Page 20 of Silver Player

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The three-day waiting period might end up being the longest three days of my life. I’m still on edge about Roxanne putting in for a permit for the same weekend as our Oktoberfest, and I’m ready to explode.

“What is the meaning of this?” I snap, holding up a printed email from the permit office telling me there’s another permit request for the same street for the same weekend. My wrist flicks in the direction of Roxanne who calmly sits behind her desk in her office.

“I want to have a book sale. I’m calling it Booktober. Cute, right?”

“Cute?” Is she kidding me? “That’s the same weekend as our Oktoberfest. We need the street.”

“So? I need the sidewalk.” She stares up at me, blinking from behind a set of reading glasses which make her look teacher-y, and I suddenly want to take a ruler and spank her perfect backside.

“You can’t have the sidewalk. We need the street,” I repeat.

She continues to look up at me, and my arms wave for visual emphasis. “Big tent. Lots of tables. Beer. Entertainment.” I pause as my arms flail out to my sides. “Loud music,” I growl, warning her. Don’t you dare report me again for a noise violation.

Roxanne stands and rounds her desk, which is piled with books and stacks of papers. She stalks toward me like a predator, and strangely, I feel preyed upon. I’m frozen as those silvery eyes narrow on mine, and she stops toe-to-toe with me.

“Did you hear something?”

I’m so worked up over the permits I don’t catch her meaning.

“I heard you’re trying to sabotage my party,” I bark. Roxanne’s eyes flick back and forth between mine, and then her damn hand reaches for the scruff on my jaw. Why is she touching me again? And why do I like it when she does this?

“Did you hear about Sadie?”

Anger washes out of me, and my shoulders sag, but my heart rate skyrockets, misinterpreting again. “Did something happen to her? Is she okay?” Concern laces my questions.

The change in my tone startles Roxie, who removes her hand, holding it away from my cheek as if she might slap me. Instead, she examines her palm, almost contemplating why she touched me. Quickly, she lowers her hand to her side.

“Sadie is fine. I meant the results.”

“Oh.” I let out another breath, calming at the explanation. “No, nothing yet.”

Roxie weakly smiles, her eyes expressing almost…understanding. As if she understands I’m on edge and possibly overreacting about the permit because everything is setting me off while we wait out the paternity results. That look in her eyes does something to me, and I can’t help myself. I reach for her cheeks, paper still in my grasp, and draw her closer to me until we are almost nose to nose.

This is the second time I’ve been this close to her, and she smells divine. Like fresh rain and springtime and a naked roll in a meadow.

Dammit, don’t think of such things.

“Why are you so damn infuriating?” I hiss, my voice without my previous irritation as my eyes drop to her mouth where her lips have parted. A slight wisp of her breath crosses my own. It’s as if she’s kissed me by air, and I suck in the invisible heat. She rolls her lips together and then the tip of her tongue peeks out to lick the seam.

“Roxie,” I groan, straining in more ways than one as her lips beg me to kiss her, and my dick leaps to life.

“William,” she exhales, breathy and sultry. I’m a hair’s breadth away from doing something that will change everything.

“Roxanne, honey. I don’t mean to interrupt…” Grace’s voice restores my senses, and I release Roxie’s face. Taking a giant step back, I exaggerate the distance between us, making us look guilty of something that didn’t happen.

“But you did,” I think I hear Roxie say under her breath as she turns to give Grace a full-wattage smile. “What did you need?”

“The supplier is on line one.”

“Thank you,” she states before turning back to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see the broad smile of Grace before she steps back for the main store.

“More books for your Booktober thingy?” I snark, recalling my earlier agitation.

“Just more books to read. I even upped my stock on parenting books, especially fatherhood.”

My back straightens. Does she think I’d make a poor father? Admittedly, the past forty-eight hours have been stressful while we wait, and I don’t know how to proceed with Sadie. Do I call her? Do I encourage more communication? Do I come to see her? It’s not like I haven’t thought of these things, like a father might think, but I don’t know what to do. And I won’t admit that to Roxanne, not after she blasted me the last time I asked for help.