Page 61 of Falling for Keeps

“Hey,” Seth says, sliding onto the bench opposite me. His dark brown eyes rake over me, and I feel a little twinge of something I can’t name. It’s not unease. I don’t feel unsafe at all. But it doesn’t feel…right.

“Busy afternoon?” I ask.

“No.” He blows out a breath. “Super slow, actually. Carson Price’s mom came in and donated a bunch of money to his Kiss the Pig jug, so that was great.”

“She does know that more money means he’d be kissing the pig, right?”

“Yeah, she wants him to win.”

I laugh, opening my menu. “Poor Carson.”

“How are those plans coming along for Witches’ Night Out?”

“Good.” I read through the entrees and settle on the same cheeseburger I always get, then close my menu. This is feeling more like a work meeting than a date, but maybe that’s to be expected when dating your coworker. “I have a few donated prizes for the costume contest. I still need to inventory last year’s decorations and see what can be reused and what needs to be replaced.”

“Are the flyers finished?”

“They’re already on the board, but I don’t think Maggie has posted them to the socials yet. Demi gets back at the end of next week, so she’ll probably jump in with both feet on the event when she’s home. It’s one of her favorite nights of the year.”

Seth nods, looking at his menu. “She’s good at getting donations for the silent auction.”

My phone buzzes on the table, so I slide away the notification and slip it in my purse.

“Popular lady,” he says, eyeing me curiously. If he’s waiting for me to reveal who I’m talking to, he’s going to be waiting forever. We’re not at that level yet.

When his stare doesn’t relent, I give in. Kind of. “Probably my family chat. We have plans this weekend.”

“Anything fun?”

“Dinner.” I shrug, unsure why I’m not spitting out the truth: we’re honoring my mom’s memory with chicken pot pie. It’s not weird or a secret that she’s gone. But what was really easy to share with Carson isn’t easy to say to Seth. He tends to brush me off, and this isn’t something I can risk being brushed off about.

“I got my hands on that new Hunger Games spin-off the publisher offered us,” he says. “You can read it when I’m finished if you want.”

“Sure.” The server approaches, and we place our orders before she leaves us in silence again. “Who did you have to fight for it? Burlington usually gets those advanced copies.”

Seth gives a noncommittal noise that garners my attention.

My phone vibrates in my purse, and it takes all my self-control not to sneak a peek.

The silence continues as I wait for him to respond, but apparently, he thinks his grunt was enough. Is he trying to keep something from me? Maybe he doesn’t want to reveal his secret for getting his hands on a book everyone wants…but this feels like more than that. The slightest pull in my stomach leaves me uncertain. How much do I know about this guy? When it comes to physical attraction, Seth is perfectly handsome. His dark eyes are deep and his chocolate-colored hair is rich and wavy. He’s a little particular about control at work and liking things done a certain way, but who doesn’t have an opinion about the best way to run a library?

I mean, as far as librarians are concerned.

The door opens and Carson walks inside, tightening my stomach on impact. How does he have a right to look that good in a set of scrubs? They fit his shoulders snugly, emphasizing the way they sweep from broad shoulders to a thin waist. His gaze scans the diners before landing on me.

What is he doing here? He knows I have a date. Did I tell him where I’d be? Or did he make an educated guess? It’s not hard to assume in a town this small, I guess. Fifty-fifty chance between the Grill and Beet & Barrel Cafe.

Or maybe it’s a total coincidence and my head is getting too big.

He winks subtly before making his way to the bar. Really? Did that seriously just happen? Do people under the age of fifty even wink? Seth starts to tell me about a movie he’s been wanting to see with sheep and their shepherd being murdered. I can’t take it anymore, so I nod along while I pull out my phone to peek at my messages.

Carson

It was a little slow…okay, a lot slow. No one in this town trusts me with their teeth.

Maybe they all think I’m only good for throwing a football?

I don’t actually think that, Emma.