The Mighty Quinns: Mac

“Then I’ll pick you up at nine,” she said. “But right now I have to go find my books and then I’m going to pick up a very large pizza for dinner. When are you done with work? Do you want to join us?”

“I close tonight. But let’s stop for breakfast on the way to the flea market. At that pancake place.”

“So much for the diet.”

“I’m wearing a skirt, remember. I think I’ll be safe.”

While Trisha went upstairs to find her books, Emma walked over to the young adult section and found one of her favorite books. She slowly approached Lily, then slid the book across the table. “Have you read this series?” she asked.

Lily stared at the book, then shook her head. “I-Is it good?”

She risked a look up and Emma nodded. “It was one of my favorites when I was your age. And you can take it home to read. I can get you a library card.”

The girl shook her head. “I’ll read it here,” she murmured.

“All right. But I’d still like to give you a library card. It’s free. Then, if you decide you want to take something home you can.”

Lily shrugged. “Okay. Thanks.”

“I’ll have it waiting at the desk. You can pick it up before you leave.”

“Do you know my name?”

“It’s Lily Harper. You live with the Prentiss family.”

Lily nodded again, her gaze falling to the book that Emma had offered her. “Yeah,” she murmured. “1810 Birch Street.”

“If you’d like me to find more books for you, just tell me what you enjoy reading and I can make some suggestions.”

“Okay,” she said.

“I’m usually here after school. But if I’m not, you can leave me a note.”

She was filling out the forms for Lily’s library card when a bouquet of flowers appeared in front of her computer screen. Emma turned to find Mac grinning at her. “Hello,” she said.

“Hi.”

Emma took the bouquet. “What are you doing here?”

“I just thought I’d stop in and firm up our plans for tomorrow night. Get some suggestions on where you might want to go for dinner. And see if you have any opinions on Oklahoma.”

“Oklahoma? I’ve never been there, but I suppose it’s a nice place to live if you like...farming?”

“No, Oklahoma the musical. The local community theater is doing the play and I thought I’d get us tickets.”

Emma giggled. “You enjoy musical theater?”

“Well, there’s no movie theater in town, so this would be the next best choice. It could be really good.”

“It could also be really bad,” Emma said.

“I bet it will be fun, you’ll see.”

She wasn’t sure “fun” was what she wanted for their date. She wanted something romantic, something that would put them both in the mood for seduction. She was hoping the night would end in a tangle of sheets and sweaty bodies and she wasn’t sure that an amateur production of Oklahoma would lead them there.

“Buddy’s mechanic, J.J., has got a pretty big role,” Mac added. “He’s got a decent singing voice.”

“He used to be in all the shows in high school,” Emma said.

“Right. I forgot you knew each other.”

“Everyone knows everyone else in this town. If you have any deep, dark secrets, you better spill them now because sooner or later, they’ll be found out.”

Mac braced his elbows on the counter and leaned closer. “There is one thing,” he murmured, his eyes dark, his voice mysterious. “But I can’t really tell you here. Is there somewhere we could go? Someplace more private?”

Emma held her breath. What kind of secret was he about to reveal? Was he running from the law? Was he married? Had he nefarious motives for asking her out? “My office,” she said breathlessly.

He followed behind her to the door near the end of the circulation desk. The moment the door closed behind them, Mac wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her body against his. His lips came down on hers and, before she could protest, Emma was caught in a deep and passionate kiss.

His hands skimmed along her rib cage and then, just a moment later, were tangled in her hair. Emma’s knees went weak and she stumbled, bracing herself against a bookcase. When he finally drew back, she took a ragged breath and tried to regain her composure. “What was that?” she murmured.

“If you don’t know, then I wasn’t doing it right.”

She laughed softly. “Oh, no, you did it right.”

“Good. Because I’ve been thinking about kissing you since the last time we were together. And thinking isn’t as nice as actually doing it.”

A shiver skittered through her body and she nodded, knowing his words were truer that even he realized. “I—I should get back out there. If you leave the kids alone for too long they’ll find some way to get into trouble.”

“All right,” he said, twisting his fingers through hers. He pulled her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss below her wrist. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. Oh, and I’ll pick you up at your place. Buddy lets me use his truck and I got it all cleaned up.”

“Do you know where I live?”

“I’ll ask around,” Mac said. “I’m sure someone will be happy to tell me.”

They walked out of the office and he waved as he walked toward the front entrance. Emma took another shaky breath. Oh, they’d tell him. But what else would they say? she wondered. Would he find out she was a virgin? And if he did, was he hoping to change her sexual status in the near future?

Emma groaned inwardly. This was exactly what she’d been waiting for all these years. Now was not the time to chicken out. If she expected to lure him into bed, she’d need to be confident, or he’d never believe she was a willing partner.

She closed her eyes and cursed beneath her breath. This was like any fear of the unknown. When it was over, it would seem easy in retrospect. She’d laugh at her fears, just as the adventurers in her books did.

“Do you have my card?”

Emma dragged her eyes away from the computer screen and found Lily Harper waiting, her backpack strap slung over one shoulder. “Do you have any books you’d like to take home?”

The girl shook her head, then placed the young adult novel that Emma had given her onto the counter. “Thank you.”

“You don’t want to take this home?”