“It’s good to see you’re alive and not some phantom.” She smiled, hoping her raised eyebrow would convey the questions probing her mind.
“I promise I don’t live in an opera house.” The corner of his mouth turned up.
Danielle had to roll in her lips to keep from sighing. The brightness of his baby blues drew her in, and given the opportunity, she could probably stare at them for longer than comfortable. Why was she so attracted to him? She hadn’t felt like this in, well, ever. It was as if she was turning into some bright-eyed school girl with a crush. Something she’d worked diligently to control over the years.
She ran her hands through her long hair, pulling out some tangles in the process. It was her attempt to make the questions she said next casual, but he didn’t seem to notice. “So, what happened to you? Tanner had to give the best man speech, and I’m a little ashamed to say I was curious about what you would’ve said in yours.”
Liam chuckled, the sound deep and rough, causing Danielle to do the same. “You want to know what I would’ve said? Well, I can tell you right now.” He positioned a hand just below his mouth to look like he was holding a microphone. “Welcome, everyone. I’ve known Colton since May. He took me in as I adjusted to life in a small town, and although we’ve only known each other for a few months, he’s one of those people you can count on to be there for you. I’m excited for you both, and I wish you all the happiness in the world.” He moved his hand out to the side and tilted his head forward in a bow.
“That was pretty good. It seems you, Colton, and Tanner are like the three musketeers.”
“Well, I’ve always wanted to be in a sword fight, so maybe there’s something to your theory.”
Danielle wasn’t sure what her expression looked like, but Liam’s loud laugh caused her to relax a bit.
Liam spoke again. “What about you and Becca? I’m assuming you grew up together here.”
“Yep. I met her in Kindergarten, actually.”
“Wow. That’s a long time. Was it hard being in the same town forever?”
Danielle thought about that for a moment. “No, I think the only reason I survived here was because of Becca. She was my constant when no one really understood me.” She looked at him with her eyes narrowed. “I thought you were going to miss our meeting today. Did you have something come up?”
Liam nodded and looked remorseful. “Yeah, I was driving back from Grand Junction and just got here. Sorry, I probably should have thought to text you earlier.”
A warm feeling came over Danielle, and she waved it off. “Is everything okay with your sister?”
His mouth dropped into a frown. “It’s…we got some bad news. But we have a few options, and I hope they work to get rid of the cancer. Or at least give her more time.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and Danielle reached over, wrapping her arms around him. She tried to tell herself it was only to comfort him, but the closeness seemed like static electricity that flowed throughout her body. He returned the hug, and she breathed in, the same woodsy scent from before filling her nose.
She finally pulled away, wiping at the stray tear escaping down her face. “I’m, uh, sorry. It just reminded me of the pain Becca went through when she lost her family. I hope the treatments work too. Kara is such a great person, and I hope she can be here for many more years. How’s Cari taking all of it?”
Liam gave her a half-smile, swallowing hard. “Thank you. Cari doesn’t understand most of it, and I’m not sure what to tell her until they figure out what’s working and what’s not.” He looked down at his hands for a minute as if they were useless to what he was going through right now. He looked up at her again with a broader smile. “Anyway, since I arrived late, we should probably decide what we want to write about. Do you still want to go with what society thinks we should be doing at our age?”
“I think that would be good. We should probably pick a few other ages, just to hit different people in town so it’s not so pointed to the thirty-year-olds.”
Laughing, Liam said, “I’m not thirty. And you aren’t either.”
“No, but I thought you might be. Let me guess. Twenty-seven?”
Red tinged his cheeks just enough to make her smile. “Close. Twenty-eight. And you said you are twenty years younger than your mom, who is forty-seven. So you’re twenty-seven, like Becca?” His one eyebrow rose.
Danielle laughed and nodded. “Well, I’m sure you get the ‘Why aren’t you married yet? You’re such a nice young man; you should be married already’ speech. I know I’ve gotten it several times just since Tuesday.” She rolled her eyes, and Liam chuckled. “Not the young man part, but you get the idea.”
“Yes, that seems to be the first conclusion people jump to. I usually just smile and nod, trying to tell them I really don’t need a blind date with their sister’s best friend’s aunt’s daughter who’s about my age and still single.” He leaned forward, a hint of a smile on his lips. “I have to avoid the beginning of the book groups because they’re always trying to set me up. I don’t have control over the end because I want people to buy stuff from the store.”
As much as Danielle tried to hold it in, a loud laugh came barreling out, and she leaned over, unable to stop.
With a small smile, Liam said, “Go ahead and laugh. I’ve lost count how many times that’s happened. Blind dates—”
“Are the worst! And it feels like that’s what everyone does here in Sage Creek. The older people are amazing, but they’re bored, and they love to watch a couple get together. I’m sure some of them were out with popcorn, watching as Becca and Colton started dating.” Danielle thought about it and laughed softer this time.
“You’re right about that.” There had been so many people invested in the newlyweds’ relationship, especially after Becca’s previous fiancé didn’t show up for the day of the wedding.
