Love Under Review

by Britney M. Mills

  “Dreams come true, even if we have to change them a few times. If I’m here, I’ll be your bridesmaid. Just don’t make me wear tulle.” Danielle gave her a close-lipped smile and leaned back against the bench, watching the water fall over the edges of each level on the fountain.

  Susie smiled, wiping away a tear that was about to fall. “Thank you, Dani. I know we’ve never been close, but that means a lot coming from you. My advice to you is to go for it.”

  “Go for what?” Danielle asked, shifting her attention back to Susie.

  “Liam. The way you two look at each other, it’s like there’s a magnetic field pulling you toward one another. I would’ve guessed you’ve known each other for a lifetime.” Susie grinned.

  Danielle turned back to the fountain, blinking. “We’re not a couple, and we’re not dating.” It sounded so final, more final than she wanted it to be.

  Susie stood, sliding the strap of her purse over one shoulder. “I didn’t say anything. Just what I observed. I’ve got to head to the bakery. I’ll see you around.” She took a few steps and turned back around. “And Danielle? Thanks for the talk.”

  As she walked away, Danielle thought about her words. Should she go for Liam? But the whole thing about MK Malone was hanging over her head. He’d specifically said he’d broken up with his girlfriend because she’d lied. She wasn’t committing any felonies by writing a book, but that might not be different in his eyes.

  What was the best way to tell him both about being the author he’d emailed and attempt to tell him she might be developing feelings for him? Where was Becca when she needed her? A two-week honeymoon was far too long when so much was happening in Danielle’s life. She was glad they’d finally be back later that day.

  Ugh. She needed to keep her words to the page and hope she could just show him she liked him without crashing hard.

  A text message sounded, and she pulled out her phone, smiling when she saw it was from Liam.

  I’m so sorry. I had to head to Grand Junction for a bit, and I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Pick a topic, and I’ll work with it. I hope you’re doing well, and I’ll see you soon.

  And like that, all the feelings she’d had for him were put in limbo. With such a vague text message, she wondered if she’d been imagining his feelings and intentions toward her. Was this just another friend-zone situation? She’d been friend-zoned a few times, and while it hadn’t crushed every part of her, this general text could’ve been sent to anyone. She’d have thought that if he was about to kiss her, there would be more sentiment, more flirting.

  Why didn’t he tell her when he was leaving town? He’d see her soon? He’d been the one to initiate the date. Did that mean nothing? She wished he could have been more specific, but there she was, acting like some of the girls she’d always vowed to avoid. She didn’t need to overanalyze it. The best way to play this was to act like she had when they’d first met, like he was just another guy in her path.

  That’s what she would do. She’d be nicer than the first time they’d met, but she wouldn’t worry about dating him, let alone kissing him. It would work, and then she’d be back to the real Danielle Holloway, taking her dreams and bringing them to life. In a way.

  Chapter 24

  Liam had closed up the shop on Friday morning, knowing Kara would be getting her next treatment that day and wanting Cari to be there with her. They’d spent the weekend with his sister, and when the doctor said they were seeing some small improvements, his hope returned. They still weren’t out of danger yet, but at least there was something positive to go with all of the heartache of it.

  He’d gotten Danielle’s text as he was driving, and part of him felt bad he couldn’t hang out with her. But guilt soon followed, as he knew he needed to be there for his sister. He’d also missed the day with the guys, but Tanner and Colton understood. Liam just hoped Danielle would still want to get together when he came back home. Now wasn’t the greatest time to start a relationship, but he’d figured out she was worth the juggling act.

  Now, Monday morning, he was ready to start the week and get back to life at the bookstore. He’d just have to find a time to talk to Danielle, hoping she felt the same way he did.

  “Are you ready to go to school?” Liam asked Cari as she sat eating her cereal.

  “Already? I feel like I just woke up.” Cari’s eyes were heavily lidded, and Liam smirked. They’d stayed up a lot later than her normal bedtime the past few days, and he could understand why she was so tired.

  “Yep, it’s time to start walking over. Let’s get your shoes on and grab your backpack.” Liam pulled out the satchel he carried every day and waited by the door as Cari moved like molasses.

  As he waited for her to get everything on, he pulled out his phone and checked his messages. When he opened his inbox, he was surprised to see a new email from MK Malone. Excitement poured through him, and he clicked on it with his thumb.

  Dear Mr. Pearson,

  Thank you for your email. It was nice to hear from a good fan. I’ve given it a lot of thought and checked my schedule. I’d be able to come to your small town next week if that works for you. Wednesday would work the best, so just let me know what time you’d like to have me arrive.

  I will have a red flower on my lapel so you know who I am.

  I’ll wait to hear from you,

  MK

  “Yes!” Liam punched his hand into the air and laughed.

  Cari scrunched her nose and stared at him. “Why are you so happy this early in the morning?”

  Liam opened the door and walked down the front porch, pausing for Cari to follow. “I just got some good news.”

  His mind was in the clouds as they walked along, and he was surprised when they came to the corner near the elementary school.

