had the longest lashes he’d every seen.
“Is that what this is? A relationship?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“I’m not sure.” She played with a button on his shirt. “The timing is all wrong.”
“Why? The computer problem is worked out.”
“Yes, but there’s so much work to be done. Dealing with the problems in the program put me behind on so many other things that need to be in place in order for the program to be fully operational. I’m not even sure it will function on those old computers at the library. We need faster processors, bigger hard drives, more memory.”
“One day off won’t ruin you, Josie. It’s Saturday after all. Everybody needs a break.”
“I know. You’re right. I’m just not used to taking weekends off. Even in school, I worked every day.”
“Then I’d say you’re overdue. So, let’s get going.” Cole took her hands and pulled her toward the door. “Those Chicago boys won’t wait for us.”
She tugged against his hands. “Wait. My sweater and purse are by the front door.”
He kept pulling her to the backdoor. “We’ll get ’em from the front. Is my denim jacket with your things?”
“Yes.”
“Come on, then.”
“My shoes.”
She hopped on one foot after they’d stepped off the back porch trying to put them on. Cole swept her up into his arms and carried her around the house.
“Cole!”
“You’d better quiet down, unless you want everyone in the neighborhood coming out onto their porches to see what’s goin’ on over here.”
As if on cue, Miss Estelee called out, “Howdy-do!” from her back porch. She paused in watering the red petunias in her window boxes. “Well, goodness me, Josie Lee. Did you hurt yourself?”
Josie blushed again. “No, ma’am.”
“Oh . . . well, then. Have a nice day.” And with that, she hurried into her house.
Cole could have sworn he heard the old woman giggling.
“Oh, no,” Josie practically whimpered.
“I tried to warn you.”
Cole continued to the sidewalk and set Josie gently on the front porch steps. After he’d retrieved her purse, sweater, and his jacket, he passed her things to her and said, “Want me to lock it?”
She paused in buckling her sandals and pulled her keys out of her purse. “Would you?”
“My pleasure.” After locking up, he walked to where she sat on the steps. Holding out a hand, he said, “Ready?”
Josie put her hand in his and stood. “Ready.”
Somehow, Cole got the feeling that one word held a wealth of meaning that went beyond just going out on a Saturday night. Tonight could be the beginning of what might, if he played his cards right, turn into something special between him and the girl of his dreams.
Chapter Six
“Here we are,” Cole said.
The truck’s wheels crunched against gravel as he parked the truck outside a run-down looking warehouse. The parking area was packed with anything from dilapidated pick-ups to high-end luxury vehicles and everything in between.
“Man, we must be runnin’ late,” Cole said as he opened his door and hopped down from the truck cab.
He met her on the other side just as she was about to step out herself. He grasped her firmly at the waist and gently set her down in front of him.
“Thanks.”
He reached around her and pulled a cooler from behind the seat, then shut the door. Next he lifted two lawn chairs out of the truck bed.
“Can I carry something?” she asked.
“Sure.” He handed her the small cooler and took her hand. “Let’s go.”
“What’s all this for?” she asked indicating the cooler and lawn chairs as they crossed the parking lot.
“You’ll see.”
Several men had gathered outside the building to smoke. They greeted Cole as if he were a regular.
“How’s it goin’, fellas?” Cole asked good-naturedly.
“Cain’t complain. Cain’t complain. Ma’am.” A man in bibbed overalls and a T-shirt tipped his John Deere hat to her.
“Hello,” Josie said.
“This is
“Is that what this is? A relationship?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“I’m not sure.” She played with a button on his shirt. “The timing is all wrong.”
“Why? The computer problem is worked out.”
“Yes, but there’s so much work to be done. Dealing with the problems in the program put me behind on so many other things that need to be in place in order for the program to be fully operational. I’m not even sure it will function on those old computers at the library. We need faster processors, bigger hard drives, more memory.”
“One day off won’t ruin you, Josie. It’s Saturday after all. Everybody needs a break.”
“I know. You’re right. I’m just not used to taking weekends off. Even in school, I worked every day.”
“Then I’d say you’re overdue. So, let’s get going.” Cole took her hands and pulled her toward the door. “Those Chicago boys won’t wait for us.”
She tugged against his hands. “Wait. My sweater and purse are by the front door.”
He kept pulling her to the backdoor. “We’ll get ’em from the front. Is my denim jacket with your things?”
“Yes.”
“Come on, then.”
“My shoes.”
She hopped on one foot after they’d stepped off the back porch trying to put them on. Cole swept her up into his arms and carried her around the house.
“Cole!”
“You’d better quiet down, unless you want everyone in the neighborhood coming out onto their porches to see what’s goin’ on over here.”
As if on cue, Miss Estelee called out, “Howdy-do!” from her back porch. She paused in watering the red petunias in her window boxes. “Well, goodness me, Josie Lee. Did you hurt yourself?”
Josie blushed again. “No, ma’am.”
“Oh . . . well, then. Have a nice day.” And with that, she hurried into her house.
Cole could have sworn he heard the old woman giggling.
“Oh, no,” Josie practically whimpered.
“I tried to warn you.”
Cole continued to the sidewalk and set Josie gently on the front porch steps. After he’d retrieved her purse, sweater, and his jacket, he passed her things to her and said, “Want me to lock it?”
She paused in buckling her sandals and pulled her keys out of her purse. “Would you?”
“My pleasure.” After locking up, he walked to where she sat on the steps. Holding out a hand, he said, “Ready?”
Josie put her hand in his and stood. “Ready.”
Somehow, Cole got the feeling that one word held a wealth of meaning that went beyond just going out on a Saturday night. Tonight could be the beginning of what might, if he played his cards right, turn into something special between him and the girl of his dreams.
Chapter Six
“Here we are,” Cole said.
The truck’s wheels crunched against gravel as he parked the truck outside a run-down looking warehouse. The parking area was packed with anything from dilapidated pick-ups to high-end luxury vehicles and everything in between.
“Man, we must be runnin’ late,” Cole said as he opened his door and hopped down from the truck cab.
He met her on the other side just as she was about to step out herself. He grasped her firmly at the waist and gently set her down in front of him.
“Thanks.”
He reached around her and pulled a cooler from behind the seat, then shut the door. Next he lifted two lawn chairs out of the truck bed.
“Can I carry something?” she asked.
“Sure.” He handed her the small cooler and took her hand. “Let’s go.”
“What’s all this for?” she asked indicating the cooler and lawn chairs as they crossed the parking lot.
“You’ll see.”
Several men had gathered outside the building to smoke. They greeted Cole as if he were a regular.
“How’s it goin’, fellas?” Cole asked good-naturedly.
“Cain’t complain. Cain’t complain. Ma’am.” A man in bibbed overalls and a T-shirt tipped his John Deere hat to her.
“Hello,” Josie said.
“This is
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