The Mountain Between Us. Cindy Myers

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СКАЧАТЬ the front of her blouse for lint. “Hello, Gerald,” she said, aware that her voice had taken on a musical lilt.

      “You’re looking lovely as usual, Lucille.” He smiled, showing perfect white teeth she suspected were caps, but who cared? Everyone was entitled to his or her little vanities.

      “Who are you?” Bob demanded.

      Gerald’s smile never faltered as he turned to face the old man. “I’m Gerald Pershing. Who are you?”

      “I’m Bob Prescott. I live here.”

      “In this store?”

      Bob looked as if he’d bit down on a walnut shell. He scowled at Lucille. “He a friend of yours?”

      “Mr. Pershing is visiting from Texas,” she said.

      “Him and half the state, feels like.” Bob gave Gerald a last dismissive look, then stomped out.

      “So nice to meet you, Mr. Pershing. I’m Cassandra Wynock, the town librarian.” Cassie extended her hand, palm down, as if she expected Gerald to kiss it. Her cheeks were pink and while she didn’t exactly flutter her eyelashes, the suggestion was there.

      “Nice to meet you, too, Miss Wynock,” Gerald said. He shook the offered hand but didn’t linger over it. Lucille fought back the urge to toss Cassie out onto the sidewalk by her ear. It had been years, but she recognized jealousy tightening her stomach and lending a sour taste to her mouth—a particularly ugly and useless emotion.

      “I stopped by to see if you’d be free for dinner tomorrow evening.”

      Cassie’s frigid silence alerted Lucille that Gerald was speaking to her. Her cheeks heated, and she busied herself straightening the stack of newspapers on the counter, avoiding his gaze. They’d had lunch once already—not a real date, just two acquaintances running into each other at the Last Dollar Café and agreeing to share a table. But the encounter had left Lucille feeling sixteen again. Well, maybe not sixteen. Some of the ideas she had when she thought about Gerald wouldn’t have entered her head at sixteen. Maybe twenty-six, then. Old enough to know what’s what and young enough to get it.

      But who said she was too old to get it—whatever “it” turned out to be? Sex? Companionship? Love? Aware of Cassie staring at her, she smiled at Gerald. “Dinner sounds wonderful.”

      “About those shelves . . .” Like a Rottweiler who’d grabbed hold of Lucille’s shirttail, Cassie refused to let go.

      “I’ll send someone over to the library tomorrow to take a look at the shelves,” Lucille said, glaring at her.

      Cassie ignored the look, offering her schoolgirl smile once more to Gerald. “I was telling the mayor the library is in serious need of new shelving. The ones we have are a danger to the patrons.”

      “That does sound serious.” He looked sympathetic, but his eyes found Lucille’s and he lowered one lid in the suggestion of a wink.

      Lucille coughed. It was either that or burst out laughing, and laughing at Cassie was never a good idea. She had friends in county government who could make Lucille’s life uncomfortable. Right now, thanks to Gerald’s sympathy, Cassie looked triumphant. “You’ve got to find room in the budget to replace those shelves,” she said.

      “Submit your request in writing and the town council will take it under consideration at our next meeting,” Lucille said. “But if the money isn’t there, it isn’t there.”

      Cassie sniffed. “It was so nice to meet you, Mr. Pershing,” she said, transforming immediately when she faced Gerald once more. “Do stop by the library. I’d love to show you around.”

      “If you’re sure I won’t be injured by falling shelves.”

      “I . . . well.” Cassie sniffed again. “Well!” Then she hurried away, glaring at both of them over her shoulder just before she pushed out the door.

      Lucille collapsed against the counter, laughing. “Gerald, you are too wicked,” she said.

      “It is a persistent fault.” He leaned across the counter toward her, intimately close, his mouth mere inches from hers, eyes shining. She felt a thrill, the excitement of being the center of attention to the person she most wanted to be with. “You are amazing,” he said. “Running a business and taking on the responsibility of overseeing the whole town . . . I don’t see how you do it.”

      “It’s not as if this business is particularly demanding. And I don’t run the town—the town council does that. I’m more of an administrator.”

      “Still, it’s a large burden for one person, especially in these perilous financial times.”

      Gerald had a formal, flowery way of talking that some people found off-putting, but Lucille saw it as part of his charm. He behaved like a man from an earlier, more courtly era. “The lack of money does make the job a little more stressful,” she admitted. “We don’t have enough money for essentials, much less extras like Cassie’s library shelves.”

      “Much like many a personal budget, I suspect.”

      “Yes, I know a lot of people are hurting, which is why I hate to cut any services residents depend on.”

      He straightened, his expression more serious. “In my work I see it often.”

      Gerald had told her he was involved in investments some way. “Is your business hurting, too, with the economy?” she asked, then felt stupid for even asking. Of course it was. Whose wasn’t? Even receipts at Lacy’s—the kind of place people shopped when they were strapped for cash—were down.

      “On the contrary. I don’t like to brag, but I’m doing very well for my clients. I was lucky enough to discover a few investments that have actually grown, despite the economic difficulties in other sectors. In fact . . .” He paused, his eyes searching hers. She nodded, encouraging him to continue. “I would never presume to take advantage of your friendship,” he said. “But I would love to help you out of your difficulties. I could show you some areas where the town might think about investing, where you could realize a solid return on your money quite quickly. It might be enough to help you out of your current difficulties.”

      The idea seemed crazy, but definitely tempting. Right now the town had its small surplus in certificates of deposit with the Eureka Bank. “I couldn’t make a decision like that on my own. The town council would have to approve.”

      “Of course. And there’d be no obligation.” He smiled, blue eyes sparkling. God, he was handsome. “I’ll bring some material to dinner with me for you to look over. You can let me know and if you like, I can make a presentation to the council.”

      His interest in her problems touched her. She’d been alone so long—raising her daughter with little help from Olivia’s father, coming to Eureka after Olivia left home, and making a life for herself here. She’d enjoyed living on her own terms, being independent. She scarcely knew how to lean on someone else anymore, but it was a surprisingly good feeling. As if the time was finally right for a little romance in her life.

      CHAPTER TWO

      Maggie didn’t say much on the drive up to the French Mistress Mine СКАЧАТЬ