“Never mind that.” He brushed off my concerns with a wave of his hand. “We can work around your bar job. I don’t need set days. What about you come in on Wednesday at twelve if that suits you?”
I agreed it would. I collected the books from the counter, smiling as I left. The fist grasping my chest loosened. This new start felt like it was all beginning to fall into place. Maybe I’deven find a new me, a better me, one everyone doesn’t want to leave.
I rounded the corner, my eyes cast down, reading the back cover of Harper’s book. I took two steps, and something hard smacked into my chest. Breath exploded from my body, and the books flew out of my hands, dropping with a thud to the ground. I glanced at them, grimacing, hoping I hadn’t damaged them. Behind the books, a set of polished brown leather shoes and jean-covered legs snagged my gaze.
“I’m so sorry,” I rushed out, feeling color flash to my cheeks.
My eyes traveled upwards and met amused blue ones. For the second time that day, the breath tore from my body. My heart jumped and beat quickly in my chest. Standing before me was the most divinely gorgeous man I’d ever laid eyes on. Even hotter than the man in the bar. Maybe. It was a hard pick. I couldn’t choose.
He was tall, of medium athletic build, with a chiseled jaw, perfect high-set cheekbones, and smoldering lips. He had a lock of thick, dark hair that fell loosely across his forehead. But his eyes were so gloriously blue and compelling, they sent shivers of delight streaking through my stomach. To escape his gaze and remove the burn of my cheeks from his line of sight, I squatted down quickly to grab the books. He glided down and picked them up before I could touch them. We both froze, crouched on the footpath, staring at each other in an awkwardly stunned manner. He was so beautiful I was speechless, and then he smiled. His blue eyes shone like sapphires, and what was left of my brain dissolved into a quivering, incoherent heap.
“Thank you,” I mumbled, springing to my feet to escape his gaze again and reaching for the books at the same time.
He ignored my waiting hands and rose simultaneously.
“Interesting choices.” He spoke in a deep, melodic tone, like his vocal cords were made of a husky mixture of silk and velvet.He turned Shakespeare over, studying the back cover for a moment.
I searched for a cohesive response. “Oh, I, um...” Nerves formed in my throat, and I almost choked on my words. “I love a happy ending.”
Oh my god. Did I really just say I love a happy ending?
I stifled the urge to faceplant my palm. Instead, I stood there like a dummy. A bright-pink one.
He laughed, and the sound spread soft wings across my chest. “That’s pretty forward, given we’ve only just met.”
I giggled.Giggled,as if my face flashing like a traffic light wasn’t embarrassing enough. “That’s not what I meant.”
“I think you did.”
“I didn’t,” I protested.
He was older than me; I’d guess mid to late twenties. He wore confidence like a shiny, proud coat of armor. There was a dark edge to him as well, a glimmer of almost feral masculinity to his beauty. By his smirk, I could tell he was used to women responding like idiots to him. If God were a female and she’d made him, she had a good sense of humor, because he might as well have had “playboy” stamped on his forehead. At least then God could say you were forewarned.
His eyes sparkled, like sunlight kissing the peaks of an ocean. “Oh, come on, we all love happy endings.”
“Alright. Alright. Can we drop the happy ending comment?”
He studied me as if I were a butterfly pinned to a board in a museum, and he had a fondness for devouring butterflies. “I’ve not seen you around. You’re new to town, right?”
I bit my lip and nodded.
“Ethan,” he introduced himself, and when I didn’t respond immediately, he cocked his head. “And you are?”
“Um . . . Amy.”
“Well, Um-Amy, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You too,” I muttered, reaching my hands out for the books. He passed them to me. “I have to go,” I lied.
I turned away from his hot gaze, walking toward my car.
“I hope to see you around soon, Happy Endings,” he called behind me.
I groaned and flipped him the finger. His laughter danced inside my ears as I slipped into my car, snapping the door shut behind me.
One day, two gorgeous men. Was there something in the water in Church Heights?
Chapter 12
