Jennifer Morey – The Librarian's Secret Scandal (страница 8)

Losing herself as she met his smiling eyes, feeling his attraction match her own, it took her a moment to realize how they were behaving. She glanced around. Emily was busy with someone at the checkout counter. There was no one standing near them. No one had noticed them ogling each other.

Reality came down a little harder. Did she really want to encourage Wes? Aside from the folly of him getting involved with what everyone considered the town floozy, she would be no good for any man right now.

The news of her rapist’s release had robbed her of her strength. She was vulnerable again. The same struggle she’d overcome so many years ago was returning. Would she be able to go home and not feel as though she had to lock every door and window and double-check them periodically? She hated that kind of weakness, the power Brandon Gates still had over her. Would she ever be free of that part of her life? It was disheartening.

No. She refused to succumb to irrational fears. He was moving back to North Carolina. That was far away from here, and he’d be foolish to try and make contact with her again. He had to know she’d expose him if he did.

“Don’t worry, our secret is still safe,” Wes said.

He’d given her a brief distraction from her troubles, but they weren’t going to magically go away. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

“Would you rather we go back to the prison?”

He was trying be funny, but he had no way of knowing how upsetting the reference was for her. She looked down at the floor.

Wes was quiet for a few beats. “So … how do you like the library?”

Back to safe topics. He had a way of easing her into those and keeping her enchanted.

She glanced around at the dark wood shelves and Emily helping someone else now at the checkout counter. Something about this place made her feel good. It soothed her. Maybe it was her love of books. They’d installed new computers a few months ago. Some of the floor had been carpeted and some refinished with new hardwood. New lighting had been installed, too. It was cozy. Fresh. Clean and bright. “I like it.” She looked back at him. “I like the work, too.”

“How long have you been doing this line of work? I never got a chance to ask you that when you drove me to my office.”

“I went to college after I left Honey Creek. It’s been about ten years now.” He was doing a good job of taking her mind off that phone call, drawing her out of darkness and into the light of his purpose in coming to see her. The Sheriff of Honey Creek County was interested in her.

“It suits you.”

Did it? She took in his chest in his sheriff uniform, his height, and even though he was flirting, he had a commanding presence.

“Being sheriff suits you.” She couldn’t believe she’d said it. “I mean—”

“I know what you mean,” he cut her off. “And I like that.”

Oh, boy…

“Why did you leave the navy?” she asked, more to divert the conversation.

“I wanted to come home.”

“You planned on running for sheriff?”

“Not at first.”

“What did you do in the navy, anyway?” How had he gone from that to law enforcement?

He hesitated and the glint of infatuation left his eyes. She wondered if this was a sore subject.

“I joined the SEALs.”

Her brow rose. She couldn’t help it. “Wow. You passed that training?”

Was he studying her? He seemed as though he was suspicious of her. Did he wonder why she’d asked? Why did it matter?

“I worked with a team for a while,” he finally answered, “but I didn’t like the travel.”

“And the danger?” Did he like that?

“That didn’t bother me so much. I was careful.”

Careful? “You sound so confident.”

“You have to be.”

“Is being sheriff of this little town enough of a stimulus for you?”

“I was young when I joined the SEALs. I don’t need adrenaline rushes to stay interested anymore. So, yes, I like what I do now. And there’s a lot to be said about dodging fewer bullets.”

“You’ve dodged bullets in Honey Creek?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

And he’d dodged them as a SEAL. “Didn’t you like being a SEAL?” He was sure acting strange about it.

“I liked it. I just wanted to come home,” he answered curtly.

She decided not to question him further on that. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it.

“When is your brother going to be released?” she asked instead.

A woman looked at them as she passed. Lily wondered if she’d heard what she’d asked.

Wes didn’t appear to notice, in fact, his tension eased. “I should have the court order in the next week or two.”

“That’s great.”

She could only imagine what it would be like to watch your brother spend so much time in prison for something he didn’t do. There would have to be some kind of effect on Damien. It had to have changed him somehow. Hardened him. Would he be dangerous?

She didn’t want to find out. Instead of continuing to question Wes, she steered clear of the more detailed questions she was dying to ask.

“You must have been pretty young when he was convicted.”

“Eighteen.”

“Is that why you joined the SEALs?” Did he want to learn how to fight? To kill? Had he planned to go after whoever was responsible for wrongly convicting his brother?

He took a moment to answer and she inwardly kicked herself for asking. She hadn’t meant to bring that up again.

“It might have had something to do with it. I never stopped believing Damien was innocent. I didn’t know what to do. Maybe I joined the SEALs because it gave me a sense of control, whereas with Damien’s situation, I’ve never had control.”

“Even though you wanted it.”

“Yes.”

“I think everyone does the things they do in life for a reason, whether they know it or not.”

“You became a librarian for a particular reason?”

“I love to read.”

“Is that the only reason?”

She had to stop herself from fidgeting. She’d admitted to no one what had led her down this path. “It’s what pointed me in that direction.”

“When did you start reading a lot?”

“It wasn’t until later, after … after I left.” Now she was getting really uncomfortable.

“It was probably a good thing you did leave.”

She just looked at him. If only he knew.

“I mean so you could find something to do with your life.”

Did he mean other than being a wild woman?

“Without the pressure of …” He seemed at a loss for words.

“I should really get back to work.”