“Can’t be clean shaven all the time. Where’s the fun in that?”
“You do look rather... wicked.”
“And that’s appealing?”
She blushed. “Maybe.”
“Why is it that nice girls like wicked boys?”
“McKenna says you’re the good twin.”
“McKenna has never kissed me. How would she know?”
She blushed again. Her heart was beating so fast that her head felt light. “You say the most outrageous things.”
“I like to make you smile.” He dipped his head, kissed her lips, a swift brief kiss that caught her off guard. “We’re going to have fun tomorrow night,” he murmured, before stepping back, putting distance between them just as Margaret rounded the corner.
He shot Margaret a quick glance, then looked back at Taylor, his blue gaze gleaming. “Thank you so much, Miss Harris, for the information about the book clubs. I look forward to attending my first meeting. I’ve never been part of a book club before.”
Jane arrived at the library just before closing and then stayed to visit with Taylor after Margaret and Louise had left.
The front door was locked and Jane leaned on the circulation desk, watching Taylor swiftly swap out issues of magazines from the plastic protective covers.
“These are all Cormac Sheenan publications,” Jane said, tapping the glossy new issues stacked in front of Taylor. “Montana Living, Wyoming Living, Colorado Living, and Big Sky Design”
“We carry a couple more of his,” Taylor said, clicking the plastic binder open, and taking out the January/February issue of Big Sky Design for the new March/April issue “I think they are sport oriented magazines. A skiing one, maybe, and a fishing or hunting one.”
“He’s just bought his third TV station to add to his radio station collection.”
“He’s quite the media mogul,” Taylor said.
“By Montana standards,” Jane answered.
“By anybody’s standards. TV stations, radio stations, magazines. I think it’s incredibly impressive.”
“Troy helped him, you know. He gave Cormac a loan so he could buy the first couple of radio stations and then Cormac picked up the Denver-based publishing company for next to nothing a year later, and has turned the publishing company around.”
Taylor clicked the binder closed and reached for Wyoming Living. “It’ll be interesting to meet Cormac tomorrow night. I’ve been curious about him. I hear he’s the only blonde Sheenan.”
“He’s pretty hot... channels Channing Tatum. Some girls like that.” Jane paused, flipping through the magazine. “I always liked brunettes. With blue eyes.”
Like Troy.
Taylor’s chest squeezed and she held her breath a moment. Did Jane still love Troy?
Taylor reached out, put a hand on the magazine Jane was flipping through, stopping her from turning any more pages. “We need to talk,” she said quietly.
“I thought we were talking.”
“About something important.”
“What?”
“Are you madly in love with him?
“Mitch? No. We’ve only had a couple of dates.”
“Not Mitch. Troy.” Taylor leaned on the counter and stared intently into Jane’s face, trying to read her expression. “You’re here for Troy. I’ve done the research. The whole wedding giveaway in 1914 was the clever brainchild of a Graff employee back in 1913, trying to figure out how to generate publicity to the reopening of the hotel after the 1912 fire.” Taylor gave Jane a pointed look. “Just as you are now the clever person creating a publicity event for the new owner of the Graff Hotel.”
“That’s what I was hired to do, yes, but I didn’t take this job for Troy. I took this job because it was an exciting opportunity and there was a big fat salary which paired nicely with Marietta’s cost of living—substantially lower than San Francisco’s--meaning, I could bank some money, starting saving up to buy my own house.”
“So you’re not here to make points with Troy?”
“It doesn’t hurt to make points with Troy. He knows everyone, everywhere. The man is connected.”
“You love him.”
“No.”
“You want him back.”
Jane grimaced. “No. It’d just be a waste of both our time and, to be fair to him, I knew he was never into me, but it was fun being out with Troy. Heads turned. Everyone paid attention. I felt sexy and beautiful when we were together, but I knew something was missing.... not from my side of things, but from his. He didn’t feel anything. There were no sparks. I pretended not to know, or notice, but when we kissed, I could tell he didn’t want to kiss me. And to be honest, it was a turn off.”