Only You (4 page)

She rubbed her forehead, willing the dull ache there to go away. “That seems to be the consensus.”

“The blue plate dinner special down at Ferguson’s is chicken and dumplings with corn muffins.”

At the mention of food, Josie’s stomach growled. She’d skipped lunch to go home.

Cole grinned. He must have heard the loud rumbling.

“Have you eaten today?”

Now that she thought about it, she’d skipped breakfast as well because she’d almost been late to work. She shrugged. “I guess I forgot.”

He stood. “Well, no wonder you can’t think straight. How do you expect to be sharp when you’ve got no nourishment in your system?” He shut and locked the window.

Practicalities. Hadn’t she just accused Martin of having no mind for the practical? “I’ve been so busy, I just—”

He reached across her desk, deftly unlocked the computer, saved her work, and shut it down. Josie barely had time to be surprised that he even knew where the power button was, let alone the way he forced her decision, before he said, “Let’s go.”

She grabbed her purse as he took her arm and hustled her out of the office. “Where are we going?”

“To Ferguson’s. You know, food? You’ve not eaten.”

Yeah. She was following. Following Cole Craig through the deserted, darkened library to the front door. Full-blown fantasies of the two of them taking a detour into the stacks bloomed in her mind. She shook her head. Cole. The front door.

Josie switched off the lights, hesitating. She had to eat, but with Cole? What would people think? More specifically, what would Mrs. McKay say? Would she use it as another excuse to remind Josie she’d paid for her graduate education? Probably.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “It’s late. I should just go home and microwave something.”

“Not tonight. You owe me dinner for all that work I put in at your place today, and I’ve got a hankerin’ for Dixie’s chicken and dumplings.”

He opened the front door for her, and she walked out in front of him. She scanned the streets to make sure no one saw them, then his words hit her. The leaky pipe! Good grief, she’d forgotten all about it. She turned to lock the door. “I’m sorry, Cole. I’ve been so self-absorbed, I didn’t even ask. Did everything go all right at my house? Did the clean-up take long?”

As they walked down the sidewalk toward the diner, he took her hand and placed it in the bend of his arm before he shoved his hands into his pockets. “If I say it wasn’t too bad, are you gonna go home and leave me to eat alone?”

Looking up into his handsome face illuminated by the dim light of the street lamps, she found him completely irresistible. His arm felt hard and muscled, warm and very real beneath her hand. Infinitely more appealing than paper and computer keyboards. “I suppose the least I can do is buy you supper for all your trouble.”

He threw back his shoulders, puffed out his chest and said, “Well now, I’d have to agree. I’ve saved you from a disaster at home and near starvation all in one day. Why, I’m like a bonafide knight ridin’ to your rescue.”

She smacked his rock hard stomach with the back of her hand, and he doubled over in affected pain. “Don’t get too cocky. Now if you could cure my computer problems. . .”

“We’ll work on that tomorrow.”

Josie laughed. “Deal,” she said, but didn’t give an ounce of credence to the notion that Cole Craig could iron out the kinks in a complicated computer program. He might be able to work wonders with an antiquated plumbing system, but computer programs? Not likely.

They walked down Main on the old brick sidewalk she remembered from her childhood. The town still maintained the antique gas street lamps that gave everything a cozy, intimate glow. Electric streetlights would be more practical, but they wouldn’t shimmer across the golden highlights in Cole’s hair like a lover’s caress.

“What’re you thinkin’?”

“That the town hasn’t changed much.”

“Depends on what you call change. There’s a new beauty parlor openin’ up across from the bank.” He leaned down so he could whisper close to her ear. “I hear tell they’re gonna sell fancy lingerie there, too.”

Josie laughed, more to cover her nervousness than anything else. “That ought to get Mrs. McKay worked up.”

A lazy smile transformed Cole’s face, and Josie found simply breathing a bit difficult.

“That lady wouldn’t know what to do with herself if she didn’t have somethin’ to get worked up about.”

But if the old biddy had that distraction, maybe she wouldn’t be on Josie’s back twenty-four/seven. Just the thought lifted her spirits.

