Restoration by Kim Loraine Read Free Book Online Page A

looking around.”
    “All right, let me know if you need help. The sections are all labeled according to genre.”
    Grace slowly wandered the aisles, taking her time to investigate anything that looked interesting. After she’d selected a few romance novels and a book about the history of Braley from the reference section, she decided it was time to head over to Ten’s and pick up the items on Valerie’s list.
    Rounding the corner, she made her way to the librarian’s desk.
    “You following me, Miss McConnell?”
    She stopped in her tracks when she heard Drew’s soft voice behind her. She turned, her face heating in a telltale blush. “No. Just getting some books from my local library. Maybe you’re the one following me .”
    He grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He was leaning against a reading table, one eyebrow raised. “Look, I don’t know what happened this morning . . . I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what to say. I think I misunderstood.”
    Her fingers jumped to her collar and she immediately started to fidget with her sweater, suddenly feeling too warm and uncomfortable. On reflex she reached into her pocket and took out her cell phone pretending to check her messages. “Let’s just forget about it. No harm done.”
    His face fell slightly, but he took a deep breath and reached out, taking her phone from her hand. “I, well . . . should you be needing any more grocery deliveries, or, erm, anything else, here’s my mobile number. Phone me anytime.”
    Drew handed her phone back without making eye contact and walked away quickly, hands in his pockets. She watched him leave, completely baffled.
    Momentarily forgetting where she was, the voice of the librarian brought her attention back to her surroundings. “Are you going to check out those books or not, miss?” The librarian, a pretty woman in her early twenties, peered around the stack of returns she’d been checking in.
    A little young to be a librarian.
    Grace caught sight of the nametag dangling in the woman’s cleavage. Billie Tyler, Assistant Librarian . She looked down at the books in her hand. “Oh, yeah, I’m sorry. I need to sign up for a library card, I suppose.”
    “You’re one of those Americans working on fixing up our town, then?” Billie asked while she issued the library card. “I’ve heard all about you. Coming in here and giving poor Drew a hard time. He’s been through enough with his mum being so sick. You leave off him.”
    Grace was taken aback at the harshness of her words. “Excuse me? I haven’t done anything to him. I hardly know him.”
    “Yeah, well, see that it stays that way. I’ve been working on him for months now and no bleedin’ American is gonna get in the way.” Billie narrowed her eyes as she handed her books over the counter.
    Grace was confused by the hostile tone coming from a woman she’d just met. Everyone in Braley had been so kind and welcoming.
    “Thanks for the advice, Billie . I’ll take it under consideration.” As Grace turned to leave, she saw an older woman come around from the back of the library.
    “Billie! That’s quite enough.” The woman was plump, her long dark hair streaked with white. She had the face of a kindergarten teacher; kind yet firm. “Maybe you should head on home. Storm’s coming anyway. We all need to get safely inside.”
    Color crept up Billie’s face as she gathered her things and left without another word. Grace looked from the fleeing Billie to her defender.
    “Thank you,” she said quietly.
    “Don’t pay her any mind. She’s had a bee in her bonnet about every girl Drew’s ever shown an interest in,” the woman said. “I’m the librarian, Annette Tilly. You can call me Anne.”
    “Thank you, Anne. I’m Grace McConnell.”
    Anne smiled. “I know who you are, love. Everyone does. This is a small town. Hardly anything happens here that goes unnoticed.”
    Grace flushed and clutched her books closer to her chest. She smiled and