I was sure being back at work, back in the library where I always felt happy and peaceful, would take away some of the ache. But it hadn’t. At least not yet. It was going to take time, it seemed.

Two calls from David, trying to figure out how we could work this out hadn’t helped. I couldn’t even pinpoint what this was anymore. All I knew for certain was that David was not what I was looking for.

I was moving slow, as if bricks had been attached to my feet. I could still feel the effects of the weekend with Beck. I could still hear his voice and feel his touch on my skin. I wondered just how long it would take to forget a man like Beck.

Not in the mood to do the usual exchange of weekend stories, even though I had a hell of a unique one to tell, I slipped quickly into my office with just a few morning nods and hellos. I turned on my computer and was instantly reminded of the mysterious website for the Silk Stocking Inn. I still hadn’t figured out any answers to the flurry of questions I had about the place and the owner and all the unusual coincidences. But if I wanted to push Beck from my mind, I was going to have to let all those questions go.

Lois, the reference desk librarian, shot by the window of my office and knocked seconds later.

“Come in,” I called.

Lois stepped inside, looking flustered, but that was certainly not out of the ordinary for her. She looked back in the general direction of the reference area as if something sinister had followed her to my office.

“What is it, Lois?”

She picked up her necklace, a giant colorful string of beads and baubles, and fiddled nervously with it. “Well, there’s been another incident with David and his favorite table.”

I rolled my eyes. “I sure wish he’d find a different library to work in. I’ve only just diffused the trouble from the last time. What’s happened now?”

She moved closer as if the walls could hear. “This time the person didn’t move. Well, he wasn’t exactly the type of person you ask to do anything. Big, rough guy. Downright rowdy looking.” She pulled her lips to the side in thought. “Striking though. Handsome, if you like the bearded, tattooed type.”

I shot up from my chair. It startled Lois so much, she yanked on her necklace. The beads bounced across my office floor.

I walked to the front of my desk and stooped down to help her retrieve her necklace pieces. “Did he say his name or what he was doing in the reference area?”

“Nope. I’ve never seen him before.” Lois reached under my bookshelf and swept out several beads. “He certainly isn’t the type of person I normally get over in reference. Not exactly the academic type, if you know what I mean.”

“I know exactly what you mean.” I handed Lois the beads I’d collected and pushed to my feet, taking a few seconds to dust off my knees. “When you left, what was David doing?”

“He skulked away with his books to the table near the children’s library. Boy, what a pout that man was wearing. I was about to tell him to just go ahead and sit with the children, with the way he was scowling.”

“I’ll go check on things right now.” I hurried out of the office and practically flew toward the back corner of the library where the reference books were housed. My heart was close to leaping from my chest at the thought of seeing Beck. Maybe the weekend hadn’t been a waste and bad mistake. The truth was, I badly wanted to see him again, to tell him how I felt about him.

I reached the reference area and the table that David always sat at. My heart sank like a stone in thin air.

David looked up over the top of his glasses and smiled. “Emmie,” he said. “I was hoping you’d come back here this morning so we could talk.”

I hardly heard a word he said as I glanced quickly around. There was no one out of the ordinary and certainly no dangerous looking biker. Had I missed him or had Lois been over-exaggerating, a skill she had down to an art.

“The man who was sitting here earlier—” I started.

“I took care of him. Told him to move on.” A derisive laugh shot from his mouth. “It was obvious he wasn’t going to actually do any reading. Probably just hiding from the police or something.”

I shook my head and turned around.

“Emmie, don’t leave.”

“I’ve got work to do, David.” I walked back through the library. As I passed one of the shelves, a book came flying off and landed at my feet. I leaned down to pick it up and glanced at the title. “Illustrative History of American Pool Halls.”

“A guy could get used to those sensible shoes.”

I swung around and looked down the book aisle. He was wearing a tight white t-shirt and his massive motorcycle boots and that smile that made my pulse race.

Beck’s dark brown eyes dropped. “Especially on a hot pair of library lady legs.”

I stepped right in front of him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me around to the back side of the stacks, where no one could see us.

“You left without saying good-bye,” I said, working hard to keep the tremble from my bottom lip.

“Stupidly, I convinced myself that you didn’t want to see me again. Only, then I got home, and I thought—” He reached up and brushed his finger over my lip to stop the trembling that I could no longer control. “And I thought—how the hell am I going to spend the rest of my life without kissing this mouth.” He leaned forward and kissed me. “No way I would ever be happy again without you, Emmie.”

I threw my arms around his neck. “Only your heart can lead you to a happy ending. That’s something a napkin told me once. Turns out it was a very smart piece of linen.” I pressed my lips against his, and he tightened his massive arms around me.