page_79 < previous page page_79 next page > Page 79 "You've remembered to take the other medicine?" I pressed. "And the creamyou used the cream when you changed the bandage?" What a mother hen I was becoming. Carter took the book in his hands and ignored my questions. "I shall return this." He walked back toward the history section. I turned to Sylvie. "Tally these receipts, will you?" I ignored her expression, including her significantly raised eyebrows and coy smile. "I'll be right back." I followed Carter through the maze of shelves to the history section, along the wall. He placed the book in the empty spot from which he'd obviously pulled it, and I wondered what had brought him here, downtown, to the store. Though my house wasn't far, if you didn't know where to look for the store, you could wander for quite some time up and down the shop-lined streets. "Did you see these?" I asked genially, stopping at the gardening section. I pulled from the shelf a beautiful, coffee-table-sized book full of landscaping plans, pictures, and literature. He didn't take the book from me but stood very close and looked over my shoulder. I was intensely aware of his presence, of the smoky leather smell of Rory's old jacket and the warmth emanating from his body. I pulled my hair around my left shoulder to give him a better view. The pages turned with a thick rustling sound that testified to the book's quality. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and saw deep concentration in his eyes and posture. I studied his profile, strong and straight, until his eyes slanted toward me. I realized too late that I'd been staring, not turning the pages. Sylvie, whom I'd heard with half an ear shuffling through the shelves to lock the front door, picked that moment to turn off the lights, and we were plunged into darkness. I could almost feel my pupils dilating in the  < previous page page_79 next page >