Page 33 of Gary

Sadie needed a minute. Going over to the desk, she sat on the edge of it and took several deep breaths. This was ridiculous. He was making her nervous, her nerves were shot to pieces. She could not hold a single thought inside her brain that had nothing to do with him. He filled her to the brim. He consumed her.

And she only just met him. She could not stop thinking about him. He filled her every brain cell. Seeing him turned her to mush and she was not that type to moon over a man.

Everything changed since she had met him.

She sprang off the desk when the door opened, and her mother stepped in.

“I was just about to come out. Sorry I left you to fend for yourself.”

“I was the one who suggested it, remember?” Sharon studied her daughter’s face. “I like your young man.”

“He is not my young man.”

“Honey, it’s not like you to lie to yourself.”

“Mom.” Sitting back on the desk and rubbed her hands over her jeans. “He is moving too fast. This is going too fast, and I think I should insist on him taking a step back.”

“What on earth for?”

“Because.” She got up and started pacing the small area. Her desk was crowded with paperwork. Some books had come in, customers had returned some of the ones they had borrowed, and several customers had donated several boxes of literature that needed sorting out.

Then there was the book club to prepare for and with Thanksgiving coming up, she had some experiments to do. Seasonal brews to make and shelves to stack. She certainly did not have time to think or moon over a man. And that is what she was doing. “I don’t know anything about him.”

“That’s what courtship is for.”

She stopped and stared at her mother before bursting out laughing. “Mom, bless your heart, you are so old-fashioned. What we feel for each other is good old lust.”

“Honey, I have seen the way the man looks at you and I am old enough and wise enough to know the difference between lust and passion.”

The doorbell sounded.

“I’ll get it.” Sharon held up a hand. “Stay and sort things out. Here and in there.” She pointed to her daughter’s head.

*****

Wrapping his jacket around him to ward off the sudden chill, Gary made his way from the car to the derelict building, a frowntouching his brow. Windows were missing and boarded up and vines were clinging to the faded red brick.

The wide wraparound porch was sagging. The place had a sad air of neglect that seemed to cling to every crevice and corner.

But the land was prime with wildflowers still valiantly clinging to life despite the cold. It was unseasonably icy for this time of year, which meant they were in for a brutal winter.

He had won the battle with the board members, stodgy old relics who should have retired years ago. He was going to see to that as soon as he took over. Grinning wryly, he wondered when he had come to that conclusion.

Was it right after the smoldering kiss with Sadie at his place or the one where he almost backed her over to the desk and took her right there? Somewhere between that time, he made up his mind to stay.

The building was his to do with whatever he wanted. And the community center was a damn good idea. He had seen the need in this area. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his scarred leather jacket, he started to walk towards a towering old oak when he heard a sound behind him.

Turning around slowly, he spotted a boy, maybe not older than fifteen or sixteen, going still when Gary pinned him with a gaze.

“Who are you?”

The boy fidgeted from one shabby well-worn tennis shoes to the other and shoved his hands into the pockets of his dirty and ragged sweater.

“Raymond.” He sounded surly, light blue eyes defiant. “Who are you?”

“Gary. What are you doing here, Raymond and why are you not in school?”

The child smirked. “Are you the school cop?”