Vera well in her new endeavor. And you, too.”
My stomach relaxed. “Thanks. If you get any gator complaints, you know who to call. Champagne?”
Alex nodded, and I walked away in search of a fresh bottle. When I found it, I filled a glass for Jack and waved at Rodney from the chamber of commerce, who was talking with the owner of Cheesy Does It near the werewolf romance section. Nearby, I spotted Diego Viernes, the animal rights hacker guy, checking out the science fiction shelf while nibbling on a carrot stick.
Even Barbie was here, wearing a white jumpsuit and tall white heels. Tonight, she resembled a Dolly Parton impersonator. She’d brought her pink velvet cupcakes, and they were out-of-this-world delicious. That woman could bake.
I blew her a kiss, and she blew one back.
When I delivered the champagne to Alex, Jack was nowhere to be found.
“Where’d he go?” I asked.
“He went to use the facilities. And uh, I’m glad we’re alone because I wanted to ask you something personal.”