Read Online Sleigh Ride (Minnesota Christmas Book 2) by Heidi Cullinan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Heidi Cullinan
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back his blush with sheer force of will. “You mentioned grants. How do they fit into this?”
“Arthur came to dinner all fired up about getting the library money yesterday. I had to explain to him grants are for patient saints, and he took that news about as well as I expected. The next thing I knew Frankie was offering to do hair for donation, and I was putting a call into an old friend for ballroom lessons.”
“Why in the world was Arthur asking you about money for the library?”
Marcus raised his eyebrows. “That’s what I was going to ask you. Because he threw me for a loop. Arthur hates the library.”
Gabriel startled, putting his hand to his breast like a little old lady witnessing a public display of affection. “He hates libraries ?”
Marcus grimaced. “Yeah, that’s my mother’s fault. He and I’ve been best friends since forever, and since my mom was the librarian, I spent Saturdays here. His mom worked the post office counter, back when we had one, and he and I were both shacked up here for four hours when most kids were home watching cartoons. Me, I loved it, but Arthur hasn’t ever been much for reading. He was okay if I read things to him, but it had to be pretty good to keep his attention. He loved comics—still does as far as I know. Sure loves superhero movies. But when we were kids, my mom thought comics were worse than TV. She wouldn’t stock them, and she wouldn’t let him read them on Saturday mornings. She made him read real literature.”
Gabriel winced. “Oh no.”
“It got pretty bad. She couldn’t accept he didn’t enjoy reading. At one point she convinced Corrina to have him put in special classes, get tested for disabilities. He doesn’t have any—don’t let him fool you with his dumb-lumberjack routine. He’s smart as a whip. But he hates this place. So him suddenly wanting to lift it out of the ashes is quite a one-eighty.”
It certainly sounded like it, and Gabriel had no idea how to explain the transformation. “He stopped by the library yesterday, upset because Corrina had bullied him into playing Santa. Maybe his plans to get out of the job became a bit elaborate?”
“No, he’s still Santa. It doesn’t seem to bother him anymore. Which surprised me too. Especially given the whole bringing-you-to-dinner thing, I half-wondered—” Marcus scratched his chin, regarding Gabriel thoughtfully before shrugging and straightening. “Anyway. I think he’s moved on from grants, but I’ve put in my time with those. I’d be happy to help you with some applications.”
Gabriel only half-heard the part about the grants, too busy obsessing over what Marcus had half-wondered. “That would be kind of you, thanks. I have a few started, one for children’s books and another for a new set of computers, but I’m always short of time.”
“Send them over whenever you’re ready. We could book a night after we’re both off work and tackle them, lay out a battle plan. All I ask is we do it at my place so Frankie can fuss and bring us coffee. It’ll make him happy. I’d suggest, though, we do this without Arthur. He will just get in the way.”
This time Gabriel couldn’t stay his flushed face. “I don’t— Arthur and I aren’t involved in any way. Yesterday is the only day in eighteen months I’ve really spoken to him.”
And let him fuck me on my couch, hold me down and make me say and do lewd things.
“Well, whatever you said to him must have made a hell of an impression.” Marcus rose, tugging his coat around his large body, buttoning it as he went on. “In case it wasn’t mutual, I know Arthur can be hard to take, but he’s a good guy.”
“I’m sure he is.” Gabriel searched for the diplomatic dismissal, one which wouldn’t make him too big of a hypocrite, given what he’d done. “I don’t have time for dating, I’m afraid.”
Marcus’s eyes bugged. “He asked you on a date ?”
Oh God. “No—I’m sorry, I thought you were
“Arthur came to dinner all fired up about getting the library money yesterday. I had to explain to him grants are for patient saints, and he took that news about as well as I expected. The next thing I knew Frankie was offering to do hair for donation, and I was putting a call into an old friend for ballroom lessons.”
“Why in the world was Arthur asking you about money for the library?”
Marcus raised his eyebrows. “That’s what I was going to ask you. Because he threw me for a loop. Arthur hates the library.”
Gabriel startled, putting his hand to his breast like a little old lady witnessing a public display of affection. “He hates libraries ?”
Marcus grimaced. “Yeah, that’s my mother’s fault. He and I’ve been best friends since forever, and since my mom was the librarian, I spent Saturdays here. His mom worked the post office counter, back when we had one, and he and I were both shacked up here for four hours when most kids were home watching cartoons. Me, I loved it, but Arthur hasn’t ever been much for reading. He was okay if I read things to him, but it had to be pretty good to keep his attention. He loved comics—still does as far as I know. Sure loves superhero movies. But when we were kids, my mom thought comics were worse than TV. She wouldn’t stock them, and she wouldn’t let him read them on Saturday mornings. She made him read real literature.”
Gabriel winced. “Oh no.”
“It got pretty bad. She couldn’t accept he didn’t enjoy reading. At one point she convinced Corrina to have him put in special classes, get tested for disabilities. He doesn’t have any—don’t let him fool you with his dumb-lumberjack routine. He’s smart as a whip. But he hates this place. So him suddenly wanting to lift it out of the ashes is quite a one-eighty.”
It certainly sounded like it, and Gabriel had no idea how to explain the transformation. “He stopped by the library yesterday, upset because Corrina had bullied him into playing Santa. Maybe his plans to get out of the job became a bit elaborate?”
“No, he’s still Santa. It doesn’t seem to bother him anymore. Which surprised me too. Especially given the whole bringing-you-to-dinner thing, I half-wondered—” Marcus scratched his chin, regarding Gabriel thoughtfully before shrugging and straightening. “Anyway. I think he’s moved on from grants, but I’ve put in my time with those. I’d be happy to help you with some applications.”
Gabriel only half-heard the part about the grants, too busy obsessing over what Marcus had half-wondered. “That would be kind of you, thanks. I have a few started, one for children’s books and another for a new set of computers, but I’m always short of time.”
“Send them over whenever you’re ready. We could book a night after we’re both off work and tackle them, lay out a battle plan. All I ask is we do it at my place so Frankie can fuss and bring us coffee. It’ll make him happy. I’d suggest, though, we do this without Arthur. He will just get in the way.”
This time Gabriel couldn’t stay his flushed face. “I don’t— Arthur and I aren’t involved in any way. Yesterday is the only day in eighteen months I’ve really spoken to him.”
And let him fuck me on my couch, hold me down and make me say and do lewd things.
“Well, whatever you said to him must have made a hell of an impression.” Marcus rose, tugging his coat around his large body, buttoning it as he went on. “In case it wasn’t mutual, I know Arthur can be hard to take, but he’s a good guy.”
“I’m sure he is.” Gabriel searched for the diplomatic dismissal, one which wouldn’t make him too big of a hypocrite, given what he’d done. “I don’t have time for dating, I’m afraid.”
Marcus’s eyes bugged. “He asked you on a date ?”
Oh God. “No—I’m sorry, I thought you were
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