Meant to Be Yours by Susan Mallery

Author:Susan Mallery
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2019-08-07T19:37:42+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

RENEE AND JASPER left Pallas to call Odele and work out the details of the giant dog wedding.

When they reached her office, Jasper stepped in front of her to keep her from going inside.

“You need a break,” he told her. “Let’s go walk around for a half hour or so to clear your head.”

She thought of all she had to do and all that had happened in the past hour. “I’d like that. I’m kind of reeling from too much input.”

She collected her handbag, then led the way outside. She expected him to turn toward the Riverwalk but he went in the opposite direction. As she didn’t have a particular destination in mind, she went along without saying anything.

“How are things with you?” she asked.

“Good. The book is progressing. Today was all about murder and gross bodies.”

She laughed. “So an easy day.”

“Yeah. None of that hard emotional stuff or dealing with Mandy’s life. Give me a good dismemberment scene and I’m a happy guy.”

“You’re a weird guy.”

“Maybe, but I’m okay with that.”

He surprised her by taking her hand in his. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d walked down a street, holding a guy’s hand. Probably when she was with Turner, she thought wistfully. So many years ago. She didn’t miss him at all, but sometimes the what-ifs of the situation were difficult to handle.

“Pallas wants to talk about me becoming a partner in the business,” she said.

“That’s great. Do you want to be a partner?”

“Very much. I like the business and I have some ideas about how we could grow things. It’s a lot of responsibility and I’d have to buy in with a lump sum or over time. I have some savings, but I doubt it’s close to enough, so I guess it will be over time.”

“I have money.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you have more than all of us, but that isn’t relevant to the conversation.”

“I could—”

“No.”

“But I don’t need it for—”

She glared at him. “No. Jasper, stop. There’s no way you can just give me money to buy into Pallas’s business without making things weird between us. Not only would it change things, it would completely freak me out. So just no.”

He studied her for several seconds. “Fine. I will respect your wishes on this topic.”

“Thank you.”

“Even though you’re wrong.”

She made a low noise in her throat. “Boys are stupid.”

“Liar. You can’t get enough of me. Now no more talk of business.” He pointed across the street. “See that building there? We’re going inside. It’s a magical place, so there will be no fighting.”

Across the street was a very unassuming structure. It was plain with big windows and large glass doors. The sign out front read Happily Inc Public Library.

“I don’t understand. It’s just the library.”

“Not just the library,” he told her. “When I was a kid, my dad worked a lot of hours. Our house got lonely so I would spend afternoons in the library, reading everything I could. The librarians watched out for me, made recommendations.

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