Hidden Hearts. Olivia Dade
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AN ADMIRER WITH A SECRET . . .
Mary Higgs could be the poster girl for the buttoned-up librarian. She follows the rules. Stays ʼtil closing. Her kindness and dedication to her patrons are legendary. But those patrons have no idea what she's typing to the mysterious shut-in who emailed the library three months ago . . .
A year ago, Miles O'Connor was a gleaming, ab-sational star of the small screen. Then came the accident. Now he's a wounded recluse with a pizza habit and fears so unshakable that only the thought of losing Mary to an online date could lure him out of his cabin.
Soon their email rapport has turned into weekends on the couch, watching tearjerkers and driving each other insane with red-hot makeout sessions. But as their desire grows and their horizons expand, the life that brought them together might not be enough for either of them . . .
The Lovestruck Librarians series by Olivia Dade
Broken Resolutions
My Reckless Valentine
Mayday
Ready to Fall
Driven to Distraction
Hidden Hearts
Hidden Hearts
Olivia Dade
[Lyrical Shine] logo
LYRICAL SHINE
Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com
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Kensington Publishing Corp.
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Copyright © 2017 by Olivia Dade
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Lyrical Shine and Lyrical Shine logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
First Electronic Edition: June 2017
eISBN-13: 978-1-60183-798-1
eISBN-10: 1-60183-798-4
First Print Edition: June 2017
ISBN-13: 978-1-60183-800-1
ISBN-10: 1-60183-800-X
Printed in the United States of America
For my wonderful husband, who graciously helped me determine whether one of my sex scenes was anatomically possible. (Spoiler alert: It definitely was.)
Here’s hoping that made up for all the days before deadline when I didn’t shower!
Love you, sweetie.
Acknowledgments
My husband, daughter, and mother are all amazing, and I love them dearly. Even when I’m thinking through a plot problem instead of giving them my complete attention.
I couldn’t have had a better advocate at Kensington/Lyrical than Martin Biro. Thank you for picking up this series and helping it shine. I also owe a big debt of gratitude to everyone else who worked on the Lovestruck Librarians books, especially James, Rebecca, Michelle, and Lauren.
Mia Sosa, my critique partner and friend, is a goddess, and I don’t know how I would preserve even a few frayed edges of my sanity without her.
Ana Coqui, Emma Barry, Mia West, and Cecilia Grant all provided thoughtful, insightful feedback on this book, and I can’t thank them enough. Any remaining flaws result solely from my own inability to follow great advice!
And finally, I am hugely grateful to Kati Gardner, who helped make Miles the best character he could be. I appreciate your time and the care you took with my—and his—story.
1
“Quick question, Mary,” Angie called out from the workroom. “Let’s say five movies were playing at Niceville Cinemas, all starring different hotties. Idris Elba, Chris Pratt, John Cho, Oscar Isaac, and Jason Momoa. Which one would appeal to you the most? And would you avoid any of them?”
Mary glanced up from the circulation desk and swiveled to face her boss. Angie, seated at their lone behind-the-scenes computer, appeared especially wide-eyed and innocent. In Mary’s experience, that wasn’t a good omen. “I’m not entirely sure what you mean.”
“They’re all so enticing. I don’t think I could choose one over the others.” Angie tapped her chin in thought. “Optimally, I’d want at least two of them. If Grant agreed, of course.”
“Agreed to what?”
“To let me see those movies. What else would I mean?”
That didn’t sound at all like Grant, a steadfast man who adored his wife’s independence and spunk. “You need permission from him to see movies?”
“Not if they’re on my preapproved freebie list,” Angie said. “Hmm. Happy thoughts.”
Over her two years at the Battlefield Library, Mary had participated in quite a few confusing conversations with her supervisor. This one, however, was more confusing than most. “I’m sorry?”
“Nothing.” Straightening in her chair, Angie cleared her throat and refocused. “Anyway, which guy would you choose?”
A quick shake of her head didn’t clear Mary’s thoughts at all. “Any of them, I guess. As long as their films got decent reviews. Why?”
“Just curious.” Angie flashed a bright smile. “Maybe we’ll have a girls’ night out at the movies soon.”
Okaaaaay. Mary turned back to the computer behind the circulation desk, shaking her head again. One thing you could say about working with Angela Burrowes: It was never boring. Bewildering, frequently replete with way too much information about Angie’s sex life, and intermittently terrifying, yes. But never, ever boring.
Mary had understood that fact as a part-time employee at Battlefield. But now that she was working full time, she really, really got it.
And it was a good thing, given the circumstances.
She’d never shared the thought with a soul, and she never would. But sometimes the daily work of keeping the library running and well-organized could get a little…well, tedious. Far removed from how she’d pictured her life and professional future as a young woman.
Luckily, Angie—along with Mary’s other coworkers, Penny and Sarah—ensured their shifts stayed interesting. And goodness knew, Mary couldn’t ask for better friends.
An occasional longing for more only wasted time and energy, both of which she owed to her patrons. The Nice County Public Library system was paying her to serve the community, not contemplate the inevitable compromises that came with adulthood and a stiff dose of reality.
Time to get back to work and help someone.
Before Mary could do more than click on the lone new e-mail in the library inbox, though, Angie spoke again. “If you had to decide between