Page 35 of Any Second Now
I shrug, uncomfortable under his gaze. “So you met this woman at the bookstore?”
“Yeah. Oh, I was at the bookstore buying you more presents.” His eyes light up.
“More presents?” My cheeks warm as Atticus reaches down to the ground and pulls up a paper bag, pushing it across the table to me.
“Yup.”
“But you already bought me the hammock.”
“That was an RV-warming gift.”
“And the cheese sticks.”
“A simple snack.”
“And the wine and corkscrew.”
“Who shows up to someone’s house for the first time without wine? And a way to open it?” He throws his hands up.
“RV, not house.”
“Yeah, RV.” His mouth twitches up on one side. “I was inspired today. Go ahead.”
I accept the bag and pull out the books one by one.
How I Found My Wild Sidehas three mostly naked people entwined in a bed on the cover. I look up at Atticus with raised eyebrows, and his cheeks turn rosy.
“They’re all memoirs about women reinventing themselves.”
“Sexually?” I say before thinking.
He laughs. “I guess that one might be?”
The second book is called53 Stopsand looks like a good travelmemoir. The third one,Woman Boss,is about career reinvention. I’m struck by how thoughtful of a gift this is. He went into the bookstore—met Rose—and thoughtfully picked out these three books.
“No big deal if you don’t want to read them, I just thought?—”
“Thank you. They’re perfect. And you’re very sweet.” A little knot in my chest tightens. I have the urge to hug him for the second time tonight, but god knows I’d make it awkward as shit, so I don’t.
The bookish woman must have thought she hit the lottery when she met Atticus at work. I stare at him and shake my head.
“What?” His brow furrows.
“Atticus, you do not need my help learning how to date someone.” The words come out sharper than I intend. “I have a feeling if you really want a girlfriend, you’ll figure it out.” I’m irrationally annoyed at the thought of bookstore Rose with hearts in her eyes.
“But what if I do?” He holds my gaze and doesn’t crack a smile. “Want your help?”
Lachlan interrupts the moment, arriving back at the table with a fresh bottle of red wine. Atticus breaks eye contact and Lachlan spots the books as he fill our glasses.
“Oh, nice stack, Raleigh!” Lachlan tops off my wine.
“Atticus bought them for me.”
“Did he?” Lachlan glances at Atticus with raised eyebrows. “And have you made plans for your first dating lesson?”
Atticus is staring into his wine, probably thinking about the bookstore woman.
First dating lesson? Just one problem.
