Page 5 of The Luminosity of Loriana Harper

Far less impressive than the place he’d rented in Mountain View. He’d saved plenty, but much of those savings had been depleted when he’d been forced to give up his green card and head back to Canada. Tail between his legs, he’d taken up residence in the small town of Mission City, just over an hour outside of his beloved Vancouver. Far enough to stay under the radar, but close enough he could visit his old haunts if he wanted.

And he wanted. Wanted to see the old neighborhood. Spend time with the friends who still lived in Strathcona. Some had reached great heights of success, while others toiled away in less-impressive jobs. But his buddies’d always been tight, and they’d been thrilled when he’d been offered the job with one of the major companies in Silicon Valley. The company’d headhunted him right off the campus at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and wooed him with the promise of a great salary, fantastic benefits, as well as the lure and prestige of moving to the States. Some of his friends had been derisive, while others were happy for him.

None of them knew he’d moved back to Canada several months ago.

He should find the courage to come clean. He’d scrubbed his social media and had been keeping a low profile. That included keeping the locator off. He’d put planet Earth as his location. Cute—and not likely to raise too many alarm bells. Plenty of people wanted to be on social media for various reasons while wanting to keep their location private. He maintained a presence for his store, but hadn’t attached his full name or any pictures of himself.

All this wasn’t likely to hold. Some of his best friends were also programmers. If they wanted to find him, they could. They didn’t, because they all believed he was happily living south of the border.

He backed his van into his assigned parking spot, then he grabbed his dinner and his laptop case. Exiting the vehicle, he set the alarm and headed for the elevator. One of the reasons he’d chosen the building was for its great security. Cameras in all common areas, including one aimed directly at his van. He also had his own surveillance set up, although he rarely kept anything of value in his vehicle. Most of his equipment was either piled in his spare bedroom or in his rented storage locker. The unit also had great security, and he’d added a few things.

That, plus the solid insurance, helped him sleep at night.

The elevator was blessedly empty, and he made it quickly from the basement to the third floor without interruption. He loved several of his elderly neighbours, but they did tend to prattle on. Another few people in the building gave him the cold shoulder, so what?Not worth my time.

He unlocked the door, plopped the food onto the counter, shed his jacket, and headed straight for the washing machine. He had enough dirty clothes to do an entire load, so that was good. Putting the blue-and-green plaid pajamas in the machine, he set it to cold water and threw in the scent-free laundry soap. Although not overly sensitive himself, he was cautious of those who were. He always respected them—not wanting to cause undue pain.

His food was still warm as he sat on a bar stool by the counter to eat it. He hadn’t grabbed the community paper today, so hopefully there’d be one left in the lobby tomorrow morning. Slowly, he was making this town his home, and that meant reading about it whenever he got the chance. Plus, he liked Spring Dixon. The reporter always had a turn of phrase that caught his attention. Creatively reporting the latest news from city hall was a talent.

Done eating, he sorted the containers and eyed the washing machine. He glanced at his watch. He’d made good time with his errands, so had a few minutes to spare. Heading into the living room, he settled in for an episode ofSchitt’s Creek. He’d shower after he tossed his laundry into the dryer.

Meanwhile, he’d try not to obsess about the woman who peppered his thoughts—with her long, softly curled hair, large expressive eyes, and a smile that would warm him for many a night to come.

Chapter three

Youcandothis.

And she could. If she could just fight off the nerves. She wanted to chastise herself for the worries, but they were totally legitimate. Every time she embarked on something new, those little butterflies appeared in her belly. She could tell herself a million times that nothing bad was going to happen—because it wasn’t—but that small niggle in her brain wouldn’t quit.

Todd hadn’t planned for anything bad to happen either.

Wrong thought.

She didn’t know anyone at the party tonight, but probably would recognize a few by sight. Having worked in the library her entire adult life meant she knew many of the people from town—even if names escaped her.

With determination, she exited her car and crossed the street. The house was decorated spectacularly with an inflatable Santa, reindeer on the roof, a fully decked-out pine tree, and too many lights to count. On another night, it might’ve felt garish, but tonight it beckoned her in.

Before she could knock, the door opened and a short, stout woman gestured. Her blonde curls bounced as she bobbed. “So glad you made it.”

Loriana didn’t know the woman. Did everyone get such a warm welcome?

“May I hug you?”

What?Loriana nodded.

The shorter woman pulled her in for a bone-crushing hug.

Once over the initial shock, Loriana sagged into the woman’s embrace. She often offered comfort while at work, but rarely did that involve any kind of physical affection. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been held.

Way too long.

Finally, the woman pulled back.

“I don’t know your name.”

The woman grinned. “Sorry, so busy hugging people I forget to introduce myself. I’m Patsy, the Hugging Queen. My husband is Vance. He’s around here somewhere.”

As if she were able to conjure him, a man appeared.

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