No offense, p.25
No Offense, page 25
“See you then, Elijah,” Molly said, and was relieved when he hurried off to go take photos of Katie and her friends.
Only then did she turn to John and say, “Tallahassee? His father lives in Tallahassee. Isn’t that where . . . ?”
“Yes.” John’s bright blue eyes were alight with mischief. “Rich Wagner, the sheriff I replaced after he turned out to be hiding a second family in Tallahassee, is Elijah’s father.”
Molly couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “But Elijah has a different last name.”
“He took his mother’s maiden name after he found out the truth about his father.” John shrugged. “He wanted to hide his relationship to the man. Most of the kids at school knew the truth, anyway—but not Katie. She was in Miami when that happened. And not you—you just got here.”
“Oh, the poor thing.” Molly stared after Elijah, remembering how much time he’d spent in the library and his mother’s concern for him. “He certainly seems to be coming out of his shell now, though,” she said, as she watched him flirt with Katie and her friends.
“That’s all because of you,” John said, giving her an affectionate squeeze as he followed the direction of her gaze. “He’s a different kid now than from even a few months ago, wouldn’t you say?”
“It’s all because of us,” Molly said. “You’re the one who let the paper run his photo. You gave him back a sense of self.”
John grinned. “Yeah, maybe. I guess we make a pretty good team, huh?”
Molly side-eyed him. “Don’t get cocky.”
After saying their good-byes, they strolled hand-in-hand through the quiet, night-darkened parking lot. The high school had been built just yards away from the ocean, so all Molly could hear was the sound of the waves slapping against the seawall and the gentle breeze rustling through the palm fronds near the auditorium’s entrance. The summer air was balmy and sweet, and the moon, just rising over the ocean’s dark surface, cast everything in blue-and-white shadows.
“You really were amazing,” she said, as they approached his enormous gas-guzzler of an SUV—which both she and Katie had convinced him to exchange for a hybrid as soon as he got approval from the mayor.
“I was all right. The last part didn’t go the way it was supposed to.”
Molly shook her head. “Yes, it did. You didn’t miss a step.”
“No, there was this whole part that the girls and I threw in at the last minute that we ended up not doing.”
“Why not?”
“Because I didn’t think you’d like it.”
Molly froze, realizing what he was referring to—what he had to be referring to. She dropped his hand and stood by herself in the middle of the parking lot, eyeing him suspiciously. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me the rumor is true?”
He grinned at her from about five feet away, one hand in the pocket of his jeans, the other still holding the roses. “Why? What have you heard?”
She put her hands on her hips. “I heard you were going to jump down off the stage and come up to me in the audience and put a ring on it.”
His grin turned into a smile that crinkled the skin around those too-bright blue eyes. “That was the plan, yeah.”
Her heart seemed to skip a beat. “So what happened?”
“You’re not really the public display of affection type.”
“You’re right,” Molly said, her heart thumping . . . but this time with pleasure, not dread. “I’m not.”
“So I thought I’d do it in private, instead. I wasn’t planning on it being in a parking lot, but I can’t wait anymore.” From the pocket of his jeans, he extracted a small velvet box, then opened it and held it toward her. “I’m not saying today, or tomorrow, or anytime soon. I know it’s only been a few months. I’m just saying sometime in the future. Will you?”
Trying to remain dignified and to suppress the silly smile that was threatening to break out across her face, Molly took a few steps toward him and examined the ring without touching it.
“Is that a six-pronged square-cut two-carat diamond solitaire with a platinum band?” she asked, fighting hard not to hyperventilate.
“It is.” John sounded surprised. “How did you know?”
“Oh,” she said. “Just a guess. Are those roses really for you, or are they for me?”
He gave her a sheepish grin. “They were supposed to be for you, after you said yes. Patrick was going to shower us with them. But I told him—I told everyone—that that plan wasn’t going to work. I know it’s soon, but Katie said I needed to follow the advice of the song and not let you get away, and I happen to agree.” The grin faded, and his expression turned serious. “So what about it, Molly?”
Molly stopped trying to act dignified and let out a joyous laugh. It was loud enough to startle the seagulls that had been roosting quietly nearby, as well as the last few stragglers who’d been heading toward their cars. Even John seemed startled.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, looking alarmed.
