Page 26 of Rating the Book Boyfriend

A grin rips across my face. “I was going to ask you if that was okay. If not, he can go out with Joe this morning.”

Libby kisses the top of Ace’s head. “I’d love for him to go with us.” Thefluffernuggettakes that opportunity to stick his nose directly in Libby’s crotch.

Goddammit.

I open my mouth to apologize, but Libby giggles and stands, casting a look in my direction. “You didn’t tell me your dog was a player, Romero.”

“I’m sorry. You’ve only been here a few minutes, and you’ve already been licked and molested.”

“Sounds like a good morning to me,” she says with a cute wink. “Most action I’ve had in a while.”

Fuck me.

My flag rises right up the old flagpole at the thought. Luckily, Libby doesn’t notice because Joe walks out of the office and calls out a greeting as I spread my legs to make room. She smiles at the grizzled old man.

“Well, Romero, you didn’t tell me your friend was such a looker. I’d have worn my good bibs,” he says, slowing his pace as he hooks his thumbs in the straps over his shoulders. “Name’s Joe O’Connell, pretty lady. What’s yours?”

“Her name isstop flirting, old man,” I interrupt, though there’s no heat behind my words.

Libby laughs and holds out a hand. “I’m Liberty Hill, but you can call me Libby.”

“Well, people call me Joe or Crusty Joe, but you can call me sweetheart, if the fancy hits ya.” Instead of shaking her hand, Joe kisses the back of it.

Good grief… this guy…

“I’ll call you Joe and reserve the right to call you sweetheart until after our second date,” she says, flirting right back at the old codger.

He cackles before releasing her hand and turning to me. “Romero, I’m thinking of taking down that pine tree in my backyard. Think you could come over and give me a hand tomorrow?”

I frown. “Is there some kind of damage to it or something?”

Joe darts his eyes between me and Libby, leans close, and lowers his voice. “I heard they’re putting listening devices in the pinecones.”

“Who?” Libby whispers, and Joe widens his eyes.

“You know,them.”

“Ah,” Libby says, not missing a beat. “If you think it’s just the pinecones on the ground, why don’t you toss them in the ocean? Nothing to hear down there. Then you don’t have to chop down your tree.”

Joe’s eyebrows crunch together, which makes him appear as though he has two caterpillars wrestling on his forehead. “That’s not a bad idea. Hey, have you heard about the pterodactyl situation?”

And off he goes, telling Libby all about the dinosaur populationtheyare keeping on a remote island in an undisclosed location. She nods along politely, and when he’s done, she says, “You know what the smart thing to do would be? They should keep the dinosaurs on something like a space station. That way no one could accidentally discover them.”

Joe’s eyes widen like it’s the best idea he’s ever heard. “That’s not half bad. I’ll pass that along to my contacts.” And with that, he wanders back toward his office.

“You handled that well,” I tell her, picking up her satchel and looping it over my shoulder as we walk toward the docks with Ace trotting merrily beside us. “It was very kind of you to indulge him.”

“You mentioned he was eccentric, and most eccentric people are that way for a reason.”

“Very astute, and you’re not wrong.” As we approach, I gesture to the first two pale-blue boats, namedStellaandHannah. The crews are working to prepare the vessels for the day, and several wave in greeting. “Stella was Joe’s wife, and Hannah was his daughter. They died in a car crash when Hannah was ten.”

“Oh no,” Libby whispers.

“I was a teenager when it happened, and I felt so bad for him, so I’d drop by to check on him. We’d go out on the boat because that was the only place he found any peace.” I glance down at the woman beside me to find her with her hand over her heart and tears in her eyes. “Sometimes he talked about them, and sometimes we just cruised in silence. But he’d always let me have one cigar as long as I promised not to tell my parents.”

She lays a hand on my forearm, and my skin heats from her soft touch. “That was nice of you to visit with him. Even when he didn’t talk, I know it was a comfort to have you there.”

“Joe floundered for the longest time, and then he discovered the internet. That’s when he started…” I wave a hand back in the direction of the office, “you know, doing the whole conspiracy thing. It seemed to give him some kind of purpose or something. I’m not sure how to explain it, but it brought him back to life a bit. People call him crazy, but Joe isn’t crazy. His mind is sharp, and he’s just doing the best he can.”

---