She nodded, clearly uncomfortable with the emotional turn of the conversation. “Whatever. Can we go soon? I want to start my new book.”
“Sure,” Finn agreed, recognizing the deflection for what it was. “Let me just say goodbye to Ollie and the others.”
As Brooklyn headed toward the door, Finn caught Ollie’s eye across the store. Something passed between them—understanding, warmth, a promise of conversations to come—before Ollie smiled and gave a small wave.
It wasn’t a resolution to the complicated situation between them. Brooklyn still needed him, his secret still lay between them, and the timing was still far from perfect. But as Finn left the bookstore with his daughter, something had shifted—a door cracked open, letting in a sliver of light and possibility.
TWELVE
Finn watched Brooklyn climb the steps to Isabel’s front porch, her overnight bag slung over one shoulder, books clutched to her chest. She turned back once, offering a small wave and a knowing smirk before disappearing inside. Marcus greeted her with a warm smile visible through the screen door. The unexpected invitation for a sleepover had caught Finn off guard, but Brooklyn’s eagerness to hang out with a friend even though she’d been excited about her new stack of books had really thrown him. Then again, knowing those two, they’d wind up curled up in Isabel’s room, reading their books and chatting about what was happening in them.
“You should call Ollie,” she’d said casually as he’d pulled out of the driveway, her nose buried in her new book. “Since you’ll have the house to yourself and everything.”
The suggestion, delivered with studied nonchalance, had nearly made Finn swerve into the next lane. “What makes you think I’ll call Ollie?”
Brooklyn had given him a look that perfectly captured teenage exasperation. “Dad. Seriously.”
Now, sitting in his idling car outside Isabel’s house, Finn stared at his phone. Brooklyn’s tacit permission—no, her encouragement—had unlocked something in his chest. Before he could overthink it, he typed a quick message to Ollie.
Still at the store? I could stop by if you’re free.
Just closing up. Jules and Sam left 10 minutes ago.
Finn’s heart quickened as he pulled away from the curb. The short drive back to Shelf Care Central felt both too long and too short, his mind racing with possibilities. Brooklyn was safe with friends. He’d gotten far enough on his manuscript before she woke up this morning that he could take one night off. For the first time in weeks, nothing stood between him and what he wanted.
And what he wanted was Ollie.
The bookstore’s lights were still on when Finn pulled up, casting a warm glow onto the darkening sidewalk. Through the window, he could see Ollie moving around inside, straightening displays that had been pawed through during the day. His curls were even more out of control than usual, and he’d changed from the event T-shirt into a soft-looking sweater that hung loose on his slight frame.
Finn sat in his car for a moment, just watching. There was something about seeing Ollie in his element that sent a thrill through him, unlike anything he’d experienced before. The feeling was exhilarating and terrifying all at once, this attraction to another man that he’d never allowed himself to act upon. His palms felt sweaty against the leather of the steering wheel as the reality of what he was about to do settled over him. This wasn’tjust a casual drop-in. This was the next step toward something entirely new.
Before he lost his nerve, Finn got out of the car and approached the door. He knocked lightly, and Ollie looked up, his face breaking into a smile that made Finn’s knees feel suddenly unreliable.
Ollie hurried over, fumbling with the lock for a moment before swinging the door open. When their eyes met, something electric passed between them.
“Hey,” he said, voice lower than usual. “I didn’t expect to see you again today.”
“Brooklyn’s staying at Isabel’s for the night,” Finn explained, stepping inside. “I thought… I don’t know. I wanted to see you.”
The simple admission hung between them, more honest than Finn had intended. Ollie’s eyes widened slightly behind his glasses, a flush creeping up his neck and then spreading across his cheeks. Finn watched, mesmerized, as Ollie’s throat worked with a swallow.
“Oh,” he said softly, the single syllable carrying a weight of longing. “I’m glad.”
They stood there for a moment, barely a foot apart, the air between them charged with possibility. Finn was acutely aware of how alone they were, of the quiet hum of the store around them, of Ollie’s breathing—slightly faster than normal. His gaze dropped to Ollie’s lips, then back to his eyes, and he saw his own hunger reflected there. Finn’s pulse quickened as he fought the urge to close the distance between them, to finish what they’d started weeks ago.
“I’m almost done here,” Ollie said, gesturing to the nearly straightened store. “Another fifteen minutes and I’ll be able to lock up without hating myself for leaving a mess for morning.”
“I can wait,” Finn offered. “Or help.”
“You’ve already done more than enough today,” Ollie said, but his smile was warm. “Though I wouldn’t say no to company while I finish up.”
As Ollie moved around the store, turning off lights and checking locks, Finn was once again drawn to the romance section. His own books—Rhett Wilder’s books—were prominently displayed, the covers familiar yet strange in this context. He ran a finger along the spine of his last release, the secret heavy in his chest.
“You really should read that one,” Ollie said, appearing at his elbow. “I wasn’t kidding earlier. It’s incredible.”
Yeah, the series is so good it’s nominated for a major award.
Finn swallowed hard. “I’m almost done with the first one.”
