Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
“And everybody lived happily ever after,” James says, closing the book with a smile. “The end.”
A bunch of tiny hands shoot up.
“Yes?” James says, pointing to Liam, an adorable four-year-old in the front. “Do you have a question?”
“What do you do when you get a call in the middle of pooping?” Liam asks.
All the adults laugh, but Liam is very serious. He would like to know.
“Liam,” Liam’s mom Joanne says as her cheeks get red.
“It’s okay,” James says with a smile. “You wrap it up, wipe it up, and run to the truck.”
Liam nods, looking pleased with the answer.
I just love watching James with the kids. He’s done story hour three times now and it’s always a hit. It’s amazing that such a big intimidating powerful man can be so sweet and gentle with me and with the kids. I love that about him.
It makes me so excited to tell him my little secret.
I just found out this morning that I’m pregnant.
“Why do you have a pug for your fire dog?” Cynthia asks. “Firemen are supposed to have those white dogs with the black spots.”
“Like Marshall,” Liam says, nodding along.
“Marshall?” James says, looking confused.
“From Paw Patrol,” Cynthia explains.
“Ahh,” James says, nodding. He’s going to know all of the cartoon names soon enough…
“Someone left Bubba on our doorstep when he was a puppy,” James explains. I haven’t heard this story so I’m on the edge of my seat like everyone else. “It was winter and cold out, so we brought him right in. He fell asleep in front of the fireplace and he’s never left.”
All the kids start telling him about all the dogs they know, and this can go on forever, so I step forward to end story hour.
“Awww,” the kids whine as James hands me the book and stands up.
“Can you come back next week?” Liam asks him.
“Is Miss Hester going to be here?” he asks, grinning at me.
“Miss Hester is always here,” Cynthia says. She may think I live here.
“Then, I’ll come,” James says and all the kids cheer.
“Before we end story hour,” Lauren says, smiling as she pulls out a gift bag. “We have a little present for you since you’ve been working so hard to restore the library.”
“A present?” I say, already getting choked up.
“For you,” Lauren says as she hands me an envelope. It’s a beautiful card full of handwritten messages from all of the regulars who come to the library. Inside is a free voucher for a day at the spa at the Greene Mountain Lodge. Lauren is the manager there, so I know I’m in for a long relaxing day of pampering. I can’t wait.
“And for the library,” she says, handing me the bag. “I got my rich husband to buy it,” she whispers with a wink.
I gasp when I reach in and pull out a pristine first edition signed copy of Charlotte’s Web. “Where did you get it?” I ask, staring at it in awe.
“We got it from a book collector,” she says, looking thrilled. “There’s only two left in the world and the Greene Mountain Children’s Library has one of them.”
“I don’t know what to say.” Tears fill my eyes as I look at all of the warm smiles around the room. “Thank you so much.”
“I started a fire at the lodge on my first month of work,” Lauren says with a laugh, “so I know how it feels.”
I give her a big hug. I can’t believe it.
It’s a wonderful afternoon. The best I’ve ever had here.
But pretty soon, the books are all checked out and the moms and kids are driving back home. It’s just me and James left with an hour until closing time.
“You should close early,” he says as he steps up beside me and slides his hand on my waist. I get a whiff of his cologne mixed with the smokey scent of his gear. That combination always drives me wild. “We can hide in one of those nooks and have our own story hour, erotica edition.”
I step away from him before he gets me so worked up that I won’t be able to say no. And that doesn’t take much.
“We can’t,” I say, desperately wishing we could. “I have my preteen book club meeting in ten minutes.”
The four kids who I caught smoking felt so bad about the fire that they were the first to join my new book club. I know they only joined out of guilt, but I don’t care. They’re actually enjoying the books I gave them and I got three more sign-ups this week!
“What are we going to do until then?” James asks, looking me up and down with his sizzling eyes. He looks like he’s picturing me naked.
“How about I tell you a story for story hour?” I say.
He leans on the counter and crosses his big arms. “A story about what?”