“You shouldn’t be embarrassed about Alex.It’s not your fault he is the way he is.”
She sighed.“Yeah, well, for some reason he’s fixated on you now.I guess the billboards drove him extra crazy.”
His mouth tilted in a half smile.“I have the tendency to do that.”
“Gross.”She punched him in the arm.“Listento me.”
He stopped looking around and focused his attention on her.“What’s up?”
“I had an anonymous letter dropped off at my door.”
“Is that a signature Alex move?”
“I guess,” she shrugged.“It said my new boyfriend would get to watch his world burn around him.I can only assume he means you, even though I find you disgusting and would never date you.”
Miles knew she wasn’t just saying that; she fully meant it, always treating him like an annoying little brother.“You’re too sweet.”
“I’m serious.I wish he wasn’t fixated on you, but he is.He can be dangerous.I’m so sorry you’re getting dragged into this.”
If Alex was targeting him, what’s the worst he could do?Surely he wouldn’t be dumb enough to actually come after Miles?
Or would he come after someone else?Someone like...Bella?
A zing reverberated through his nerves, from his hands down to his feet.If Alex did anything to Bella, if he as much looked at her the wrong way, he was done.
Blood pumped into his ears and he forced himself to take a breath.“I know how he can be.I will tell Bella to look out for him, and if he comes anywhere near me – well, he won’t be able to write letters anymore.”
Clarissa stared at him for a long beat.Then, she took a deep breath and said, “Okay.”
After breaking free fromthatconversation, another group pulled him in – some of the volunteer firefighters.He talked to them, leaving as soon as it was polite, and kept looking for Annie.Every time he tried to break away from whatever group had sucked him in, he stumbled into another conversation.
It reminded him of when he was a groom at his wedding.He barely got a chance to eat or drink anything before the night was over, then he and Madeline had collapsed into bed that night exhausted and delirious.
What would Madeline make of this night?What would she have thought of Bella’s hair disaster, her date with Noah?
Of Annie?
It was bizarre to think of it, but he was sure they would’ve gotten along under different circumstances.
He finally found Annie again.She was talking to a large group.He tried to elbow in next to her, but as soon as he arrived, she excused herself and disappeared into the crowd.
By the end of the night, he’d seemingly talked to everyone at the fundraiser except Annie.It was hard to shake the feeling she was avoiding him.
Perhaps he’d finally gone too far, making a nuisance of himself.She clearly had another life, a full life, that didn’t involve him showing up at her door all the time.
As the night went on, it became impossible for him to ignore.Annie was not waiting around for Miles.She was not looking for him and didn’t want to spend the evening alongside him.
By chasing her, he was no better than Alex, in some ways.If she’d wanted to talk to him, she would have.If she’d wanted to dance with him, she easily could have.
He stopped chasing her.Miles told himself it was better this way.As he was about to tell Gemma, he didn’t have the space in his life for anyone else.There was only space for Bella – and apparently, Bella’s hair.He had no interest in dating, no interest in finding a girlfriend or a wife or anything.That was as true today as it was when Bella put up that cursed billboard.
At the end of the evening, Margie surprised all of them with an award she’d made up: “Best Firefighters on San Juan Island.”
As goofy as it was, it was fun to accept it and stand for pictures.As he stood in the crowd, looking out into the flashes, he caught a glimpse of Annie.She was leaning against the bar, her eyes on him for the briefest of moments, before disappearing again.
All in all, it was a magnificent evening.They’d raised nearly two hundred thousand dollars, everyone had a great time, and he had gotten to catch up with people he didn’t always get to see.
Yet when he went home unsettled that night, something kept nagging at him.No matter how many times he pushed it away, it kept popping back into his mind.
