by Jeannie Moon
“I wouldn’t have let that happen.”
He raised an eyebrow and grabbed the large stainless steel soup pot from her hands. “Glad to hear it.”
There was a hint of skepticism in his voice, and she wondered why. “Maybe because the thought of having him here makes you nervous as a cat in a kennel,” a little voice in her head reminded her, but still, she challenged him. “You don’t believe me?”
He hesitated and looked down, concentrating on the droplets of water sparkling off the metal surface. “I wasn’t sure. When you mentioned it, you looked a little…unnerved by it. You did say it was Tara’s idea.”
She had been, but not for the reasons he thought. Jane was fully aware of everything that was brewing between them. The attraction was off the chart. She was already at risk of losing her heart to him because of all the old feelings that never really went away, but this new, bubbling awareness had the potential to leave her completely wrecked. She wasn’t seventeen anymore, with a lifetime of adventure ahead of her. Now, her heart wouldn’t just be broken, but shattered.
“Maybe a little? You do keep me on my toes, but I’m glad you’re here. I am. I love…”
Stop! Ugh. Not that word. Not the “L” word. Jane looked out the window over the sink, seeing the large bare maple that stood on the opposite side of her driveway. How did she express this without it sounding pitiable?
“Jane?”
“Shh. Let me think, okay?”
“Okay.” Danny picked up another serving piece and dried it, the motion of his hands steady and rhythmic.
“I do love that you’re here,” she finally muttered. “You confuse the hell out of me, but I’m happy you’re back home. Happy you’re in my life again. Like I said the other night, I’ve missed you.”
“I know. I was a lousy friend. I’m so sorry. I should have been here for you, especially after your dad died.”
“It was so long ago and your life was elsewhere.” She shrugged, not feeling bitter and angry although she probably should. “I wasn’t even a blip on the screen.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” he said, with a tone of disgust in his voice. “You were my closest friend. You were…everything, and I just walked away. I thought I was giving us room to breathe, but I think I was just a coward. It’s possible I still am.”
Jane turned off the faucet, keeping her eyes focused on the gray dishwater spinning down the drain. She was everything? Everything? What did he mean by that? When he kissed her after their dinner the other night, there was so much energy radiating off of him, she couldn’t untangle the feelings. The tenderness was unmistakable, but was there also loss and regret? If she did mean that much to him, cutting her off completely made little sense. Danny didn’t shy away from challenges; his life was proof of that. So, what was he afraid of?
“I think you’re too tough on yourself.” She took the dishtowel from his hands and dried her own. “It’s life. Things happen.”
“No. That’s an excuse. I have to own the fact that I screwed up. With my family, and you. My sister has been so welcoming. I don’t deserve it.” He turned, his body tight as he shifted his hip against the counter, facing her.
“You’re here now. Moving forward you can make different choices.”
He stared at her, his gaze intense and dark. He looked edgy, hard, almost a little dangerous, like he had a mission and nothing would deter him. His hand came up, and his fingers left a soft trail of heat and electricity on her skin. “Can I?”
Jane squeezed her eyes shut, the heat between them wrapping her up in a fantasy she dared not have. What if wasn’t a productive way to live. The tiny phrase was littered with heartbreak and disappointment.
“I think that’s up to you. Do what feels right.” As soon as she said it, Jane realized it sounded like an invitation, and maybe it was. Danny inched a little closer, settling a hand on her hip while the other cupped her cheek. His lips landed right at the corner of her mouth, leaving a barely there sizzle of electricity. Every nerve ending lit up like the Christmas lights strung all over town. The power in the kiss was in the tenderness of it, with his gentle, sweet ministrations making her dizzy. His touch was like a drug, his kiss a balm for her soul.
Never, even when she was married, did a simple kiss have the power to undo her. Something about Danny changed that. He applied gentle, but steady pressure, moving and teasing, drawing her essence into his own mouth. Jane felt breathless, dreamy. Without a doubt, her heart was losing its battle to keep him at a distance.
How had she gotten to be this age, a middle-aged woman, without knowing the joy of bonding with someone like this? Had she deliberately avoided this kind of emotional connection? Or had she just been waiting for Danny to come back to her?
It was clear, whatever the case, that Jane’s heart was in major trouble. The most surprising part was that she didn’t care.
Chapter Eleven
“Miss Jane? Is this a good snowman?” Austin Trebour was as cute a little boy as Jane had ever seen, with his big green eyes shining at her, but he worried way too much for a five-year-old. He waved the snowman ornament he’d been working on for the last forty-five minutes over his head, effectively spraying glitter all over the table, the floor, and himself. With his red hair now dusted with silver and gold sparkles, he looked like a little Christmas elf.
It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and the shopping season had officially kicked off in Angel Harbor. The day was all about the community, with activities for kids, sales for the adults, and the big Christmas kick-off on Main Street once the sun went down. Jane hosted arts and crafts in the children’s room, and later there would be a holiday story time. In all, it was good fun, and the small businesses all chipped in to make the day enjoyable for everyone in town.
“Austin, that is a pretty spectacular snowman.” Jane sat in the child-size chair next to the boy, examining his work. “You definitely made him sparkle.”
