Irish Lullaby

I cleared my throat and walked into the small library, the rows upon rows of books caught me off guard, considering the size and all. I never expected it to be this full; I looked around for a minute trying to find the section I needed.

Romance, fiction, science fiction—

"Can I help you?" the voice of a man with light brown hair, green eyes that was hid by thick black glasses sounded behind me as I stood in front of a bookshelf, completely frozen in confusion trying to find the historical book I needed on my new hometown.

"Oh," I bit my lip and glanced from his tall frame to the bookshelf, "Yes please, it seems I'm way shorter than I thought," I laughed as I stepped back and let the much taller man grab the black and red book from the highest shelf with ease; he handed it to me and smiled kindly.

"If you need anything else, please do ask," he said as he walked away from me to one of the librarian desk. I blushed, something I've always done, I found it a very annoying habit and a very embarrassing one to top it all off.

"Thanks," I whispered as I turned around and headed for the nearest table, I sat down and sighed before I turned the first page of the painfully inch thick book.

Three hours passed when someone walked past me, then stopped and walked over to my chair hesitantly. "Miss, we're closing," the librarian guy that helped me get the also painfully boring book, stated softly and yet again hesitantly, he was very soft spoken.

"Oh I'm sorry," I said as I closed the book and handed it to him, smiling apologetically for the inconvenience of making him stay so late because of my obliviousness to time. "I'll be going now."

"Hey listen," he said as I walked a few steps away from him, almost at the door. "Would you like to get some coffee with me?"

"Now?"

"Yeah," he laughed as he put the book on the table I sat at a few minutes prior. "If it's okay that is." He folded his hands together and waited for my answer.

"I'm not busy," I said as I shrugged my shoulders in carelessness. "I would be leaving to an empty house to be completely bored."

"It’s a good thing I can entertain you then huh?" he smirked as he walked towards the exit doors; he grabbed a black coat off the rack and opened the door, holding it for me. "I know a great café down the street, its called Café Chaos."

"Great," I smiled and walked past him, keeping my distance as he closed the door and locked it before he pulled his coat closer around his muscular body frame, I smiled to myself as I done the same, since it was December and very cold.

"So what's you're name?" he asked as we walked down the sidewalk that led into the town, very slowly I might add, probably trying to waste some time. "I'm Sanders Huckabee."

"Harper Phillips, I'm not new in town but I am moving back after being away for a long time and I'm trying to find out the history around my place and, it's getting a little hard because I can't find anything," I laughed but shrugged it off, so far I had been in three libraries.

"Where do you live?"

"On Lola lane over on the other side of town," I shrugged as he looked over at me; he smiled and pulled something out of his jacket pocket.

"Do you smoke?" he asked as he pulled out a white cancer stick as I call them, I shook my head and he nodded. "I know, I shouldn't but they are to addicting to quit."

"They kill," I pointed out the obvious; it was my life achievement, point out obvious statements that seem to baffle people of common standards, yes my goal.

"Really? I never knew that," he said laughing at my random moment of intelligence; I laughed and nudged him in the side.

"Don't be so mean, I was trying to save you're life," I laughed making him laugh deeply; he nodded and ruffled my hair. "Oh man, don't do that!"

"Sorry, I had too, it looked to pretty and well kept, and I had to mess it up for pities sake."

"Well," I said before I leaned up and ruffled his hair, he gasped and clutched his head in mock shock.

"No touching Harper, no touch," he said in a very childlike tone that made his voice go softer, I giggled and put my hands in my pockets and kicked a pebble as I walked over it. "Where did you move back here from?"

I smiled at his sudden seriousness and looked up from the dirty Chicago sidewalk. "North Carolina."

"Wow, that's a change, far away I must say," he said as he took a drag from his cigarette, we turned a corner and he pulled at my jacket to show we were at the café. "I'm from Ireland originally; now that is a long way don't you think."

"Really is, I love Ireland, I've always wanted to go, everything that I have seen about it seems like a dream come true to me, that and Finland, I just love the culture I guess," I shrugged carelessly as I commented on his home plot.

"You just like the black haired lads that have Irish accents and gruff voices," Sanders smirked as he took his coat off and sat it on a wooden coat rack; he pointed to my jacket and helped me take it off.

"Well, that does help my opinion of loving that place so much, it gives brownie points to each male Irish being I see," I laughed making him chuckle at my statement. "But I really do love how everything that I have seen is so, natural and beautiful."

"I understand what you mean," he said as he walked up to the counter with me. "I lived on a sheep ranch until I was nineteen out there, it was really gorgeous to watch the sun set over the hills, whenever you get to go, if you go, you must watch the sunset."

"I bet, I've never seen the sunset," I blushed at my sheltered exterior; he glanced down at me and raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "Yes, I know how have you not ever seen a sunset? because I have been sheltered all my life, it's not my fault. I’ve always been so busy, I haven’t had the time to just—stop."

"Well, it is my life mission from now on to make you watch a sunset," he said as proudly as he could, he glanced away from me to the girl behind the glass counter that was waiting for us to order something warm and strong. "Hello Shirley, I'll take the usual, and Miss Harper, what would you like?"

"Um, White chocolate mocha latte please?" I said after I read off all the things on the board in my mind, I nodded to myself at my pick and glanced at Shirley who was staring at me with narrowed eyes, trying to figure something out, not sure what though.

"Tab Sanders?" she asked with a sweet smile towards Sanders, Sanders smiled back and pulled out his wallet.

"Not today, I'll pay up," he laughed as I grabbed his arm and shook my head, he wasn't paying for me. "What?"

"I'll pay for mine," I said slowly as I pulled out a five from my jean pocket, he rolled his eyes and handed Shirley the twenty before he grabbed my arm and gently pushing it back to my side.

"Put you're money up, I asked you here so I will pay," he said smiling softly as he leaned down, his green eyes burrowing into my green eyes that were a shade darker than his.

"Are you sure?" I bit my lip as he looked thoughtful, no doubt trying to be a smart-ass.

"I'm positive," he said right as Shirley handed our drinks to us, I smiled and grabbed it from her small ivory hands before turning around and followed behind Sanders to a booth.