Falling for Trouble by Sarah Title (6)

A few days had passed since Liam had driven Peggy home from the hospital, and though all the reports that came across the circ desk had been favorable, he wanted to see for himself. And to visit with Peggy, whose company he enjoyed.

And, fine, to see a little more of Joanna.

The neighborly reports indicated that she was still there and still not being very welcoming despite all the nice things people were doing for Peggy.

He reached for the doorbell, but stopped when he got a good look at the series of notes stuck to the door.

He started to leave his offering on top of a pile of covered casserole dishes. He noticed all of them were labeled in masking tape, laying out cooking instructions and identifying to whom the dish should be returned. He wondered if he should look for a pen to label his contribution, but he wasn’t sure if he really wanted to take the credit for a bag of fast food. But he knew the ladies of Halikarnassus, and he knew Peggy and Joanna would be up to their eyeballs in homemade goodness. He also knew Peggy had a penchant for chocolate milk shakes and French fries. Still, his bag looked a little shabby next to the Pyrex and Tupperware.

He was about to leave, even though he knew if the fries were cold they’d be worthless—which was why he ultimately decided not to put his name on the bag—when the door opened. Joanna looked resignedly at the pile of food, but she picked up the fast-food bag first.

“Sorry,” he said. “That’s my pathetic contribution.”

She looked inside the bag. “Bless you. Real food.”

“I’m pretty sure everyone else would disagree with you.”

“Normally I would disagree with me, but right now I’m tired of real, real food. Oh, God, fries.” She took one out of the bag and put it in her mouth. She closed her eyes. She leaned against the doorjamb.

He’d never look at a fry the same way again.

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes still closed. “And thank you for not knocking.”

“I read the note. Notes.”

“You’re the only one. I’ve basically been stalking the front door. Unfortunately, so has the dog.”

“She’s not barking now.”

Joanna looked away briefly. “I may have given her a Benadryl.”

“You drugged the dog?”

“It’s safe! I looked it up online first. Besides, she kept waking up Granny and then Gran would want to know who was at the door and then she’d want to visit with them, and she’s supposed to be resting.”

“I don’t think Peggy knows how to rest.”

“I know, and so did the doctor. That’s why he gave her painkillers. But she’s trying to stay awake for company, so she won’t take them, even though she’s in pain.”

“But she’s resting now?”

Joanna looked away again. “I may have slipped them into a milk shake.”

“Wow. You drugged the dog and your grandmother. You really are bad news.”

“Five out of five Halikarnassians can’t be wrong.”

“Well, I guess since she’s already had a milk shake, I’ll just take this one . . .”

“Nice try. I earned this.” She took a sip from the straw. He’d never look at straws the same way again.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, you’ve been busy with the drugging.”

“Hey, I’ve had to rearrange the fridge six times today. I forgot how much people in this town like to feed.”

“Got a problem? Put a casserole on it.”

“To think, there was a time in my life when I missed casseroles.”

“Ha. Halikarnassus will never give you that chance. If you stick around.”

“Ugh, no. The house is too quiet.”

“Says the woman who drugged her grandmother.”

“I know.”

“And her grandmother’s dog.”

“I know! Shut up and help me carry this food inside, will you?”

* * *

Joanna went back to make sure Peggy was still comfortable and to make sure Starr was still breathing. The dog let out a silent bark when Joanna leaned in. Clearly, Joanna had made the right decision, medicating the dog like that. So she shouldn’t feel guilty, and she shouldn’t feel a teensy bit better after confessing her sin to Liam. What was it about him? He struck her as someone who could take just about anything in stride. There was something sort of . . . absorbent about him.

And there went any fears that she would find herself romantically attracted to the librarian. He might be good-looking and compassionate, but she really didn’t see herself getting it up for a guy she thought of as “absorbent.”

When she got back to the kitchen, Liam was standing in front of the open fridge, assessing.

“I told you,” she said to his back. “No room.”

He opened the freezer, which was equally stuffed.

“See?” she said. She liked being right. For once.

“I am determined,” he told the fridge. He took a deep breath and dove in.

Joanna shook her head, but she was secretly glad she wasn’t the most stubborn person in the room. It was a nice change for her. Instead, she just sat on a bar stool, grabbed the fast-food bag, and watched Liam work.

He took everything out. Everything. She should be insulted—after all, she’d told him that she’d already tried to fit stuff in—but she was fascinated.

“There,” he said, once everything was back and the doors closed with only a minor push from the outside.

“Not quite,” she said, and inched a casserole across the island toward him.

He looked at it, and at her, then back at it. “That’s going to be dinner,” he said with confidence.

“Not hungry,” she said, tilting her head toward the empty fast-food bag.

“That’s not my fault, young lady.”

“Good God. You really are an old woman in a young man’s body.”

He flexed at her. “Better believe this is a young man’s body.”

She rolled her eyes, even though, quite frankly, she appreciated this young man’s body. “Thanks for your help.”

“No problem. Let’s just hope there’s not more outside.”

“Ugh. Surely everyone who knows Gran has already dropped food off.”

“I think you underestimate your grandmother’s popularity.”

“I don’t. Believe me, I don’t. I just . . . Didn’t anyone think I would be able to feed her? And us?”

“I don’t think it’s that. I think people just want to be nice. And they feel bad, so it probably helps them to be able to do something.”

“So they’re drowning us in casseroles to make themselves feel better?”

“That is a completely messed-up and cynical way to look at it, but then so is the idea that people are only being nice to you because they think you’re incompetent.”

“I’m complicated, man.” She balled up her burger wrapper and tossed it at him. She missed.