  “Hey, Liam. I was wondering if you were back or not.” Danielle’s voice came to him like a song, and he turned, his cheeks hurting from smiling so wide for several minutes.

  “We got back last night from the hospital.” Should he tell her about the email he’d just received? Or would it be better as a surprise for her? It took him a minute to realize she was in workout clothes, a fitted tank top and yoga pants. “Did you take up running while I was gone?”

  Danielle looked down at her clothes. “Um, no. That would mean the world is ending. Now that she’s back from her honeymoon, Becca wanted me to try out the yoga class one of the ladies is putting on every week. I think they might bar me from entering ever again.”

  Her eyes moved down, and Cari stood up from inspecting a bug on the sidewalk.

  “Hi, Danielle,” Cari said, waving. “When are you going to go on a date with Uncle Liam again?”

  Liam’s body froze at her comment, searching Danielle’s face for any reaction, good or bad.

  “Well, I’m not sure. What if I want to come hang out with you instead?” Danielle knelt, looking at the young girl.

  Cari grinned. “I can go for that.”

  Liam shook his head behind her. She’d been spending so much time with Tasha that she’d begun to talk like the teenager.

  “I think we’ll have to build a sandcastle or something sometime.” Danielle stuck her hand out, and Cari took it, shaking it with a big motion.

  “When? Can you meet after school gets out?” Cari swayed back and forth as she talked, and Danielle laughed through most of it.

  Danielle glanced back up at him, and his heart skipped a beat, his mouth going dry as he awaited her answer. “I have something today, but maybe tomorrow? You should probably head into school, or you’ll be late.” The bell rang, and kids started entering the elementary school.

  Cari gave Danielle a devilish smile. “He’s free tonight, so you can go on a date.” The girl laughed as she ran off in the direction of the front doors.

  His mouth dropped open in shock. “Cari, hurry on to your class. I’ll see you after.”

  Danielle’s attention turned back to Liam, and he felt the shame of her stare. “How
is Kara doing, really?”

  “There are no major improvements yet. But she will be ready for surgery again in another week or two. If they can get everything out, she could go back to living a normal life. If not, she could go anywhere from weeks to a year before passing away.” He locked his eyes with hers, seeing a betrayal there. He tried to think of what he could have done to give her that impression.

  Her jaw tightened, and she rubbed her lips together as though trying to keep her emotions in check.

  “I wish you would have told me. That you were heading out, I mean.” She tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear and stared into his eyes, sending that tingly feeling flooding over him. Her words cracked at the end, and Liam felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

  Reaching forward, he placed his hand on her upper arm. “I’m sorry. There’s just a lot going on in my life right now, and when the doctors called and said we needed to hurry, I just took off.”

  Something about his comment changed her expression, like she’d been smacked.

  “No, I get it. I just thought—” She paused, her expression looking like she was at war with some internal decision. “I just hope you’re okay.” She took a few backward steps away from him, heading in the direction of her street.

  “Thank you for that.” Her words opened hope inside him. Someone cared about him, but not in a way to get ahead or lie about her feelings. “MK Malone agreed to come to the bookstore.”

  The sadness in her smile dampened his excitement. “Congrats, Liam. I hope it’s a success.” She turned and walked away, but Liam ran up and grabbed her arm.

  “Danielle, I’m really sorry I didn’t text you when we left. Can you forgive me for that?”

  Her gaze went from his hand on her arm to his face, her lips trembling like she was about to cry. “You had to go. It was your sister. I should have figured it was something important.”

  They paused, staring at each other a few more moments before she said, “I’m sorry. I have to run. I told my mom I’d help her with some, uh, muffin baking.” She gave him a small smile and waved as she walked down the street.

  There was still something she hadn’t told him, but maybe it would be better to let her tell him when she was ready.

  Chapter 25

  So many emotions coursed through Danielle that she was shaking by the time she made it home. After a long, hot shower, she felt a bit better, even though that seed of doubt had entered in.

  Checking her email, she saw a response from Liam about MK Malone coming to the bookshop. Her stomach sank, a bitterness rising in her throat. How was she going to pull that off now? She’d sent the response on Saturday and had promptly forgotten about it. As she thought about the possessiveness she’d felt about him not telling her he was leaving, she felt guilty. But most of all, she was scared of how he would react when he found out she was MK Malone.

  Sinking onto her bed, she stared at her dresser for several minutes, all of the scenarios passing through her head. There were only a few situations where he might be accepting of her deception so far, but she needed to come clean to him before the MK Malone appearance. She didn’t want him to look like a fool in front of the entire town.

  Pulling out her phone, she debated texting him an apology but knew it would be better to do it in person.

  Will you meet me at the pizzeria tomorrow? I need to talk to you.

  As if he’d been waiting for her text, his response came within a few seconds.

  Of course. What time?

  How about noon? Will that work with the bookstore schedule?

  The response took a few more minutes this time before it finally came through.

  Can we do eleven? I forgot I’m supposed to help in Cari’s class after.

  A smile played on her lips, and she nodded, even though she was alone in her room.

  That works. Thank you.