Most of the brick buildings lining the street were decorated with scalloped red, white, and blue banners in anticipation of the town Memorial Day celebration. Both the Baptist and the Presbyterian churches at the end of Main proudly flew the American and Christian flags. In less than two weeks, the street would be filled with vendors selling mouth-watering foods and homemade crafts. In less than two weeks, she was expected to debut her computer program.

“What’s wrong?” Cole asked.

They stood in front of Wallace’s Apothecary. She hadn’t been aware that she’d stopped moving. “Oh. I was just thinking about work.”

“None of that, now. You need a break.”

“But—”

He clasped her hand and pulled her along. “You promised me dinner. That computer will be there in the mornin’, I promise.”

At the end of the street, they turned left into the front door of Ferguson’s. The bell clanged announcing their arrival as Cole held it open for Josie to pass through. The diner was practically deserted at this late hour. Good. He wanted her all to himself. He didn’t mind not having to deal with speculative glances and people gossiping about why the town librarian was out with Angel Ridge’s finest handyman. Not tonight.

“Hey, Cole.” Dixie called out from behind the counter.

Cole smiled at the tall woman who’d styled her short, red-tinted black hair into a spiked, punk look. “Hey, Dix.”

“As I live and breathe, if it ain’t Josie Allen. Or should I call you Dr. Allen now?”

“Josie’s fine.”

“Good to see ya. Sit wherever you want. I’ll be with you in a sec.”

He stopped at a booth near a window. “This okay?”

“How about over here?”

She pointed to a booth against a back wall that was more out of the way. Cole shrugged and followed her. He’d never turn down the opportunity to share a corner booth with Josie Allen. Not in this lifetime.

Cole watched with interest as Josie unbuttoned her blazer and slid across the smooth green upholstered seat of the booth. The quick movement only provided a brief glimpse of a conservative, pale blue blouse before she pulled the material of the jacket together. Maybe she’d take it off later….

The light green linoleum of the table was accented by a small vase with a single, white daisy. As usual, the place was spotless.

“I haven’t eaten here in years.”

He had to work at focusing on anything but her. “Then you’re in for a treat. Dixie’s food just gets better with time.”

“I heard that.” Dixie slapped Cole on the shoulder with her order pad. “Everything served here is fresh.”

“
Ow
.” He rubbed his shoulder. “You know what I mean, Dix.”

“
Uh-huh.
What can I get you folks?”

“We’ll have the special with sweet tea.”

Dixie looked at Josie for approval.

“Sounds good,” she agreed.

“Nice apron, Dix,” Cole said.

Dixie, who was known for her unusual outfits, wore a bright neon green sleeveless dress with vibrant pink polka dots. Her apron was the reverse. Pink with green polka dots. Anyone else would have looked like a clown, but Dixie pulled it off.

“You here to critique my wardrobe or are you hungry?”

“I’m here to eat.”

Dixie nodded. “Two teas and two specials. Comin’ right up. And welcome home, Josie. It’s good to see you around this old town again.”

“I’ll second that,” Cole said.

“Thanks,” she said to both.

“So, how many years has it been?” he asked.

“Well, I’ve been away at school for seven years, but it’s been longer than that since I saw you.”

A particularly vivid memory came to mind. “It’s not been that long.”

Josie frowned. “What do you mean?”

“There was one Christmas you came home from college. I saw you at Christmas Eve services with your folks.”

“Really?”

“You were wearing a black dress and your hair hung loose around your shoulders. You looked beautiful.”

She tipped her head to the side and gave him a sheepish look. “I talked my parents into having Christmas here that year. I hated Christmases in Florida at their condo. For some reason, I was incredibly homesick that year. For the town and the library, anyway. I never had any real friends here.”

“That why you never visited during breaks?”

She unrolled her silverware and smoothed her napkin in her lap. “I don’t remember seeing you at services that year.”

He didn’t miss that she had neatly avoided answering his question, but he let it go. “It was pretty crowded.”

She nodded. “Always is.”

That had been the first time he’d noticed her. Really noticed her…as a woman. That little black dress had hugged her body in all the right places and her thick long hair had spilled down her back and over the pew. If he’d died on the spot, he’d have gone straight to hell because he’d fantasized about seein’ it spread out on his pillow . . . .

