Page 30 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

After a long moment, Marnie shook her head. Her gaze shot back and forth between Mitch and Loriana. “I can’t. I…need to get home. You know, to, uh, take care of things.”

Loriana’s heart sank.I pushed too hard.

“I don’t have to go.” Mitch’s offer.

“No.” Marnie said the word forcefully. She gulped. “It’s not you. I promise, it’s not you. I’m just really tired—long day and all. But we’re seeing you on Monday, right?”

Mitch nodded. “Yes, of course. Looking forward to it.”

“Great.” Marnie offered a quick wave and then scurried out of the library as if the hounds of Hell were at her feet.

Loriana responded to Mitch’s expression of alarm. “It’s not you. Honestly. I think she might’ve backed out even if Rusty had agreed to come.”

“But he didn’t.”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure I expected him to. Seemed like the polite thing to do. To offer,” she quickly clarified. “He’s always so solemn.”

“Having a sick wife would do that.”

“True. And he’s all smiles when he’s around his daughter. But I catch him sometimes—when he thinks no one is watching—and he’s so serious. Weight of the world on weary shoulders.”

Mitch nodded. “I get that.”

And he did. Loriana couldn’t say how she knew—but she did. He carried around his own burdens. Wanting to push aside these thoughts, she clapped her hands. “Did you walk?”

He nodded. “My condo’s just a few blocks from here.”

“Great, well you can hop in my car with me, and we can head back to my place. We can have hot chocolate, chat, and then I can drive you home.”

“I can walk just fine—it’s not that far—and when a lady saystalk, I begin to panic.”

She laughed.

Adorable.

“Well, you’ll love Plato. He’s the strong, silent type.”

Mitch’s eyebrows shot almost to his hairline.

She laughed. “My cat. Been with me twelve years.” She indicated they head out of the library. “Great hat, by the way.”

He put his red toque with reindeer antlers back on. “Gag gift. A keeper.”

She stuffed her blue toque over her hair. “The unexpected ones are the best. People are forever giving me stuff with cute saying for librarians and book lovers. So sweet.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

“What doesn’t?” She armed the alarm, and they scooted outside so she could lock the door.

“That people give you things. You’re that kind of person. Heck, if I saw something cute, I’d consider buying it for you.”

She flipped her keys in her hand as they descended the stairs toward her car. “Don’t ever feel obliged to buy me anything.” She disarmed the car alarm with her remote. “You gave me ten new computers and several new netbooks—I think that’s above and beyond.”

He stopped at the passenger door, hand hovering above the handle. “I didn’t give you those things, Loriana. They were paid for. Was that person generous? Absolutely. Did I make a profit on the sale? Yes, I did.”

“As you should,” she groused. “Get in the car, Mitch, it’s fricking freezing.”

Chuckling, he did just that.

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