Page 6 of Tiffanie

“Oh, I’ll take that,” Tiffanie said from behind them. “You’re already done?”

Phineas smiled at the beautiful woman in front of him. Phineas wouldn’t hand over the heavy collection in his arms. “No way. I’ve got this for you.”

While Ivan was strong and powerfully built, his sister was waif-like—a slender blonde whose paleness concerned him. That didn’t detract from her appeal but made him suspect something was going on. He’d only experienced her smile a few times, but already he’d walk through fire to see it again.

“I wonder if I could steal Phineas away from his cushy desk job. He makes a great day laborer,” Ivan joked. “Let me set these down in the garden and I’ll return in a jiffy to carry that inside for Tiffanie.

“Hey, I saw him pushing a cart and reshelving books.” Tiffanie came to his defense.

He loved how she stood up for him. Perhaps their attraction was mutual. “I’ll take care of this, Ivan. Then I better take off,” Phineas called after him.

“Thanks again! I owe you,” Ivan responded over his shoulder.

“My…” Phineas stopped talking. Ivan had already disappeared. He turned to Tiffanie and lifted the samples. “Where do you need these?”

“I can lug the container inside,” she said, reaching for the handle.

“No way. They’d revoke my card if I let you carry this.”

“Your library card?” she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

“No, my strong guy card. Rules exist,” he said with a smile. Phineas noted her color had faded a bit. She appeared tired. “I’m sorry I kept you up last night.”

“I shouldn’t ever start a book before bed. This is not the first time I decided to read late into the evening.”

“Which novel did you read?”

“The one from your cart that looks like the whole town has read it,” Tiffanie said.

“That book is definitely popular. Several women check that story out repeatedly. Have you finished it?”

“Ready to steal it back for the shelves?” Tiffanie asked. Her jaw tightened as if she was worried.

“No, of course not. You’ll have the full month.”

Her shoulders lowered into place, and she answered his earlier question, “I’m about at the middle. I can’t wait to read the rest.”

“You liked my recommendation?” he asked, watching her face. The faint flush of pink on her cheeks told him a lot. She had. Was she a Little?

“It’s very good. I’ll have to check if the library has any more of this author’s books.”

“She’s written a lot. I’ll make a note that you would enjoy having more titles available. Do you ever read on a device? You can check out lots of books through the digital library as well.”

A shadow passed over her face as her lips pressed together. Quickly, Phineas added, “A lot of library patrons have reported that they find the system confusing when they start using it.”

Again, relief showed on her face. “I’m not the only one?”

“Definitely not. I had some big training sessions when we first offered the e-books. Now, most of the early adopters are experts. I’d be glad to help you set up your phone or tablet to access them easily. Why don’t you call when you’re finished with the books you have now?”

“I’ll do that. Thanks.”

Phineas loved her smile. He’d spotted her beautiful face at the engagement party and had instantly decided he needed to meet this enchanting woman. To his delight, she had an equally lovely personality to go with her attractive exterior.

“Of course. Let me carry this inside for you,” Phineas said, sweeping a hand toward the front entrance to indicate he would follow her. He even attempted to prevent his gaze from focusing on her rounded derriere as they walked up the steps. He utterly failed to keep that intention.

Phineas heard Essie’s voice as Tiffanie opened the front door. To his delight, Tiffanie grinned and pressed her finger to her lips. “Shhh, Essie’s speaking to her aunt and uncle.”

Aren’t they dead? Maybe those were her relatives on another side? Phineas glanced up at the huge portrait hanging in the foyer. Did the dapperly dressed man’s eye twinkle?