“Yes,” she cried, and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips, not caring this time what anyone thought. “I love you.”
He must not have cared, either, since he said, “I love you, too,” and kissed her back.
Acknowledgments
So many people helped me in the creation of this book, I can hardly begin to thank them all! But here goes:
First and foremost my friend Nancy Bender, who gave me the idea not only for this book, but the entire Little Bridge Island series.
Michael Nelson and Allison Merkey of the Key West Public Library, who were so generous in answering my many questions about the library and its inner workings. Special thanks to Allison, who first met her husband, a sheriff’s deputy, at the Key West library, and so is the true inspiration for this story. (But of course this book is entirely fictional. Any errors or missteps are entirely my own.)
I would also like to thank my agent, Laura Langlie, and everyone at William Morrow for their energetic support of this and all my books, especially my editor, Carrie Feron, assistant editor Asanté Simons, publicity director Pam Jaffee, and marketing director Molly Waxman.
Special thanks to friends and readers Beth Ader, Emily Bender, Jennifer Brown, Gwen Esbensen, Mark Gambuzza, Abigail Houff, Michele Jaffe, Rachel Vail, and my amazing media managers, Janey Lee and Heidi Shon.
Thanks also to the many, many readers, especially in the city of Key West, who have so generously supported me and the Little Bridge Island series.
And of course I could not forget the countless librarians who have helped me over the years by not only finding amazing books for me to read myself, but for putting my books into the hands of millions of readers. You are all truly heroes.
And last but not least, my husband, Benjamin, who has put up with me for thirty years and ninety books!
P.S. Insights, Interviews & More . . .*
About the Author
* * *
Meet Meg Cabot
A Conversation with Meg Cabot
About the Author
Meet Meg Cabot
MEG CABOT was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series The Princess Diaries. More than twenty-five million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
A Conversation with Meg Cabot
Q: How did you come up with the idea for No Offense?
A: I was taking a walk with my friend Nancy, who pointed to a cute little house here in Key West (where we both live) and said, “I just love that house. It’s where the sheriff and the librarian live.”
I froze in my tracks. “What?” I cried. “How could there be a sheriff and a librarian living together in this town and no one told me before this? How did they meet? Do they solve mysteries together?”
Nancy was unable to answer any of these questions, so I went home and immediately outlined this book and pitched it to my editor (who fortunately loved the idea).
I did find out later that the Key West librarian in question met her cute sheriff husband under entirely crime-free circumstances that bear no resemblance whatsoever to this story, and that no, they do not solve mysteries together (however, he does show up at her library frequently—to take her to lunch). Like the sheriff and librarian in this book, they do not agree on everything.
To me, that’s what gives a romantic relationship just the sizzle it needs to work!
Q: How did you get so many details about librarians—and sheriffs?
A: I love librarians! One of my aunts went to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana (where I grew up), to study library science at the same time I was attending elementary school, and I absolutely worshipped her.
After that, I haunted my local library weekly, and my school libraries every day (yes—I was that kid who ate her lunch in the library). Librarians were the ones who encouraged my love of reading, gently reassuring me that it was okay to venture out of the children’s section and into YA and then the adult section. Without them, I’m positive I wouldn’t have become the writer I am today.
Since becoming an author, I’ve been privileged to speak at numerous libraries and even attend librarian conferences, where I’ve met hundreds, if not thousands, of librarians. For this book, I interviewed a number of librarians (including the two mentioned in the acknowledgments) and read numerous nonfiction books on libraries and library science (The Library Book by Susan Orlean is a favorite). Any errors you might find, however, are my own, or were for the selfish purpose of propelling this narrative.
As for details concerning law enforcement, I can only say that I’ve watched every single episode of Law & Order ever made . . . just kidding (not really)! My brother is a police sergeant, and I bombarded him, along with members of Key West’s local law enforcement (who shall remain nameless so they don’t get blamed for any of my errors), with questions. Many of them now run when they see me coming.
Q: Both Molly Montgomery, the librarian in No Offense, and Sheriff John Hartwell love to read and mention the titles and authors of numerous books throughout this novel. Are these books real, and if so, are they books you enjoy, as well?
