Baby Talk and Wedding Bells. Brenda Harlen

the Board of Directors at Mercy Hospital and, for the past year, taking care of Saige three to five days a week for me, I wouldn’t have thought she’d have time for anything else.”

      “She obviously likes to keep busy,” Cassie noted. “And I know how much she adores her grandchildren. Ever since Ryan and Harper got custody of little Oliver almost three years ago, I’ve seen new pictures almost every week.

      “Of course, hundreds of pictures when Vanessa was born, and hundreds more when Saige was born,” she continued. “And I know she’s overjoyed that Ryan and Harper are moving back to Charisma—hopefully before their second child is born.”

      “You’re probably more up-to-date on my family than I am,” he admitted. “I don’t even know my sister-in-law’s due date.”

      “August twenty-eighth.”

      “Which proves my point.” He polished off the last bite of his muffin.

      She broke off another piece of brownie and popped it into her mouth. Then she licked a smear of caramel off her thumb—a quick and spontaneous swipe of her tongue over her skin that probably wasn’t intended to be provocative but certainly had that effect on his body and thoughts.

      “I only remember the date because it happens to be my birthday, too,” she admitted.

      He sipped his coffee. “As a librarian, how much do you know about chemistry?”

      “Enough to pass the course in high school.” She smiled. “Barely.”

      “And what do you think we should do about this chemistry between us?” he asked.

      She choked on her latte. “Excuse me?”

      “I’m stumbling here,” he acknowledged. “Because it’s been a long time since I’ve been attracted to a woman—other than my wife, I mean.”

      She eyed him warily. “Are you saying that you’re attracted to me?”

      “Why else would I be here when there are at least a dozen coffee shops closer to my office?”

      “I thought you came to the library to return the train Saige took home.”

      “That was my excuse to come by and see you,” he said.

      She dropped her gaze to her plate, using her fingertip to push the brownie crumbs into the center.

      “You didn’t expect me to admit that, did you?”

      “I didn’t expect it to be true,” she told him.

      “I was a little surprised myself,” he confided. “When I found the train, I planned to leave it with my mother, for her to return. And when I dropped Saige off this morning, I had it with me, but for some reason, I held on to it. As I headed toward my office, I figured I’d give it to her later. Except that I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”

      She wiped her fingers on her napkin, then folded it on top of her plate.

      “This would be a good time for you to admit that you’ve been thinking about me, too,” he told her.

      “Even if it’s not true?”

      He reached across the table and stroked a finger over the back of her hand. She went immediately and completely still, not even breathing as her gaze locked with his.

      “You’ve thought about me,” he said. “Whether you’re willing to admit it or not.”

      “Maybe I have,” she acknowledged, slowly pulling her hand away. “Once or twice.”

      “So what do you think we should do about this chemistry?” he asked again.

      “I’m the wrong person to ask,” she said lightly. “All of my experiments simply fizzled and died.”

      “Maybe you were working with the wrong partner,” he suggested.

      “Maybe.” She finished her latte and set the mug on top of her empty plate. “I really need to get back to work, but thanks for the coffee and the brownie.”

      “Anytime.”

      He stayed where he was and watched her walk away, because he’d never in his life chased after a woman and he wasn’t going to start now.

      Instead, he took his time finishing his coffee before he headed back to his own office—where he thought of her throughout the rest of the day, because he knew he would be seeing the sexy librarian again. Very soon.