Bookstore Barbie (Magnolia Ridge 1)

“I promise Kayla is fine.” He tries to reassure me about what he thinks I might be upset about. I know she’s okay. She sent me a text telling me if I don’t see her, don’t send help. She’s done running from the giant man that looks like GI Joe.

“She texted me.”

Shaw tries to ask me something else, but I’m saved by Amelia, who starts asking five million questions looking for gossip about what’s going on with Missy. That blends into her telling me some about Joe and Kayla. It sounds like my best friend has found her match and I’m happy for her. Love is a wonderful thing. I’ve read thousands of stories about people falling in love and now I’ve gone and done it myself. But I don’t want only love; I want everything that comes with it.

Shaw pulls out his wallet and lays a few twenties on the table. He grabs my hand and I get up from the booth. I snag the last fry on my plate and give Amelia the best goodbye I can with a mouth full of food and Shaw trying to get out of there in a hurry.

“Are you okay?” Now it’s my turn to ask what’s wrong.

“I will be,” he clips back. I’m not sure his answer was much better than mine.

“Are we fighting?”

We shouldn’t be. We should be happy. No one is trying to ruin my store and there’s no creepy man lurking about. For a small town there’s a lot of drama happening, but I suppose we need something to keep us entertained. Magnolia Springs is so much more than anyone would think from first glance. It’s another reason not to judge a book by its cover.

Shaw puts his key into the front door of the shop and we go inside. When the door locks behind us, I look around the store. Everything is back to how it should be with all the help we had.

“Ahh!” I scream when my feet leave the ground. Shaw tosses me over his shoulder and his hands slips up under my dress. “Shaw! What are you doing?” He walks through the back storage area and takes the steps to my place three at a time.

He puts me on my feet when we enter my place and kicks the door shut. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong now?” My nipples tighten from the look he’s giving me. His mood has shifted to dark and sexy, and to be honest, with the way he’s looking at me I can’t recall what was bothering me.

“I don’t remember.”

His lips twitch. “Need me to help you remember?” In one quick move my dress is up over my head and on the floor. It dawns on me that when we’re here in my place we don’t have to be quiet. Shaw and I can be as loud as we want and no one can hear us.

“This isn’t helping me remember anything,” I say as he goes for my bra next.

“You shut down on me when I asked about staying at your place tonight.” A flash of those feelings come back and he holds my chin. “There you go again, getting that look on your face.”

“I don’t want to sleep apart,” I blurt out. Might as well get it out there in the open because Shaw won’t rest until he knows.

“Who said anything about sleeping apart?” He lifts me off my feet and carries me to my bed. If we share it, I’ll have to practically sleep on top of him.

“There’s no reason for me to stay with you now,” I huff as he lays me on the bed and gets on top of me.

“I can think of thousands of reasons I want you to stay with me.”

“Really?” There have been a lot of words said in the heat of the moment, but I don’t know how much of those are transferred over to reality.

“I told you I was going to put a baby in you.”

Okay, so that wasn’t the heat of the moment.

His hand comes up and he brushes his fingers across my lips. “If something is bothering you, I don’t want you to hide it from me. Say it so I can fix it.”

“Okay,” I agree, because he’s right. Shaw is the type of man that would fix anything. “So we sleep together every night?”

“Here or my place until we find something that works for both of us.”

“So you’re staying in Magnolia Springs?” I know he’s here to help his mom, but I wasn’t sure if he had plans to make it permanent. He has a home back in the city with a whole life and a job.

“You’re here, I’m here. Easy as that.”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Because it is. I love you, Barbara. We’ll get married and find a house that we can fill with children.”