Lani tried to take her boot out of his hand.
“Are you?” He raised it above his head.
“I, ah, don’t know yet, and I thought you weren’t happy I was in your town.” She shouldn’t even be contemplating staying here. What she should do was leave Lake Howling fast.
“I apologized for that. Seeing you was a shock. Don’t leave because of me, Lani.”
“My foot is cold. Can I please have my boot?”
“Aren’t all sweet little girls into Cinderella?”
“What?” The jump in conversation threw her.
“The shoe thing. You said you weren’t into Cinderella. My sister loved that stuff growing up.”
“Not all little girls come out of the womb wearing pink, Noah.” She had, actually, but that girl was long gone.
His head tilted slightly. “True. My sister was more a camouflage girl. My name is Noah Harris, by the way.” He held out a large hand toward her. “I don’t think we exchanged last names, which is just plain wrong considering—”
“I understand.”
“And this is where you’ll find me if you want to.”
She looked at the building behind him. The sign said The Howler. “This is the business you talked about?”
“It is.” She heard the pride in his voice. “Now shake my hand, Lani, because Howlers don’t bite, and you’ll enjoy your time here.”
“Howlers?”
“Locals.”
“Noah—”
“I don’t bite, Lani.”
“What?” Her eyes shot to his as the color in her cheeks deepened. He’d bitten parts of her, and suddenly they were tingling. “Oh, ha ha, of course not.” She placed her hand in his. It was much larger, and hers was engulfed as he shook it. She felt callouses under his fingers, but the palm was smooth.
“What’s your last name?”
“Sullivan,” Lani supplied.
“See you round, Lani Sullivan.”
He smiled again, and Lani wished he’d stop. The man looked like he’d walked out of the pages ofVoguemagazine. She didn’t trust handsome men… well, any men, if she was going with honesty.
And you shared more intimacy with this man than you have with any before him.
“Hey, Noah, you booked that table for me? It’s a surprise for Lizzie.”
Lani looked at the elderly man who’d just arrived. He was a great deal shorter than Noah and had a shock of white hair.
“Walt Heath’s the name.” He held out his hand to her.
“Lani.”
“Sullivan,” Noah added.
She nodded. “I need to go. Bye.”
