Read Online Trouble When You Walked In (Contemporary Romance) by Kieran Kramer - Free Book Online Page A

library?”
    “Yes’m.”
    “Don’t make me come down there. I’m watching a good show on TV. I’m tired. Everyone knows we need a bigger library and that the waste management people need that building.”
    “I think it’s important you record this event, Edwina,” he said calmly.
    “Poop,” said Hank Davis.
    The little kid broke into guffaws.
    “You tell Edwina that Nana’s going to play the trumpet outside her window tonight if she doesn’t come,” Nana said, “and it won’t be pretty. I’ve never played a trumpet in my life. Someone donated one to the theater today.”
    “Did you hear that?” Boone asked the editor.
    “Yes.” Edwina sighed. “I don’t know why everyone calls her Nana. She’s a tough old bird. I’ll be down in half an hour.”
    He put away his phone. “The Bugler is on the way,” he told the little ragtag group. “And if you don’t like the publicity, well, it’s your own fault. Chief Scotty gave you a chance to leave.”
    Scotty was busy writing out warnings at the front desk.
    “That’s going to take you a while, Chief,” Cissie said primly. “Would you care for a cookie while you work? Or some chicken casserole? We have a lot of food.”
    Damn. Boone was hungry.
    “No, thank you.” The chief had a deep ridge on his brow. He was concentrating hard on scribbling those notices. “My wife’s got a pot roast waiting for me at home.”
    Cissie cast a quick glance at Boone. “You probably have to rush off, too, Mr. Mayor.”
    Well. Now that she’d gotten what she wanted from him—publicity—she was done with him. And hey, he’d had a long-ass day. Just finished up with the football players. An extra-tough practice. He couldn’t wait to get home.
    But leave? Why should he give her the satisfaction?
    “I’ll wait for the chief.” He tried to look more official than he ever had.
    “You need to eat, Boone.” Mrs. Hattlebury looked him up and down.
    “Since you’re a bachelor”—Mrs. Donovan gave him the same brazen stare—“your cupboards are probably empty.”
    “Or them cupboards is filled with potato chips and Scotch. Like my ex-boyfriend’s,” offered Sally.
    Boone pulled an ear. “Maybe I’ll take a cookie.”
    Cissie’s eyes widened. She wanted him gone. Bad .
    “Make that some casserole, too, please,” he said. “Why not?”
    Cissie’s lips thinned.
    Scotty finished up his last warning just as Mrs. Hattlebury came over to Boone with a plate full of all kinds of delicious: cheesy tater-tot casserole, three-bean salad, chicken casserole with mushrooms and artichoke hearts, a tossed salad, and a slice of home-baked bread.
    “It’s a shame for this all to go to waste.” She gave him an approving smile.
    And then Boone had an idea. The football parents assigned to provide a Thursday night meal for his first-string team this week had to cancel for tomorrow night. And it was a much-valued tradition. It kept the unit cohesive, like family. And here was a feast.
    “Hey,” he said to the small gathering, “I have a way to get a bunch of people down here before Edwina shows up. Some boys from the football team. They can help eat up all this food and maybe make your crowd a little bigger. You know, more impressive.” He explained about the weekly dinner getting cancelled.
    “This’ll fill ’em up,” said Mrs. Donovan.
    “You must be on our side of this fight now,” said Sally. “We could use a strong, handsome man.”
    “He’s helping the team and helping Cissie,” gushed Mrs. Hattlebury.
    “He’s just being pragmatic, ladies,” said Nana. “Don’t get all starry-eyed.”
    “But he’s cute,” said Sally. “And he didn’t have to come to the sit-in. Talk about nice .”
    “You have to admit, he’s a good sport, Nana,” Mrs. Donovan said.
    “He’s charming, I’ll grant him that,” Nana conceded.
    “He came with the chief ,” Cissie reminded everyone. “He didn’t bring food to support us. He doesn’t support