He buried his face in her neck, breath shuddering, his arm banded tight around her as he whispered her name over and over.
It took long minutes for her world to go still and her mind to reconnect to her body. He didn’t pull away, and she wouldn’t let him if he tried. She kept her arms around him, tracing patterns along his spine in slow passes.
In that moment, she realized what this was.
Something lasting.
Something real.
Something a hell of a lot like love.
As she snuggled against his chest, one truth settled deep and immovable inside her.
If she was reading the situation right…then Gabe was in the thick of her mess too. Really in it.
And she wasn’t the only one who could get hurt.
Chapter Eleven
The whole town smelled like funnel cakes and barbecue.
Mayfest flooded down Main Street in a bright, noisy river. Kids darted in and out of clusters of adults catching up since the last time they ran into each other. Music blared from a speaker near the courthouse steps. And the breeze carried the scent of pork on the grill at the nearby barbecue booth mixed with the sweet burn of kettle corn to Gabe’s nose.
He stood in front of Felicity’s shop, soaking in the booths and tables stretching down the sidewalk. It was crowded—more crowded than he normally liked. If the interstate exit were open, it would be shoulder-to-shoulder out there.
As it was, the turnout wasn’t bad. Locals wandered past, laughing and talking, faces lifted to the weak spring sun. Some of them paused to read the signs on each booth and browse for things they probably didn’t need.
Felicity stood next to him, cheeks pink from the breeze and excitement. Occasionally, she fidgeted with her display, adjusting the books into a neat fan before stepping back to examine it.
The long table they’d set up looked good. Even though she claimed she threw together the booth, it looked like she’d put a lot of thought into it. Hardbacks and paperbacks were lined up in themed stacks, the covers glossy in the sun.
In the center of the table sat a little rotating display of bookmarks that caught the sunlight when the wind stirred them. On the far side, a small tray of round magnets waited, each one printed with a book quote.
Under the table she’d stashed a plastic bucket. He knew what was in it—he’d helped her load it with dollar store trinkets. Lollipops with bright wrappers, fidget spinners, tiny keychains shaped like books and animals and soccer balls. And taped to the edge of the table, a handwritten sign for the kids read: PICK A STRING, WIN A PRIZE—1¢.
Strings dangled from a little cardboard stand, each one leading down to a prize in the bucket. He’d watched her assemble it with so much care, tying each prize so the kids would have that tiny thrill of not knowing what they’d get.
He loved that about her. The way she made, well,everythingmatter.
He rested a hand on her lower back and leaned closer, catching the tormenting scent of her perfume. “Looks good.”
She blew out a breath and smoothed a wrinkle on the tablecloth. “I hope so. Mayfest is usually a big day for the shop.” She sent a pained look up the street.
“It will be again.”
She gave him a sideways glance as if she wanted to believe him but couldn’t.
A group of kids stopped at the table, palms full of pennies, eyes wide on the strings. Felicity’s smile brightened—a real smile. She walked them through the game. “Pick a string. Any string. No wrong choices here.”
The kids all bounced up and down, chose a colored string and then shrieked when the prizes popped up from under the table. One girl got a purple lollipop and hugged it like a trophy. A boy with rumpled hair spun his new fidget spinner so fast the plastic blurred.
Gabe took a step back, letting Felicity shine. He stayed close enough to be useful—handing her a paper bag or placing a handover the bookmarks when the wind threatened to send them flying down the street. But mostly he watched Felicity.
She came alive around books, around people who loved them. Even if they only had a penny to spend.
As she chatted with a couple ladies who apparently frequented the weekly crafts and books event with Honor, Gabe scanned the street. Years of training and instinct ran beneath his skin. First thing he did was pick out an escape route. And he kept a sharp eye out for anyone paying too much attention to Felicity.
Nothing pinged his radar. Yet.
