I walked over to them. Harry smiled when he caught sight of me. I took the hand he held out and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I told him.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said. He turned to the young woman beside him. “Kathleen, this is my daughter, Elizabeth.”
“Elizabeth, I’m so happy to finally meet you,” I said. She had her father’s smile.
“I’m happy to meet you too,” she said. “Harrison told me that without your help we might never have found each other. Thank you.” She looked up at him and I could see affection in her gaze.
I had to swallow away a lump in my throat before I could speak. “I did very little,” I said. “But you’re welcome.”
Harry Senior looked around. “Where did you put Karl Kenyon’s sculptures? I’d like to show them to Elizabeth.”
“Over in the computer room,” I said.
“Go ahead,” Harry Junior said. “I’ll be right there.”
Larry Taylor leaned sideways as he passed me. “It looks great, Kathleen,” he whispered.
“Thanks for helping with the extra lights,” I said.
“Anytime,” he said with a smile.
His big brother stood beside me and we watched the three of them make their way across the floor. “How’s it going?” I asked.
“Better than I hoped,” Harry said.
“What’s she like?”
“Stubborn, opinionated, like Boris with a bone when she thinks she’s right.”
“In other words she fits right in,” I said.
He laughed. “Yes, she does.”
I patted his shoulder and walked outside. There was a tent set up in the parking lot and Eric was working at a large grill. Eddie was beside him with one of the twins on his shoulders. I couldn’t see the other, which I hoped wasn’t a bad thing.
I made my way around the side of the building to the new gazebo in the reading garden. It was a little larger than the one in Rebecca’s backyard; Oren had built it using Harrison Taylor’s original design. Like everything both men were involved with, it was beautiful.
“Oren does nice work.”
I turned to smile at Marcus standing behind me. “Yes, he does. Have you seen his father’s sculptures?”
“I’d swear that eagle had feathers.”
I nodded. “I had the same reaction the first time I saw it.”
Marcus looked back at the building. “You’ve probably been wondering why I don’t have a library card.”
“It’s not really any of my business,” I said, but I could feel my cheeks getting pink.
His eyebrows went up.
“All right, yes, I’m curious,” I admitted. “Why don’t you have a library card?”
We walked across the grass to the retaining wall overlooking the water. “I couldn’t read until I was almost ten,” he said.
“Dyslexia?” I asked.
“Yes.” He looked out across the lake. “For a long time the library was just about my least favorite place in the world. School was right up there too.”
I thought about all the times I’d complained to Maggie about Marcus not having a library card and I was ashamed of my narrow-minded attitude. “I can see why,” I said quietly.
“I started building my own library, that way no one would know how long it took me to read a book.” He turned to face me. “I’d love to show you my books sometime.”
“I’d like that,” I said. He was so close I could smell the unique warmth of his skin.
He hesitated, took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Could I make you dinner Saturday night?”
“I’d like that too,” I said.
For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but he didn’t. He just smiled that gorgeous smile at me.
My heart started doing the cha-cha in my chest because I knew that if—when Marcus Gordon kissed me, I was definitely going to kiss him back.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sofie Kelly is an author and mixed-media artist who lives on the East Coast with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she practices Wu-style tai chi and likes to prowl around thrift stores. And she admits to having a small crush on Matt Lauer.
Sofie Kelly
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat
A Magical Cats Mystery
When librarian Kathleen Paulson moved to Mayville Heights, Minnesota, she had no idea that two strays would nuzzle their way into her life. Owen is a tabby with a catnip addiction and Hercules is a stocky tuxedo cat who shares Kathleen’s fondness for Barry Manilow. But beyond all the fur and purrs, there’s something more to these felines.
When murder interrupts Mayville’s Music Festival, Kathleen finds herself the prime suspect. More stunning is her realization that Owen and Hercules are magical—and she’s relying on their skills to solve a purr-fect murder.
Available wherever books are sold or at
penguin.com
OM0043
Sofie Kelly
Sleight of Paw
A Magical Cats Mystery
Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson never wanted to be the crazy cat lady. But after Owen and Hercules followed her home, she realized her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her—her cats have magical abilities.
When the body of elderly do-gooder Agatha Shepherd is found near Kath’s favorite local café, she knows Owen’s talent for turning invisible and Hercules’s ability to walk through walls will give the felines access to clues Kath couldn’t get without arousing suspicion. Someone is hiding some dark secrets—and it will take a bit of furtive investigating to catch the cold-hearted killer.
Available wherever books are sold or at
penguin.com
OM0066
Leann Sweeney
The Cat, the Quilt and
the Corpse
A Cats in Trouble Mystery
Jill’s quiet life is shattered when her house is broken into and her Abyssinian, Syrah, goes missing. Jill’s convinced her kitty’s been catnapped. But when her cat-crime-solving leads her to a dead body, suddenly all paws are pointing to Jill.
Soon, Jill discovers that Syrah isn’t the only purebred who’s been stolen. Now she has to find these furry felines before they all become the prey of a cold-blooded killer—and she gets nabbed for a crime she didn’t commit.
“A welcome new voice in
mystery fiction.” —Jeff Abbott,
bestselling author of Collision
Available wherever books are sold or at
penguin.com
OM0009
Melissa Bourbon Pleating for Mercy
A Magical Dressmaking Mystery
When her great-grandmother passes away, Harlow leaves her job as a Manhattan fashion designer and moves back to Bliss, Texas. But soon after she opens Buttons & Bows, a custom dressmaking boutique in the old farmhouse she inherited, Harlow begins to feel an inexplicable presence…
One of her first clients is her old friend Josie, who needs a gown for her upcoming wedding. But when Josie’s boss turns up dead, it starts to look as if the bride-to-be may be wearing handcuffs instead of a veil. Suddenly, Josie needs a lot more from Harlow than the perfect dress. Can Harlow find the real killer—with a little help from beyond?
Available wherever books are sold or at
penguin.com
OM0062
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