Liam cleared his throat. “I’ve been able to avoid some of the older people in that regard, thank goodness. I’m just going along, trying to make things fun in the town, but don’t send me a number for a blind date.”
Danielle raised a hand. “No worries there. As long as you don’t have someone to line me up with either, I think we’ll be just fine.”
Liam raised both hands. “Nope, all of my guy friends are married or out of the country, so I think you’re safe. Except for Tanner, but I think he has eyes on someone else in town.”
That sparked the intrigue of her journalist side. “Do tell.”
“I think he has a thing for the local bridal store owner.” His smile was conspiratorial, and he nodded a few times as if that would convince Danielle of the truth of it.
Tanner liked Susie? That would be an interesting matchup. Then again, it would be like the quarterback and the head cheerleader dating, although Tanner was significantly more shy than the average jock.
Liam and Danielle sat on the bench, the silence between them peaceful, and she looked over once, admiring his profile. After a bit, she said, “Don’t you have to open your bookstore?”
As if that spurred him into action, Liam jumped up. “Yes, actually. Sorry, I’ve got to go.”
Danielle stood as well. “How about if I walk with you? I’m done with the park for today anyway.”
They started walking on the sidewalk back to Main Street, and Liam pointed to her laptop. “What were you working on?”
After some hesitation, Danielle said, “Just some thoughts. I’ve toyed around with the idea of writing books. But that could just be a pipe dream.” The lie hurt, but she still wasn’t ready to tell anyone. As much as she was used to the spotlight for the news, she kind of enjoyed the anonymity of hearing what people thought of her books without them knowing they were written by her.
Liam stuffed his hands into his pockets, something Danielle liked as it emphasized the muscles in his upper arms. “I don’t know. I’ve read that MK Malone is a self-published author. There are a lot of opportunities these days. Maybe you could be the next risi
ng star.” He smiled at her, his white teeth gleaming in the sunlight.
Danielle nodded. “Maybe. I have to write the book first.” Plotting was taking longer than it had the times before, and she worried the fourth book wouldn’t be as good as the earlier ones.
“Well, I have a minor in English, so if you ever need to bounce ideas or someone to read your stuff, let me know.”
A thrill shot up her back, and she smiled at him. “Thank you. You’re probably the only person to ever offer besides Becca. Which isn’t saying much because writing is not her forte.”
“I’ve read a few of your articles, and I think you have a talent with words. We could be reading one of your books this time next week.”
Danielle held out her hand. “Hold on there, city boy. I’d be lucky to have the first draft written by next week. Editing, proofing, cover design…that all takes time.”
Liam chuckled, the sound making her think of smooth chocolate for some reason. A few seconds later, his face sobered. “I’ve been thinking about emailing MK Malone to see if he or she would come talk at the bookstore sometime. If it happens, I’ll make sure you have some time to pick his or her brain.”
Danielle stopped a minute, her brain in overdrive. She felt her heart soften toward this gorgeous man, that he would do something like that for her when they were little more than acquaintances. But her mind then registered that he would be emailing her to come and speak to Sage Creek. What mess had she gotten herself into?
He turned and waited for her to catch up.
She’d have to put the kibosh on that plan as soon as possible.
Chapter 17
Liam smiled as he switched books from one shelf to another Tuesday morning. It was usually the slowest day of the week, and he had a system for rotating out the books depending on season, month, or event. The rotation helped the frequent shoppers to see something new. Impulse buys moved books.
Thoughts about Danielle floated through his mind. He liked her spunk and how she was so forward about her feelings on just about everything. The fact that she was thinking about writing a book was admirable. He’d always thought about writing books but had been too busy in New York.
Now, taking care of Cari and Kara the past several months, he felt like all of his thoughts about fantasy worlds had been frozen, the creativity not coming to him when he actually sat down to write. It was one of the reasons he’d volunteered to copyedit and then write for the newspaper, in the hopes that it would help spark some creativity after writing about opinions and facts.
He needed to get started on his article as he only had a couple of days left to write and edit his thoughts, which usually needed more time to flesh out. Maybe a deadline would be the key to pushing his brain to the limit. They’d be driving back and forth to Grand Junction after school every day when they could, hoping to spend as much time as they could with Kara, so his time would be limited. The treatments made her sick, but she was able to interact with them for about an hour before she needed rest.
The bell on the door rang, and he looked over one of the shelves and saw Danielle walk into the store.
“Are you looking for another stack of books? Because I think you’ll like that section over there.” He grinned at her as he walked out from behind the shelves. “I just moved the mystery section.”
She smiled and nodded. “Thank you. I actually just finished the last book in my stack around two this morning and figured I’d come in for some more entertainment. I wrote a few chapters last night for my book, so I’m on a roll.” Her grin looked giddy, like it was some miracle she’d done that much.
Leaning an arm on the shelf, Liam said, “Do you read a lot to get inspiration?”
“I guess so. I haven’t really thought about it like that.” She turned her gaze to the bookshelf next to her, her fingers moving over the spines of the books there.
