Reach Me by J. L. Mac, Erin Roth Read Free Book Online Page A

that. I just—this is embarrassing, but…” I trail off, my voice dropping as I go. I look down at my feet, wondering how to explain to this gorgeous mystery of a man that I can’t go anywhere fancy or anything because I don’t have anything appropriate to wear.
    Russ lifts his hand and brushes his palm against my cheek so tenderly that I fear I imagined it. “Do you know how many times I wished I could be standing in front of you when you’re feeling this way?”
    “What? Why?”
    “So that I could help you look up when you’re looking down. I don’t want you worrying about anything, Linds.”
    “Habit,” I explain weakly.
    Russ nods subtly in understanding as his hand falls away. I find myself missing the warmth of his touch almost instantly.
    “Dinner at six,” he reminds me.
    “I’ll be waiting,” I confirm, and the irony of the statement is isn’t lost on me. I’ve waited so long to meet Russ. I think I would have waited forever if I had to.
    I watch as Russ slips out my door and closes it behind him. Something oddly reminiscent of hope seems to bubble up somewhere just beneath the surface. It makes me think that maybe there’s something to the whole Jekyll and Hyde bit. There must be a reason why the man I’ve known all this time, the man who just left my home, seems so very different from the man I encountered yesterday in his office. Maybe Russ, my Russ, is a completely different person than Logan R. Barnett of McCullough Developing.
    I take a deep breath and do my best to shut down any hope or other naïve notions that have done nothing but land me right in the middle of disaster. I’ll go to dinner. I’ll listen to his proposition. I’ll probably accept. I can’t kid myself about doing anything else. But most importantly, I will keep a level head and keep my heart safe. Dad was right all those years ago and he’s still right today. Men are trouble.
    I have barely five minutes to myself to think about my chaotic situation before my phone begins to ring. My heart skips a beat thinking that maybe it’s Russ, but it isn’t.
    “Hey, Bri.”
    “Hey, babe.”
    “Bad news,” he begins and I roll my eyes at the irony. My life is composed of bad news. “… and good news.”
    “Oh yeah?”
    “I can’t make lunch today. Boss man has thrown me a curve ball and I’m doing damage control. But, I did mention you to Jo and she said you should come in Monday morning at nine. I don’t know if working at a bookstore is something you’d be interested in, but I think she may be interested in hiring more help. What do you think?”
    “That would be—yeah—I’d take it if she offered a job. Definitely!”
    “Yay!” Brian sings into the phone like a Broadway superstar, winning a laugh from me.
    “Thank you, Brian,” I say softly. A job, any job, would be a godsend right now.
    “Uh-uh! Don’t thank me yet. Jo is a hardass and you may not want the job or she may not want you. We’ll just have to see.”
    “Any advice for getting on her good side?”
    “Yep! Don’t be bubbly and overly nice or anything. Jo hates that kind of stuff. Besides, I’m all the bubbly she can handle.” He giggles into the phone. “Just be yourself, babe. Truly. Jo admires people who have had it rough like her but don’t walk around like life is unfair. She likes hard workers and honesty. She’s tough on the outside but she totally has a huge heart. She just doesn’t know it yet. I’m working on it.”
    I inhale deeply, trying my best to catalogue Brian’s advice but feeling seriously nervous that she’s going to hate me. “Okay, I’ll be there at nine on Monday. Thank you, Bri. Thank you a million times.”
    “No problem, babe. I’m always here.”
    If taking Russ up on his offer wasn’t a sure thing before, it’s sounding more and more appealing by the minute. I’m not scared of him like I’m petrified of Jo. I know he likes me. I trust him… I trust him . He’s something I know I can succeed