The moment held. Warm. Strange.
When she finally stood, gathering the empty containers, I noticed the way she moved—careful, graceful despite those ridiculous heels. Her costume bells chimed softly.
All night I'd been telling myself I was just being neighborly. Helping out someone in an awkward spot. The right thing to do.
But sitting across from Flannery Green in that break room, seeing all the contradictions she didn't even know she was showing me—the shy librarian in the sexy elf costume, the woman who read romance novels but probably didn't know what it felt like to be kissed like she mattered—
This wasn't about being neighborly anymore.
My chest tightened, like someone had cinched a rope around my ribs. I hadn't felt this way in a long time. Maybe never. This heady mix of wanting to know someone, protect them, show them they were worth more than they realized.
We still had inventory to finish. A storm to wait out. Hours left before reality returned.
But I'd stopped fooling myself about why I wanted to stay.
Chapter Three
Flannery
"Dash talks about you all the time," Shep said, setting his empty container aside. "Not that you don't already know that."
My face went hot. "He's such a sweet kid. I adore him." I pushed my glasses up. "He mentioned his mom lives in Houston?"
Shep's expression shifted, something guarded flickering across his features before he nodded. "Yeah. Delilah and I are divorced. She, uh... guess family life wasn't for her. Ran off with a long-haul trucker about a year and a half ago."
"Oh." I didn't know what to say to that. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. We're better off." He leaned back in his chair. "We alternate holidays per the parenting plan. Dash'll be with his mom—and her new boyfriend—over New Year's this year. But Christmas is mine, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."
The way he said it—fierce and protective—made me want to cry and laugh at the same time.
"He's at a sleepover tonight," Shep continued. "With Jayden and the Millers. So at least I don't have to worry about getting home in this weather. He's probably sound asleep by now. Or building a blanket fort in Jayden's room and keeping Jon and Heather on their toes."
I laughed, picturing it. "Definitely the fort. Those two together are unstoppable."
"You love kids."
It wasn't a question, but I answered anyway. "I do. Would love to have a big family of my own someday." The confession slipped out before I could stop it, and my cheeks burned. "I mean, you know. Eventually. If that happens."
"It'll happen." His voice was quiet, certain. "You're wonderful with them. Patient. Kind. Any kid would be lucky to have you as their mom."
The sincerity in his eyes made my throat tighten.
"So what made you want to work here?" he asked, mercifully changing the subject. "Two jobs can't be easy."
I took a breath. Here it was—the truth I usually kept hidden. "I'm saving for library school. I need fifteen thousand dollars for my MLIS degree at Texas Tech. The library job barely covers rent and groceries, so..." I gestured vaguely toward the shop beyond the break room. "Angela pays eighteen dollars an hour. I'll have enough saved by next fall to finally enroll."
"Library school." He said it like he was turning the words over, understanding them. "Makes sense. You light up when you talk about books."
"I can't think of anything better than promoting literacy, especially getting kids into reading. Creating that love of stories." I played with the edge of my empty container. "Books saved me when my parents died. Mee-Maw raised me, but books... they were my escape. My comfort. I want to give that to other people."
"That's a real dream," Shep said quietly. "Not just a job. Something that matters."
The way he looked at me—like he saw more than just the shy librarian in the ridiculous costume—made my heart race.
"We should probably finish the inventory," I said, though I didn't want to move. Didn't want to break whatever this was building between us.
"Yeah. Probably."