With her light brown hair falling in waves over her shoulder, Liam found her simple beauty alluring. Tawnee had barely ever let him see her without makeup on and her hair done, and while he’d seen video clips of Danielle reporting the news, she didn’t look like a completely different person in real life.
But was that attraction enough to take away his fears of being in a relationship again? Not that Danielle gave off the vibe she was willing to date anyone. Colton had said something about a ban against dating, and he suddenly wanted to know what would lead her to that. An ex-boyfriend, maybe?
Realizing he was staring, Liam said, “Let me know if you need something.” He turned and ducked behind the shelf, doing his best to focus on the titles he’d already moved.
“Actually, I was curious if you’ve already emailed MK Malone.”
Popping his head back around the shelf, he said, “No. I haven’t quite figured out how to word it, or what we could offer in exchange for a visit. I know some of the bigger authors have a dollar amount attached to speaking arrangements, but I haven’t read about anything for him. Our small bookstore wouldn’t be able to afford a large sum for one event, but if it were a reasonable request, I’d find a way to make it happen.”
“Maybe you should wait a bit. I’m sure he’s probably working on his next book.” She paused a moment before saying, “Wait. How did you know the author is a guy anyway? I’ve had trouble finding anything about him.”
Liam shrugged. “I think I heard one of the ladies in your book club talking about the author as a guy, so I just assumed they knew something I didn’t.” He gave her a half-smile, and her face softened. “Why do you think I should wait? I think right now would be a great time since a lot of the town has read the three books that are out.”
She looked hesitant about something and then said, “I don’t know. It’s up to you. Who knows if he’d have time to come here?” Something about the way she broached this topic made Liam suspicious, but he wasn’t sure what it was that felt off.
“I’ll let you know when I contact him. I’ve had a lot going on here, but it will be a treat for the people in town. The trilogy has been a good seller here, and it’s been a challenge to come up with books I can stock as a supplement until the next one comes out.”
Danielle tilted her head to the side a bit. “I never really considered all that goes into a bookstore. I guess I just thought of it as a place with a lot of books. But rotating where they’re positioned, thinking about the ones that would be good for certain interests and personalities, even having the knowledge of so many books to be able to refer people to the books they need…that’s impressive.”
Liam’s chest swelled with pride. “Why, thank you. My mother loved books. I think she’d be proud that we worked to make it happen.”
“You and Kara?”
A stab of guilt filled him as he said, “Yes.”
“What happened to your parents?”
“My dad passed away eight years ago. They diagnosed him with a brain tumor, and three months later, my mother passed away. She’d had muscular sclerosis since I was young.”
Danielle’s hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes went wide. The people who knew the family’s background usually reacted the same. Two people with cancer and one with an autoimmune disease sounded like a curse. But his parents had been older and had accepted it after a longer life. Kara just needed that chance.
“I’m so sorry. I had no idea.” She shook her head.
Liam moved forward, placing a hand hesitantly on her shoulder. “They never lived here, so you wouldn’t have known. It’s fine.” After a breath, he asked, “What happened with your father? I’ve only ever heard people talk about Mrs. Holloway.”
With a quick shrug, she said, “It’s the classic story of the husband hitting a mid-life crisis and deciding he didn’t want to be married anymore. I barely remember him.”
The methodical tone of her voice and the mask she wore hid feelings that had probably built over the years. That could be the reason she was often snarky and sarcastic, trying to hide the hurt and pain from years of whatever had happened
to her.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Danielle’s face was somber, but she said, “Like you said, you couldn’t have known. Not many people talk about it here, which is surprising in a small town. It’s old news, and most people like my mother too much to speak badly about her. She’s so sweet. Sometimes I wonder if I actually am her daughter.” Again, the laugh sounded off, and Liam wondered if there was a part of her that believed it.
“Well, you’re several inches taller than her, but other than that, you could pass as siblings.”
She raised her eyebrow, and Liam felt himself backpedaling. “I mean that in a good way, you know, like you are a younger version of her if she were a really, like, a lot older sister and—”
“Liam.”
“Huh?”
“Stop. You’re fine. My mother would take that as a compliment.” Danielle turned back to the books, and Liam was caught in the middle of the bookstore, wondering whether he should go back to work or continue the conversation.
“Let me know when you’re ready to check out.”
Moving back to his shelf, he peeked over, studying her from a safe distance. There were so many facets to her personality, and he felt like each time he talked with her, another one appeared. She could be blunt and sarcastic, but she also had a more sensitive side.
Then again, there was the fact that he’d just stumbled over every word that came out of his mouth. He had been an investment banker and had to talk to people all the time. But over the last few days, he’d been doing word gymnastics when he was around Danielle.
Maybe he needed a nap and a break from town. With Kara starting her first treatment on Thursday, he planned to head to Grand Junction, taking Cari out of school on Friday and making a weekend out of it. If things went well, he hoped to have his sister back home in the next few weeks, hopefully with a better overall outlook. He could dream that she’d be cured, but sooner or later he’d have to face the facts that he was going to lose yet another family member.
Love Under Review Page 9