  Putting her phone away, she got up to dry her hair, hoping she’d be able to make it through her speech. She’d been so frustrated with him not contacting her, but he’d been taking care of his sister and niece, which she found endearing. But would he feel the same about her after she revealed she was MK Malone?

  Danielle couldn’t wait until eleven to speak to him. She’d been up half the night, tossing and turning over her decision to even say MK Malone would come to meet the town. She’d loved the anonymity and hearing what people really had to say about the books. And she’d liked getting to know the bookstore owner in the process.

  Sitting on the bench outside the bookstore at eight, she pulled out her computer and started typing, trying to focus on the edits she needed to make in her book. But her mind was hyperaware of every sound around her, causing her to glance up every few seconds, hoping to see Liam’s smiling face.

  When she saw him strolling down the sidewalk from the elementary school, she turned her eyes back to the screen, wanting to at least appear like she was engrossed in the words.

  “Hey, I thought we were meeting at eleven?” Liam said, laughing as he walked up to her. He slid next to her on the bench and met her gaze with his bright blue eyes.

  “Well, I couldn’t sleep last night, and I just wanted to talk to you first thing.” She closed her laptop and slipped it into her bag. Turning to face him, she placed one hand on top of the other over her leg. After a deep breath, she said, “I just want to apologize for how I reacted yesterday. I shouldn’t have done that. I guess it just hurt that I feel like we’ve gotten close and your sister being sick is a huge part of your life, but you didn’t tell me about it.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry too. I can imagine you thought I’d taken off for somewhere.” He winked and gave her a lazy smile, causing a giggle to bubble up in her throat.

  “I also have one thing to confess to you,” Danielle said, biting her bottom lip.

  Liam raised an eyebrow. “Okay?” His voice was hesitant, and all of the things she’d pictured from the night before came rushing back. Was she ready to tell him the truth, only to have him back away from her like she’d done to him the day before?

  Danielle opened her mouth to speak, but Liam’s phone rang, and he looked down at the screen. He held up a finger and said, “The delivery truck is here with today’s shipment, and I’ve got to get it unloaded or the guy will leave. Can we talk a little later?”

  Frustration ebbed inside her chest, and she said, “This will take two minutes.”

  Liam stared at her, giving her his full attention. And with that, she chickened out. “I, uh, thought I had an idea for our next article, but I can’t remember it anymore.” Her explanation sounded lame to her own ears.

  “Oh, okay. Well, I’ll see you, maybe tomorrow? MK Malone is coming in the morning. I’ve got posters and flyers being printed right now. Are you going to come?” His gaze held her, and she nodded.

  “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  Liam disappeared around the side of the building, and Danielle put her hands over her face, feeling the suspense as she knew tomorrow would be a total disaster.

  Chapter 26

  Liam woke early, unable to sleep because of what today would bring. He still couldn’t believe MK Malone was actually coming to his bookstore. As he’d talked to a lot of people the night before while passing out flyers, he was surprised by all of the people who said they’d be there. He knew some of that was talk, but filling his bookstore with all the fans of MK Malone was more exciting than he imagined.

  He’d been able to read the other two books in the series over the course of the past few weeks, when he hadn’t been driving to Grand Junction or participating in some event in the small town. And when he’d received the email that the author was coming, he’d gone to the website and seen that there would soon be a fourth book, which he was sure the many readers in Sage Creek would look forward to.

  He kept thinking about Danielle as well, hoping she’d come too. What was she trying to tell him with her expression?

  He sent her a quick text. Are you coming to the auth
or event today? I hope to see you there today. Maybe we can get some dinner later?

  He dressed, checking his phone every minute or so to see if she’d responded. She was usually quick to answer back, but maybe she was sleeping. Shaking off the feeling of dread clouding his excitement for the day, he dressed and got everything ready for Cari to head to school.

  Over the next two hours, he did as much research as he could on MK Malone and made a few dozen cookies out of prepackaged cookie dough. He was grateful that others had already volunteered to bring in other food items, but he hoped it would be enough for the crowd that would be forming.

  He got Cari off to school a bit earlier than usual and worked in the bookstore, shifting furniture and trying to decide how things should be set up. Tanner arrived with a cartload of extra chairs they’d borrowed from the rec hall, and the two of them worked to get everything lined up, having all of them face away from the door to the back in the hopes that any stragglers would be able to find a seat without disturbing the crowd. Two long tables were set up on the far wall, and when the ladies brought food, it would be easy to direct them there.

  People started milling around by ten thirty, chatting with neighbors and saving seats. The buzz in the room sent a rush of adrenaline through him. It was something he and Kara had always wanted, a chance for the community to come together to talk about books. He wished she was there with him.

  At a quarter to eleven, there were only single seats sprinkled throughout the crowd, and Liam was pacing around the shelves, hoping the guest of honor wasn’t standing them up. He’d worked with a few other authors for readings like this, but they’d always been early, leaving him time to talk to them a few minutes before introducing them to the crowd. Liam poked his head through the door and let his eyes search through the crowd, hoping to see someone unfamiliar with a red flower on his lapel.