Page 46 of Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop

“Does it? Haven’t we already had like ten awkward silences between us?” I pointed out and Rosie threw her head back and laughed.

“Yeah, but that happens between awkward people.”

“You’re not awkward. You’re bubbly, and smart, and engaging.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I was glad that we were walking in the dark so she couldn’t see my embarrassment.

“Seriously? You think that? You’re too sweet.” She fist-bumped my shoulder again.

“Except for the shoulder kink, I think you’d probably be great at dating.”

“Alexander!” Rosie whirled, her mouth gaping open. “I am not obsessed with shoulders.”

“It’s not a bad body part. There are worse ones to have fetishes over.”

“Oh my God. I take it back, you’re probably bad at dating.”

“Oh, I absolutely agree.” I grinned into the night. “Don’t even try and picture me trying to pick up a woman at a pub.”

“A train wreck?”

“A flaming disaster,” I agreed.

“Give me your best pick-up line.”

We stopped at the end of the lane, looking both ways before we crossed the country highway, and continued on toward the wee village centre. Turning, I leaned down to her and gave her my best smoldering look.

“Is your name Google? Because you have everything that I’m searching for.”

Rosie howled, bending over at the waist and slapping her knee, and I had to laugh along.

“Hey! It’s not that bad.”

“Oh, oh, it is though. It is. It’s so bad.” Rosie came up, wiping her eyes, and even though she was laughing at my expense, it still pleased me that I’d made her laugh. “Tell me that didn’t work.”

“It categorically did not work.”

“What did work?”

“Long lunch meetings with a co-worker.”

“Ah. Is this…” Rosie let the question hang.

“My ex-wife? Yes, she’d been a co-worker while I was finishing my PhD.”

“And—”

“What’s your best pick-up line?” I asked, even though I knew I was cutting off her line of questioning. It was just that I was actually enjoying myself and I didn’t want the presence of my ex to sully the conversation.

“Mine? Gosh, I don’t think I’ve ever needed one.” Rosie tapped a finger to her lips as we neared The Royal Unicorn. Voices and soft music spilled into the night air.

“I don’t doubt it. A beautiful lady such as yourself likely gets hit on all the time.”

“See? Now that’s a much better pick-up line.” Rosie patted my shoulder and I pretended to preen for her.

“What are we going to do about the Book Bitches?” I asked.

“We tell them we’ve agreed to just be friends. That there’s no chemistry there.”

Ouch. Feeling slightly wounded, even though this was exactly what I’d wanted, I nodded.

---