Page 18 of Between the Lines

I laugh. I can’t hold it in. I didn’t actually believe this man was capable of humor.

I cover my smile with my book, but his eyes catch mine again, the green swirling around the gold, all swimming with something I can’t quite place. I’m about to put my finger on it when Zoey interrupts us.

“Teach me.”

“Pardon?”

Nathan’s head tilts inquisitively as he blinks rapidly to dispel whatever we’d both just been trapped in.

“Teach me how to execute that move. Claire can go look at books for a little while longer anyway, right?”

She’s got me there. This kid knows my weaknesses.

“I think I’m done browsing, but I can get started on my book. I’ll be over there when you’re finished.”

She smiles in a mixture of pleasure and determination, nods curtly, then locks in her game face as she lets Nathan Harding teach her how to be better at chess. I was sorely mistaken if I thought I’d get anywhere in this book. Perched on one of the big comfy library chairs with my book raised in front of my face like a shield, I haven’t taken my eyes from them.

I know Nathan Harding, the assistant principal of River Valley Middle School. I have never metthisman before.

The one whose gaze softens, whose tone turns from placid to patient. Who gives firm encouragement and pauses in my sister’s frustration. I guess I’ve only ever seen him with Rocco, but still. Where has he been hidingthisside of him?

It takes Zoey no less than four tries to execute the move in game play, once he’s walked her through a few scenarios, and she comes away looking like the cat that got the whole cage of canaries.

“Thanks, Harding. I can’t wait to use this against Billy Mitchell at chess club later this week. He’s going to crap his pants.”

Nathan’s face flushes a color of pink I’ve never seenhim wear before. He sticks out his hand to my sister’s waiting one and they shake.

“You’re a worthy opponent, Ms. Benson. Maybe we’ll meet again.”

“Ms. Benson is my sister. You can just call me Zoey next time.”

“Zoey it is.”

God, the balls on this kid.

I stand, tucking my new library book into my bag, and approach the table. Zoey zips up her sweatshirt and says something about a book she needs for research. I promise to meet her by the nonfiction section. She hurries off, leaving me alone with Nathan.

An unfamiliar twirl happens in my gut when we’re alone together. Well, notalone—there are still a bunch of old timers—but the sensation of being just him and me churns up something I haven’t felt in a long, long time.

Are those, perhaps, butterflies?

“Your sister is excellent at chess.”

“She is,” I nod, pursing my smile. “I’m glad someone finally put her in her place. She could use a challenge.”

“Do you not play?”

I shake my head. “Nope. Used a YouTube video to teach her when checkers got to be too easy. She was better than me by the end of the day. She’s on her STEM school’s team. If she doesn’t win any Nobel Prizes, or the award for biggest pain in my ass, she could definitely win something for chess.”

To my surprise, Nathan smiles. It’s small, amused, and dare I say there’s a little twinkle in those eyes? I have to shake my head to dispel the fact that the power of that small smile made the butterflies ramp up.

“I should probably get going. Zoey gets kind of testy when?—”

“I literally found and checked out my book, Claire. Let’s go. I don’t get to be on my Switch after eight-o’clock!”

Nathan’s eyebrows make a slow climb of his forehead, his eyes widening comically.

I shrug. “Told you she was feisty.”

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