True believer - Nicholas Sparks [60]
He was still trying to figure out the sudden change in her behavior. Yesterday she wanted nothing to do with him, and today . . . well, today was a new day, wasn’t it? And damned if he couldn’t stop thinking about her, and not just in the usual, clothes-heaped-at-the-foot-of-the-bed sort of way. He couldn’t remember the last time that had happened. Maria, probably, but that was a long time ago. A lifetime ago, when he was someone else entirely. But today the conversation had been so natural, so comfortable, that despite the fact he should finish studying the maps, all he really wanted to do was get to know her even better.
Strange, he thought, and before he realized what was happening, he stood from his desk and began making his way to the stairs. He knew she was reading to the children, and he had no intention of disturbing her, but he suddenly wanted to see her.
He walked down the steps, rounded the corner, and moved to one of the glass walls. It took only a moment for him to spot Lexie sitting on the floor, surrounded by children.
She read in an animated way, and he smiled at her expressions: the wide eyes, the “O” she made with her mouth, the way she leaned forward to emphasize something that was happening in the story. The mothers sat with smiles on their faces. A couple of the kids were abolutely still; the others looked as if they’d taken wiggle pills.
“She’s really something, isn’t she?”
Jeremy turned in surprise. “Mayor Gherkin. What are you doing here?”
“Why, I came to see you, of course. And Miss Lexie, too. About the dinner tonight. We’ve got everything just about set up. I think you’ll be quite impressed.”
“I’m sure I will,” Jeremy said.
“But like I was saying, she’s really something, isn’t she?”
Jeremy said nothing, and the mayor winked before going on. “I saw the way you were looking at her. A man’s eyes give him away. The eyes always tell the truth.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The mayor grinned. “Well, I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Of course not,” he said.
Jeremy shook his head. “Look, Mr. Mayor . . . Tom—”
“Oh, never mind. I was just teasing. But let me tell you a bit about our little get-together this evening.”
Mayor Gherkin told Jeremy the location, then offered directions that, somewhat unsurprisingly, were heavy on local landmarks. No doubt Tully taught him everything he knew, Jeremy thought.
“Do you think you’ll be able to find it?” the mayor asked when he was finished.
“I’ve got a map,” Jeremy said.
“That might help, but keep in mind that those back roads can get kind of dark. It’s easy to get lost if you’re not careful. You might consider coming with someone who knows where it is.”
When Jeremy looked at him curiously, Gherkin glanced knowingly through the window.
“You think I should ask Lexie?” Jeremy asked.
The mayor’s eyes twinkled. “That’s up to you. If you think she’d agree. A lot of men consider her the prize of the county.”
“She’d say yes,” Jeremy said, feeling more hopeful than certain.
The mayor looked doubtful. “I think you may be overestimating your own abilities. But if you’re so sure, then I suppose my business is through here. You see, I came to invite her myself, but since you’re going to take care of it, I’ll just see you tonight.”
The mayor turned to leave, and a few minutes later, Jeremy watched Lexie finish up. She closed the book, and as the parents rose, he felt a jolt of nervous adrenaline. The sensation amazed him. When was the last time that had happened?
A few mothers called to those kids who hadn’t been listening, and a moment later, Lexie was following the group out of the children’s room. When she saw Jeremy, she headed over.
“I take it you’re ready to start looking through the diaries,” she surmised.
“If you have time to get them,” he said. “I still have a way to go with the maps. But actually, there’s something