He blinked and brought his thoughts back to the present. Petite and thin, that boxy suit she wore today hid any shape that might lie beneath it. But he could imagine. She still had that flame red hair. Wonder if it still reached her waist?

Looking at Cole now, Josie couldn’t imagine overlooking a man as handsome and magnetic as Cole even in a crowd. She tried to remember the last time she saw him. “You know, I came home for a whole summer after I graduated from college. I don’t think I saw you once in the nearly three months I was here.”

The vinyl creaked as he shifted his position on the seat of the booth. He looked uncomfortable. Cole lowered his head, but not before she saw a crimson blush stain his high cheekbones. He must be embarrassed by the fact that he had to drop out of school when she had gone on to explore all that higher education had to offer. She wanted to put him at ease, but she couldn’t resist reminding him of that time in middle school.

“I seem to recall you defending my honor on the playground. Remember? I was in sixth grade. You were in eighth, I think. The kids were always teasing me about reading during recess instead of playing.”

“I remember.”

“That day, Bobby Jones was throwing rocks at me. One hit my leg and made it bleed.”

“Jones had a mean streak in him a mile wide.”

Josie nodded. “You took him aside and said something to him.”

“I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to read instead of play, but I figured if that was what you wanted to do, you oughta be able to do it in peace.”

“He never bothered me again after that, thanks to you. I always wondered what you said to him.”

The color in his cheeks deepened. “That was a long time ago, Josie.”

“Bobby seemed to take particular pleasure in making me miserable. I just wanted to let you know how much it meant, you taking up for me the way you did.”

“It was nothin’.”

“I figured he would start torturing me again after you left, but he didn’t.”

He looked even more uncomfortable. He turned and stared out the window, then glanced over his shoulder toward the front counter. “Wonder where Dixie is with that tea?”

On impulse, she reached out and touched the back of his hand. “Why did Bobby leave me alone after that day?”

His sigh was heavy with resignation. He turned his hand over and rubbed his thumb against the back of her wrist. “Because I made sure he wouldn’t bother you again.”

His touch was hypnotic. Addictive. “How? You weren’t always around to keep an eye on him.”

“I let him know that if he did, I’d hear about it and see to it that he’d regret it.”

“Oh, Cole. You didn’t hit him, did you?”

“Naw. But he knew I would.”

Much as she liked the feel of his talented fingers on her wrist, she folded her hands in her lap. “I just wanted to say, you standing up for me, well, it was the nicest thing anyone ever did for me at school.”

“It was nothin’,” he repeated.

She wished she could make him see what a big deal it had been for her. Her life had changed after that day. So many of the kids had been cruel to her, especially at recess. She always got picked last. Even when she did try to play kickball or whatever game it happened to be, she never was allowed to play. The kids didn’t let her touch the ball, and they’d skip her when her turn came around.

So, she’d quit playing. None of the teachers minded. They pretty much let her do what she wanted, because she was a good student. Special. The kids had hated that even more than having to put up with her on their teams. So, they turned their attention to making her as miserable as possible. Until Cole had stood up for her. Still, she could see that no matter what she said, Cole would downplay it. It was his way.

“What have you been doing all these years?”

He played with his silverware. “This and that. Nothing nearly as interesting as you, I’m sure. What kept you away from home all those years?”

“There wasn’t much to come back to here. After I left for college, Mom and Dad bought the condo in Florida, and over the years, they spent more and more time there. So, I worked summers at the UNC library. Then during graduate school, I taught classes at Syracuse’s Summer Information Science Institute in New York.”

He rubbed his jaw. The stubble lining it made him look incredibly sexy and a little dangerous. “Sounds . . . ”

“Boring?”

“I was going to say prestigious.”

That comment caught her off guard. “Thank you.”

“So with your folks gone for good now, why’d you come back? I’m guessin’ you could have gotten a job most anywhere you wanted.”

“Being the director of the Angel Ridge Library was always my dream.” That much was true. She wouldn’t go into the part about the deal she’d brokered with Mrs. McKay that left her with no other choice but to return.