Page 55 of Breaking the Ice

“Sam, please… just help me out here for a couple of hours and I’ll get you whatever you want to eat on the way home.”

And didn’tallthe possibilities ofthatboggle the mind…

The Book Fair was the annual premier fundraising event for a major charity. Unwanted books were donated from all round Tetworth and its surrounding districts and then resold at the fair. It was a book lover’s paradise and a bookshop owner’s nirvana. It had been the highlight of Birdie’s year and Samantha knew Nick had been looking forward to it since he’d opened.

Hundreds of people combed through the books, their chatter reverberating around the spacious pavilion, intertwining with the musty aroma of old books prevalent despite the airy proportions. Samantha inhaled and forgot temporarily about her empty stomach.

In fact, despite its desperate gurgling, Samantha quickly forgot about her stomach altogether as the magic of the books weaved their spell. The variety was divine and she made a number of special finds. It also had, she realized after about ten minutes, great potential as a pick-up joint.

Most of the men in the pavilion seemed to fit her required demographic nicely. Hadn’t Nick said if she stopped looking she’d find someone? She’d never thought in a million years when she agreed to accompany him tonight that this could be the place she might meet a guy who could silence her eggs once and for all.

A man beside her reached for the sameLarry and Stretch. She stopped and withdrew her hand and so did he and they laughed.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, his voice deep and carrying a hint of laughter. There was some gray in the wings of his hair and he looked about forty.

“No.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Wow!” He eyed her jewelry. “Cool necklace.”

Samantha laughed as her fingers absently stroked the pasta. He seemed so utterly genuine and the necklace was so far from cool it was practically on fire. She’d had zero intention of wearing it to the Book Fair this morning but after her verbal sparring with Nick, wild horses couldn’t have dragged it off her.

“Kinda scary in an arty way.”

Samantha laughed again, struck by hownicehe was and she stopped to chat. “So, who’s theLarry and Stretchfan?” he asked.

She smiled. “Me, actually.”

He tilted his head. “If you don’t mind me saying, you don’t fit the typical demographic.”

No, but you fit mine.“And what would that be?” She shot him her widest smile and noticed a spark of interest light his eyes.

“Oh, you know. Male.”

A laugh tinkled from her throat and she absently toyed with the necklace. “Maybe there’s just a frustrated cowboy in all of us?”

His gaze turned extra flirty. “Maybe there is.”

“Actually, I work at a second-hand bookshop; my boss introduced Westerns a couple of months ago.”

“Are they popular?”

“With him and me, yes. The clientele… not really.”

“So that explains what a gorgeous woman like you is doing among a bunch of old books.”

Samantha smiled to hide her inner consternation – why wasn’t shefeelinganything? He was perfect in every way. His teeth were a normal color, he laughed at her jokes, he was obviously flirting so she presumed he was free to do so. He was reasonable to look at and dressed well, so not a starving-artist type.

Yet… nothing. Her eggs seemed equally noncommittal.

“Sam?”

She turned toward Nick and her formerly disinterested eggs leaped to life.Of course. “Oh, hey, Nick,” she said, trying to settle the riot in her ovaries.

He was clearly annoyed for some reason and even though that should somehow have quelled all bodily celebrations it didn’t. He just looked more like the surly pirate from her dreams and her eggs knew it.

Glancing at her cart, he frowned at the paltry dozen books it contained. His was half full. Samantha felt guilty but wasn’t sure why. “Nick this is…”

“Timmy,” her companion said and stuck out his hand for Nick to shake.

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