Page 73 of Double Booked

“There’s the bookstore,” Cole said, pointing up ahead. In his opinion, it was the best bookstore around, boasting three floors of books to browse.

“Oh, I want to go in!” Eden said excitedly.

They paused in front of the bookstore, and Cole turned to his brother. “We’re going in here.”

Hope peered across the street. “Ooh, a coffee shop!”

Ty smiled. “I could go for a coffee.”

“We’ll meet you over there when we’re done,” Cole said.

Ty nodded, and he and Hope split off.

“They’re getting along well,” Eden commented as they entered the bookstore.

Selfishly, Cole was glad, because with Hope there, he didn’t feel the need to entertain his brother. Instead, he focused on Eden, which had been his intention all along.

Eden glanced around the bookstore in awe. “This place is huge!”

“I thought you’d like it.”

“You didn’t come in here just for me, did you?”

He shook his head. “I wanted to check out the photography section.” He was in no hurry though, content to follow her around the store, stopping whenever she saw something that interested her.

After a while, he said, “Maybe I should get a basket.”

“That would be great,” she said, balancing a handful of books.

He left her in the mystery section while he went off to find a basket. When he returned, she’d added a few more books to her stack.

“Do we need two baskets?” he teased.

“No. I’ll pare it down before we check out.”

He smiled, glad she was enjoying herself so much. Eventually, they came upon the hobbies section. She went in search of books on writing while he perused the photography books. After browsing for a while, he selected two books and added them to the basket. Then he went to find Eden.

He found her a couple of rows over, but she wasn’t alone. She was talking to some guy, who was leaning against the shelves and gazing at her with interest. Cole’s hackles went up as he moved toward them.

The stranger looked at him as he sidled up next to Eden. “There you are, sweetheart,” Cole said, and slipped his arm around her waist.

She gave him a funny look. “Hey.”

“Good luck with your writing,” the guy said. Then he turned and walked away.

Eden scowled at Cole. “What was that about?”

“What do you mean?”

“You acted all possessive when you saw me talking to him.”

He didn’t deny it. After dealing with Patrick, he was probably being oversensitive.

“He’s a writer, and we were just talking.”

“I believe you. Sorry for acting stupid.”

Her lips curved up at the edges. “You’re not stupid.”