Sugar Pine Trail

“Anyway, here’s your cat.”

He tried to hand the little beast to Julia, but once more she clung to him and yowled her protest. “Sorry. Apparently she likes me.”

“Of course she does,” Julia muttered darkly. “She likes you and she hates me. They all hate me.”

He heard a little thread of despondency in her voice that troubled him.

“Who all hates you?” He had to ask.

“The cats. My mother’s cats. Audrey hates me the least, I guess. Empress and Tabitha despise me.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” he answered, with no other idea of what to say in this circumstance.

“It is true. All they do is turn up their noses like they’re too good to even notice me. It’s not fair. I feed them, I house them, I clean up their... Well, you know. You would think they might show a little gratitude.”

“Cats aren’t exactly known to be overflowing in appreciation for others.”

“I know, right? They act like I should be the grateful one that they’re letting me clean up after them. Seriously. It’s so unfair.”

She glared at him, as if the temperament of the entire feline species was his fault. “Look at her. I should have known Audrey would love you. Everything female does.”

What was he supposed to make of that particular statement? Was he supposed to apologize? He also wasn’t quite sure what he should do about his tipsy landlady. He didn’t feel right about leaving her alone in this condition.

On the other hand, he barely knew the woman. For all he knew, maybe she went on a bender every Monday night.

He didn’t think so, though. Julia Winston struck him as someone who rarely let herself unwind.

While he was trying to figure out his best response, she apparently decided she was done talking with him.

“Come on, Audrey. Let’s go.”

She stepped closer, and he caught the scent of apples and pears and cinnamon, with a heady undertone of white wine. As she reached out again to take the cat from him, her hands brushed his chest. Was it his imagination or did they linger there a little longer than strictly necessary as she tried to scoop up the reluctant animal?

That tentative touch combined with the awareness he had seen in her gaze earlier sent heat curling through him.

Seriously? He was starting to be turned on by his half-drunk, stuffy librarian?

Only because it had been way too long since he’d had a woman’s soft, warm hands anywhere on his body, he told himself.

She didn’t look much like a stuffy librarian now, with that soft hair slipping free and her cheeks pink and her little tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip.

Somehow seeing this unexpectedly unbuttoned side of her was more sensual than if she’d shown up at his door wearing sexy lingerie.

The cat still didn’t seem inclined to leave his arms, but between his efforts and Julia’s, they managed to extricate her. Julia set the cat down, and after a moment, the animal sauntered inside, probably to share her evening adventure with the other two cats.

Julia frowned after her.

“Sorry if she bothered you.”

“She didn’t. I like cats.”

“Of course you do,” she said, that grumpy tone in her voice again. She gave a heavy sigh. “Why do you have to be so gorgeous? It’s not fair.”

The inappropriate attraction he heroically had been trying to suppress slithered back as if someone had set a match to a detonating wire.

“It’s not?” he said stupidly.

She shook her head so vigorously that more hair came loose from her messy bun. “No. Can’t you do something about that? I mean, I wouldn’t want you to have a disfiguring accident or something. That would be horrible. A scar, maybe. Something that would make you not quite so...perfect.”

He wasn’t perfect. Far from it.

“Maybe I could develop adult-onset acne,” he suggested.

The scowl disappeared as her eyes widened with approval. “Yes! That would be great.”

He laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“See? You’re so nice. That’s why all the girls like you so much. The girl people and the girl cats.”

He laughed again, more intrigued than he had been by a woman in a long, long time. Maybe living upstairs from the town librarian wouldn’t be such a hardship, after all.

“Thanks for that. Are you going to be okay? I’m not sure I feel right about leaving you alone in your...condition.”

“What’s my condition?” She narrowed her gaze at him like a confused baby owl.

“Sleepy. The best thing for you right now, trust me, is to get some rest.”

As if his words had planted the seed, she yawned suddenly. “I am tired. I guess you’re right.”

“Good night, Ms. Winston.”

“You can call me Julia. If you want to.”

As she stood with her hand on the door and her hair falling loose, she looked vulnerable and alone and a little lost.

He had the odd thought that the two of them just might be kindred spirits.

The moment the idea entered his brain he pushed it violently away. Kindred spirits? He and an uptight, prickly librarian?

How stupid was that?

“You got it, Julia. And I’m Jamie.”

“I know,” she whispered.

He had to get out of here before he did something stupid.

“Good night.”