A: Yes, all but one of them are real books, and have also been favorites of mine at different periods in my life. I recommend all of them (except The Wilderness Survival Handbook by Sternberg, which I made up), either to read yourself or to give as gifts to younger readers (please check for age appropriateness before gifting).
Q: In your last book, No Judgments, you gave readers recipes for some of the food your characters enjoyed in the story. Do you have any for us now?
A: The salad-dressing chicken that Katie Hartwell makes for her sheriff father in No Offense is an old standby! It’s so good, no one will ever know you didn’t slave over it all day.
What you will need:
Chicken (I prefer dark meat with the skin on, but it works just as well with white meat without skin.)
A big sealable plastic bag or a large bowl
Baking tray
Aluminum foil
Tongs or forks
Meat thermometer (if you want to be completely safe)!
Salad dressing of your choice (I prefer Italian, but you can try it with your favorite salad dressing and see how it goes. Many people swear by Dijon honey mustard. Some people also add barbecue sauce in addition to salad dressing. It’s entirely up to you.)
If you prefer to make your own marinade, a recipe I’ve used before is:
¼ cup key lime juice (regular lime or even orange or lemon juice can be substituted)
3–4 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
a pinch of dried basil
a pinch of dried oregano
a pinch of dried thyme
a pinch of cayenne (optional)
How to make the chicken:
Take the chicken out of the packaging and put it in the bowl or sealable plastic bag.
Pour a generous amount of salad dressing into the bag, enough to lightly coat the chicken. Seal the bag.
Massage the salad dressing into the chicken, making sure you get the dressing to coat all parts of the chicken. If you’re using a bag, you can massage the chicken through the bag.
Don’t forget to wash your hands if you just massaged the chicken in a bowl with your bare hands.
Put the chicken into the refrigerator and wait two to twenty-four hours. You can try cooking it before two hours is up, but it won’t have had as long to marinate and won’t be quite as good.
Once the chicken is marinated, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place aluminum foil over a baking tray and pour chicken from bowl or bag onto tray. Be sure to save the excess salad dressing! You’ll need it later.
Put the chicken in the oven and bake 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven and flip the chicken pieces over with your tongs or fork, then coat them with the leftover salad dressing from the bag or bowl.
Put the tray back in the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or until cooked through (chicken should be 165°F internally).
Enjoy your salad-dressing chicken!
Praise for No Judgments
“Meg Cabot is best known for her books for younger readers, but her adult fiction is a total delight.”
—PopSugar
“The ever-delightful Cabot charms in her latest, which is equal parts sweet and steamy.”
—Booklist
“As in Cabot’s previous adult romances . . . our heroine’s wit and humor and determination to stay the course shine through in this breezy story that is a pure delight to read.”
—Library Journal
“You know the woman who wrote The Princess Diaries series (and a dozen other series adding up to more than 80 novels for middle-grade, YA and adult readers) will deliver a happy ending, along with engaging characters, lively dialogue and plenty of plot twists.”
—Tampa Bay Times
“I don’t know if Little Bridge Island is a real place or not but it officially has a place in my heart.”
—LibraryReads
“Cabot, best known for her Princess Diaries young adult series, shows that her work for adults can be just as frothy and entertaining.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Cabot has a long, successful track record of writing entertaining stories that allow readers to escape from the realities of life by bringing levity, wit and a host of surprises and happy endings to the page. No Judgments is further testament to her appealing, winning style.”
—Romantic Between the Lines
Also by Meg Cabot
The Princess Diaries series
The Mediator series
The Boy series
Heather Wells series
Insatiable
Overbite
Ransom My Heart (with Mia Thermopolis)
Queen of Babble series
She Went All the Way
The 1–800-Where-R-You series
All-American Girl series
Nicola and the Viscount
Victoria and the Rogue
Jinx
How to Be Popular
Pants on Fire
Avalon High series
The Airhead series
Abandon series
Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls series
From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess series
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
PS™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
NO OFFENSE. Copyright © 2020 by Meg Cabot LLC. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Molly chapter opener art © Khabarushka / Shutterstock
John chapter opener art © MSSA / Shutterstock
Cover design by Nathan Burton Design
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition AUGUST 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-289006-1
Version 06242020
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-289007-8
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-300712-3
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