“I like the sparkles. I think snow sparkles, so that’s why I used a lot.” He reached for the shaker of silver glitter, to add more, but just in time, his mother stepped up to the table and crouched down next to her son. Lindsey Trebour was a teacher at the local elementary school and had three kids ages five, four, and two. When people heard about her three very young kids and her having a full-time job, they wondered how she managed while keeping a smile on her face. Jane figured she was some kind of magical creature—there was no other explanation.
“Austin, I think you’ve used enough glitter. That snowman is going to melt under the weight of it,” she said. “And you need to leave glitter for other children.”
Jane never ran out of glitter, but Lindsey was right. Austin had layered it on pretty thick. “Why don’t you give your snowman to Miss Tracy and she’ll put it in the back room to dry?”
When Jane nodded toward the workroom door, the boy agreed, taking his creation and leaving a trail of glitter on his way to Tracy.
“I feel like I should help you clean up,” Lindsey said. “You’re going to be vacuuming this up until Valentine’s Day!”
“Oh, what’s Christmas without bling? Come on, Lindsey, if I remember, you liked your sparkles too. And you were a teenager.”
Lindsey laughed and dropped to the floor, moving into a perfect lotus position. “That is true. I still do.” Watching her other kids do a coloring project with Tara and the English Honor Society students, Lindsey relaxed for a minute. “This is such a fun day. The merchants go above and beyond for everyone.”
“It’s our pleasure.” Jane said sincerely.
“How was your Thanksgiving?”
“It was lovely, thank you for asking. We had a relaxing day. Everyone pitched in, there was no stress. The food was awesome, if I do say so myself, and the company even better.”
“That sounds wonderful. The grapevine has been chattering about your resident artist.”
The grapevine should learn to mind its own business, she thought. “Has it?”
“He’s an old friend. We went to high school together.”
“Did you? And he just dropped back into town and made himself comfortable in the bookstore?”
“He did.”
Both Jane and Lindsey were startled to see Danny smiling down at them.
“And he’s been lucky Jane didn’t toss him out on his ass. You know those writer types. Very surly.”
Did her heart just pitter-pat? Jane believed it did. That smile of his was going to end her. “Hi!” She stood. “I didn’t know you were coming in.”
“I have the kids. Mel and Peter went shopping, so I volunteered to take them to lunch. I’m also going to help them get presents for their folks.”
“That sounds like fun.”
Danny extended his hand to Lindsey, who was also standing. “I’m Dan Gallo.”
“Hi, I’m—” It was right then that Jane saw awareness flash across Lindsey’s face. Her smile went from bright to awestruck. “Wait. The Dan Gallo? The writer?”
“That would be me.” Jane watched his eyes drop modestly. He was so humble, so unimpressed with himself. Where did the obnoxious, self-absorbed Dan Gallo he kept telling her about actually reside? Because it wasn’t with the guy she’d been seeing.
“I am SUCH a fan. Oh my God.” Lindsey took his hand and shook it with both of hers. She was having a total fangirl moment. “I’ve been reading your books since I was a teenager.”
“Not that long, then?” His charm just oozed, and Lindsey giggled like a twelve-year-old.
“Oh, wow. Longer than you’d think.” The woman blushed. She was a mother of three and an accomplished professional, and the man made her weak at the knees. Thinking about it, Jane could relate.
“So, you’ve been writing here?” Lindsey asked. “What are you working on? Can you share? Oh, I bet it’s a secret. Still, could you tell me?”
“Do you always talk so fast?” he joked, extracting his hand without her realizing it.
“Oh, gosh. I’m sorry. Yes. I have three kids and I teach third grade. I’m always working at double speed.”
“No wonder.” He smiled and Jane waited to see how he answered her questions. She wondered when he would be ready to share information about his book. He hadn’t even told her very much. “I can tell you it’s different from anything I’ve done before, but that’s it.”
Lindsey folded her arms and tried to be cool. She was still vibrating with excitement, but she did make a good effort. “That’s so exciting. I can’t wait.”
“When I’m ready to reveal the details, I hope Jane will let me do something here. I think it would be fun to have a discussion with readers, don’t you?”
This was the first Jane was hearing about his plan. Would she let him do something here, at her bookstore? Was he kidding? The publicity would be insane, and her store would be packed.
“It’s a great idea.” Jane replied. “We’ll have to talk about it.”
“I think that’s amazing,” Lindsey gushed. “I will be in the front row. Wow. Does that make me sound like a stalker? I mean, I’m not, but I would be here.” She took a breath. “I’ll stop talking now.”
Danny laughed out loud at her babbling. “Lindsey, it was a pleasure. I’m going to steal Jane for a bit, if that’s okay?”
“No problem. Jane, I’m going to round up the kids. Thanks for all this—you rock. We’ll be back for story time later.”
Jane waved as Lindsey trotted off to find her offspring. “Well, you sure impressed her.”
Danny grabbed her hand and leaned in for a quick kiss. “She’s a kinetic wave, but it seems her life requires it.”
“She is, but she’s great. A wonderful mom and the kids in her class love her.”
