He cut his gaze back to the drawer. What the heck. He was already in a bad mood.
He made a beeline for the drawer and jerked it open. Grabbed the invitation and ripped the thing open. The fancy card felt like velvet, but the color resembled regurgitated peas. He steeled himself before reading the fancy script.
Mr. and Mrs.Daniels, along with Mr. and Mrs.Borden, joyfully invite you to the wedding of their children, Amanda Rose Borden and Taggart Ryan Daniels...He cut his gaze down to the date.
July third.
Only a month away. And really? Fourth of July weekend?How inconsiderate. But of course, Amanda wouldn’t think of other people or their holiday weekend plans.
The piercing shriek of the saw started up again. He tossed down the invitation and strode to the door.
***
Sadie ran the saw over the pencil line for which she’d meticulously measured. After a couple of flub-ups she had one last cut and she’d have all the pieces ready to assemble. She’d found instructions online, and the man at the hardware store had been very kind, helping her locate all the supplies.
A pair of feet appeared at her side.
She jumped, letting loose of the saw, which went silent. She pulled her safety glasses up and met Sam’s gaze. The lighting wasn’t very good, but she managed to make out his rigid stance, crossed arms, and dark scowl. “You scared me.”
“Isn’t it a little late for this?”
She glanced at her watch. “Oh goodness. How’d that happen? I’m so sorry. This is my last cut, I promise, then I’ll be done making noise. I have to return the saw in the morning and I didn’t want to use it at dawn. This thing is pretty powerful, huh? I’m making a library.”
He rubbed his temple. “What?”
“A library. You know, one of those Little Free Libraries you see standing in neighborhoods or by a church or whatnot. I’m gonna put it up over there by the public-access path—isn’t that a great idea?”
His scowl deepened.
“Well, one last cut and I’m all done. Sorry to interrupt your evening. Thirty seconds—really. I promise.”
He pierced her with a lingering scowl, then turned and skirted the plant divider.
“Good night!” she called.
He slipped inside the house.
“Well. Somebody’s grumpy.”
Six
Analpha herois powerful, protective, and confident. Though at first glance he may appear single-minded or heartless, make no mistake—he’s a complex and layered man.
—Romance Writing 101
The cursor blinked accusingly at Sadie.
She sat on the deck, coffee at her fingertips, listening to Rio snoring under the table. The late-afternoon sun had already dropped behind the house, and a warm breeze ruffled Sadie’s hair. The surf pounded the shoreline in that soothing, rhythmic way, and her friends, the seagulls, shrieked overhead.
She glanced at her Little Free Library, which she’d painted blue and white and screwed to the fence post right at the edge of the pathway two days ago. She planned to shingle the roof as the abrasion from the wind and sand would erode the paint.
Every day people commented on it as they passed andstopped to peruse the titles. Books came and went. Her new friend, Keisha, came by each day with her adorable baby. She’d borrowed a book and brought another back the next day. Sadie fielded questions about the books themselves and the way the library worked. She’d finally added a hand-painted sign that saidTake a book, leave a book.
But no one was on the path now, and Sadie was sitting in front of her laptop with a still-blank document. It had been almost four full days now, and she’d made little progress. Okay,noprogress. But now that her library project was finished, she could lock in and focus on this plot.
She glanced down the beach where a couple played in the surf. The woman dunked him under the water, and he came up under her, lifting her on his shoulders while she squealed and clung to his head.
Was he an alpha male? None of the men in her life fit the mold. The male teachers at her school were more scholarly. Her dad was definitely a beta. Her grandpa, while certainly a man’s man, had been talkative and gentle.
