Page 48 of The Library of Borrowed Hearts

Jasper grunted. “I know who you are.”

“Good. Then you won’t think this next part is odd.”

He already felt that this whole situation was odd, but there was little he could do about it. He slowed his steps to match that of the other man.

“You’re a big reader, right? Spend a lot of time checking out books at the library?”

Jasper’s step faltered. “Who told you that?”

“No one. I just always see you hanging around this part of town, and you always seem to be eyebrows deep in some new book or other. What’s the one you were reading the other day? It had a green cover.” He snapped his fingers as though the answer was incoming. Jasper could have easily enlightened him—it had been Daphne du Maurier’sRebecca, and he’d enjoyed every minute of it—but he wasn’t about to encourage conversation. Especially not about his deep, highly abashed love of anything containing a hint of romance.

That was the one thing he never told anyone—not even Catherine. She could poke and prod all she wanted, but he was determined to be a fortress. She’d never let him live it down otherwise.

“Anyway,” William said. “You read a lot.”

“Yes,” Jasper agreed when it appeared some answer was required.

“Would you…? Could you…?” William paused, his steps pausing with him. Jasper had no choice but to do the same. “The thing is, I’m trying to get in good with one of the librarians. Catherine Martin. She’s the daughter of my commanding officer, and the only thing she seems to like is books.”

Jasper had to fight every urge to stalk away from this conversation. He could have easily enlightened this young man about Catherine’s interests. She liked books, yes, but she also liked movies—the gorier and bloodier, the better. She ate a single apple for lunch every day when what she really wanted was a cheeseburger with extra pickles and a dark chocolate milkshake on the side. She loved her mother more than any other person in the world, and even though she was outwardly obedient to her father, her heart yearned to cast off every rule and reprimand in his playbook.

But most important, she longed for a bigger, brighter life than this town had to offer. And since she wasn’t likely to get it, she was taking solace in an affair with a man who had no right to touch any part of her.

“Have you tried reading a few?” Jasper suggested.

To his surprise, the young officer laughed. He flashed a set of white teeth that seemed unnatural in the full light of day. “Of course I have. I’ve read more in the past two months than the rest of my life combined. It doesn’t seem to do any good. She thinks I’m boring.”

Jasper found himself nodding. That sounded exactly like Catherine. She didn’t want the ordinary things in life; she wanted drama and terror, excitement and joy. Everything about her burned bright. It was as if the day she’d moved to their town, the sun had come out from behind a cloud and was threatening to blind them all.

“I was just wondering…” William kicked at the ground. “I dunno. If maybe you’d ever overheard her talking about her favorite books, or have ideas about what I should read to get her attention. I took her outto the drive-in a few weeks ago, but I don’t think she had a good time.”

Jasper started walking again, mostly so he could avoid punching this guy in the face. Catherine had gone out with him in public? No sneaking around, no hiding behind the pages of a book? And he’dwastedit?

“Wait—don’t walk away.” William jogged to keep up, his long, sloping strides easily catching up to Jasper’s. Jasper was in good physical shape—when you worked ten-hour shifts felling trees, you had to be—but he’d never been able to make his movements seem even remotely natural. “Just one book title. That’s all I want. I’ve seen you watching her. I know you could help me if you wanted to.”

“Watching her?” Jasper echoed, his mouth dry.

“Like a dog staring at a bone. Don’t worry. You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” A smirk touched the edges of the young officer’s mouth. “You should be careful how obvious you are, though.”

Jasper’s skills at reading people had never been particularly strong, but even he knew when a man was trying to threaten him.

“She likes scary books,” he said, more for Catherine’s benefit than his own.Notbecause he thought this bag of wind and hair pomade deserved a chance at her, but because he had the feeling William could make life very uncomfortable for Catherine if he wanted to. “TryThe Woman in Whiteor ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’. Or anything by Poe.”

William wrinkled his nose. It made him look like a petulant baby. “Seriously? You’re not just pulling my leg?”

Jasper just managed to refrain from throwing up his hands. He had neither the time nor the energy to continue this conversation. “You asked for my opinion,” he said gruffly. “I gave it. What more do you want?”

He started to walk away then, but the young lieutenant’s voice stopped him before he made it more than a few strides.

“She won’t look twice at a man like you, you know,” William said, and without raising his voice. He didn’t have to. He knew damn well that Jasper was listening to every word. “Do you have any idea who herfamily is? How well-connected they are?”

He didn’t—not in the way that William was implying—but that didn’t matter. Jasper understood all too well the point he was trying to drive home. Not that Catherine was military royalty who could have any man she wanted, and not that she came from the kind of money that meant she’d never have to worry about the source of her next meal, but that Jasper wasn’t worth the snap of her fingers.

As if he didn’t already know that. As if he didn’t feel it down to his very bones.

“If she won’t look twice at me, then you have nothing to worry about,” Jasper said, his own voice matching the other man’s for pitch and keel. He wouldn’t give anything of himself away—not for free, anyway. A man in his position couldn’t afford it. “Read the books. Don’t read the books. I don’t care what you do, just so long as you leave me the hell out of it.”

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