“I bet. Do you have a second?” His eyes appeared a deeper blue today. Dark, almost stormy.
“I do. Where are the kids you’re supposedly in charge of?”
“I think they were taken by fairies.” With what felt like the whole world watching, he pulled her into her office and closed the door. His mouth came down on hers without even a moment’s pause. “I’ve missed you,” he said after stealing her breath with a long, teasing kiss.
“I saw you yesterday.” Jane grazed her fingers across his cheek, so touched by his need to see her. “Seriously, where are the kids?”
“They’re with your mom. She’s helping them pick out gifts for their parents.”
“I thought you were doing that?” Taking advantage of their closeness, Jane slipped her arms around his waist.
“What? I have no clue how to pick out presents. I’m just paying. Kathleen will do a much better job than I would.”
“I’m sure you’d do fine.” He loved his family, and whatever he chose would come from the heart.
“I love that you have so much faith in me. Even about the little things.”
Joy bubbled up, filling Jane with a bottomless happiness as she rested her head on his broad chest. When his arms came around her, she felt peace. This was what she’d been waiting for, this bone-deep contentment. She’d missed him without even knowing it.
“Hey,” Danny said pulling her close. “Is everything okay?”
“Perfect,” Jane responded. “Everything is perfect.”
*
Once the kids were back with Mel and Peter, Dan’s original plan was to go back to the cottage to work a little more, but instead he spent some time browsing through the different stores in Angel Harbor. He was amazed to find he was feeling the Christmas spirit for the first time in a long while. He attributed it to a sweet, brainy woman who had changed the way he saw life.
Just as he got into his car, his phone buzzed in his pocket. On the screen he saw it was his business manager. He’d made the call yesterday, not expecting to hear from him so soon. Zach Gordon was a shark of an attorney who had a lot of high-profile clients. He took care of their business interests and helped solve problems when needed. Not the kind of guy to be labeled a fixer, Zach was still the one person you wanted in your corner if you needed something done.
He’d reached out to see if he could help Jane get some answers about her lease. He had the feeling her lawyer was jerking her around, so he dropped the problem in Zach’s lap. The guy had connections that went deep, so when Zach said “he had a guy,” he really did have a guy.
“Hey,” Dan answered. “That was quick.”
“Ask and you shall receive. It only took a few phone calls, but I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to tell you.”
Danny had been trying to ease Jane’s mind about the lease, but just this morning when he was out for a jog, he saw a woman with a clipboard outside the store. She was taking notes and examining every area around the old house. Naturally, he stopped to ask what she was doing, and she said she was “assessing the property for her clients.”
“Assessing the property” was not something he wanted to hear.
Assessment to him meant “sale.” And if the building were on the market, that would explain why Jane’s lease was held up.
“Is it what I thought?” Please say no…
“The building is up for sale. It’s being kept very quiet. There’s no formal listing.”
“What the hell does that mean? No listing?”
“It could mean a lot of things. I’m guessing the landlord had someone approach them about the location. Or he had a business contact. Whatever it was, no one is making the usual noise.” That made sense. It didn’t make him feel better, but it made sense.
“Shit.”
“Why the interest in a small-town bookstore? I mean, I get the bookstore connection,” Zach said. “But what’s going on?”
“A friend of mine owns the store. It’s been in her family for generations, and means a lot to the town. I can’t get my head around Angel Harbor Books fading from existence.�
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“Ah. Gotcha. I mean you could give her a heads-up, but I don’t think there’s anything she can do other than throw a wad of cash at the landlord.”
“Do you know what they want for the building?” The question popped out of his mouth and he had no idea why. Okay, that was a lie. He’d buy that building in a heartbeat if it would help Jane.
“I don’t, but I guess I could find out. Why?”
“Just find out for me, okay?”
“Are you going to do something crazy? I thought donating all that money to your old high school was nuts, but buying a building for some woman…”
The snarl in Zach’s voice came right through the phone, and Danny didn’t like it one bit. “Watch it. She’s not just some woman.”
“My job is to manage your money and your affairs. Buying a building for some small-town bookstore owner doesn’t sound like a good investment.”
“Just find out.”
He closed the call before Zach could ask any other questions.
*
An hour later, while he was sitting in the cottage, Dan got his answer. He picked up on the first ring. “Talk.”
“I can’t believe your girlfriend doesn’t know her building is being sold.”
Dan never referred to Jane as his girlfriend, but he wasn’t going to argue it. “Zach, get to the point.”
“It’s being bought by a big restaurant conglomerate. They have catering venues, restaurants, and cafés all over New York. They’re paying a fortune for her property and the one right next door. I guess your hometown will have a new place to eat if the sale goes through.”
“How much?” If he helped, maybe Jane could figure out a way to buy it herself. Even if she couldn’t, he could afford it. For her, he’d do anything. He doubted the landlords cared very much who bought the building, as long as they had the cash at the end of the deal.
“One point two million.”
Dan felt like he’d been punched in the gut. The building wasn’t that big, but it was in a prime downtown area with lots of foot traffic. There were probably other solutions, but he didn’t know what they were right now. “Go after it. I don’t care how much, but I want you to counter their offer.”
