The idea of it makes her stomach curdle, but Minnie adamantly shakes her head. “I would know if he were something likethat.”
Ariel mutters something to the note of,you’ve lost your marbles, Mouseunder her breath. After pulling herself together, her sister asks sternly, “Does he treat you right?”
Minnie wouldn’t be with him if he didn’t. He’d be out the door in a breath if he dared bring toxicity to her life.
It’s the little things that warm her heart, like when Gage brings her a fresh tea from the local coffee shop during lunch hour, just for her. He thinks tea is rather posh, but he knows she enjoys it, especially in her chilly library. Or how he always asks to make sure what he’s doing isn’t making her nervous. He wants her to be comfortable, and he understands her past. She’s not justThe Abducted Girlwith him. She’sherself. Minnie nods solemnly. “Always.”
Frowning, Ariel says, “You better not be lying to me about that. Not that you’re much of a liar, Mouse. In fact, you are aterrible liar, so I suppose I have to take this all at face value.”
“You won’t tell Mom and Dad?”
“I won’t tell,” Ariel says after a moment of reluctance. “But theyaregoing to find out. And you better not let them find out in a way that gives them an aneurysm. They arenotgoing to like him on sight alone.”
Oh, Minnie is well aware. She’s guilty of being a judgmental sow herself, picked it up from growing up on Gold Street on the North side of town, where her parents still live. When she first saw Gage in her library, she had looked at him as if he were in the wrong place. She had thought the worst of him immediately.
But then, she met him.
Minnie frowns as she glances at her gothic romance guest bedroom. “Where are your things? I thought you were staying here?”
“Oh, girl. I’mnotstaying here if he is,” Ariel drawls knowingly, wiggling her finely done eyebrows. “No offense, but I do not want to be in a townhome with two horny lovebirds.”
Red suffuses Minnie’s face and she brushes her blonde hair behind her ear. “We are not-”
“Don’t deny it. I don’t even care, I just don’t need to listen to it. I’ll head over to the ‘rents place. And that, sis, is going to make them wonder why I’m not staying with you. But, lips zipped. I’llsay you had a cold. The rest is on you to wordsmith away.” Those scarlet nails dance against the countertop.
Anxiety flutters about in her veins. All this time, Minnie never considered what might happen if her parents found out about her and Gage.
The darker truth is, a part of Minnie is convinced he won’t stay long enough for it to even matter.
She’sThe Abducted Girl, after all. She’s a mess in her own mind. What man wants to stay with a broken woman who is still haunted by her past?
And worse, what man wants to be with a woman whose parents will look down on him?
Minnie rubs her eyes, pushing her glasses up briefly.What a mess this is.
Chapter 2
It doesn’t take long for her mother to come sleuthing.
While Ariel may have said she wouldn’t breathe a word about Gage, Minnie knew her mother would still suspect something. Arielalwaysstays with Minnie when she comes to town. There’s never been a single deviation from this in all the years since the girls moved out of their childhood home.
Never. Untilnow. Minnie is no fool, and she knows her parents aren’t either. It’s why she’s almost unsurprised when the glamorous Marla Fray drifts into the library around noon, all finely outfitted in classy beige trousers and a blouse, wearing a handbag that Minnie would never be able to afford, and Chanel pearls at her throat. Nary a wrinkle in sight on her face; those injections have been working wonders over the years, now, haven’t they?
The blonde woman smiles brightly when she sees Minnie sitting behind the center desk of the library, eyes sparkling. “My darling, how are you?” Marla gushes the words out as she makes a beeline for Minnie, clearly onA Mission. “I thought we could eat together on your lunch hour.”
Minnie feels her eyes widen as she smiles stiffly. Oh, God. It’s happening already? Her mother is nosey, even though she tries to pretend she is anything but. “That’s so sweet of you, Mom. This is a surprise-” Charmingly, her mother leans over the counter and kisses the air by Minnie’s cheek. Minnie splutters out, “Oh, goodness, hi.”
“I brought your favorite!” Marla opens her large carryall and shows the contents, where she has some artfully packed sushi from the local Japanese high-end spot.
Minnie’s mouth waters and her stomach growls in anticipation. Oh, her mother is preparing to butter her up for some serious snooping, she justknows it. She brought sushi, after all.
They go out into the pleasant courtyard, sitting down at one of the picnic tables. They talk about what’s new at home, what Minnie’s parents have been up to these days. The latest cruise in Europe they just returned from. About how Minnie doesn’t call enough and Ariel calls too much.
Sniffing, Marla’s eyes look around at their surroundings. “When are you going to consider a new job? Maybe one of the cute boutique shops in Uptown. That would bemuchbetter suited for you, it would give you an elegant edge-”
“Mom,” Minnie says calmly, trying not to get upset about an old disagreement. Her family always expected more from her, and being a librarian was not it. “Ilikebeing here. I enjoy it.”
Marla makes atskingnoise and pats Minnie’s hand. “I simply wish you could choose someplace less…tragically homey. How will you find a husband here? Only married men go to libraries, you know.”
