Page 132 of At First Catch

I step just close enough that our shoulders brush fully.

“What you want.”

Nolan’s face transforms instantaneously.

God, that look should honestly be illegal. I can practically see every restrained thought passing through his head all at once. And judging by the roughness in his voice when he answers, he’s losing the ability to hide how much he wants me too.

“Dangerous answer, Hadley.”

By late afternoon the next day, Nolan has texted me five times. None of the messages should make me as happy as they do. Yet every time my phone lights up with his name, warmth spreads through my chest so quickly it feels automatic now. It’s like my body recognizes him before my brain catches up.

“You’re smiling at your phone again.”

I glance up from the front desk at A Page in Time. Bailey sits curled in the reading nook with a romance novel and entirely too much judgment.

“You’re supposed to be working.”

“I’ve reorganized the same display three times and decided it was time for a break.”

The late afternoon sunlight spills gold through the lighthouse windows while tourists wander between shelves and coffee tables. The bookstore smells like paperbacks, espresso, and sea salt, drifting through cracked windows from the bay outside.

Usually being here calms me. Today I’m too aware of Nolan existing somewhere across town.

Bailey turns another page thoughtfully. “You know what’s funny?”

“Nothing good ever follows that sentence.”

“You used to swear you’d never be the girl who rearranged her schedule for a man.”

A searing wave washes over my skin. Because yes, that does sound like me. Or at least it did before Nolan started existing in my life like a tidal shift I never saw coming.

The terrifying part? I don’t feel like I’m losing myself with him. I feel more myself. It’s a feeling that settles into place while I straighten a stack of new releases near the register.

“I think that’s different,” I admit.

Bailey lowers her book.

“How?”

I glance toward the marina, faintly visible through the lighthouse windows.

“With Nolan…” I struggle briefly for the right words. “It doesn’t feel like I’m shrinking my life to fit someone else.” Emotion catches in my chest. “It feels like my life got bigger.”

Silence settles warmly between us, then Bailey smiles.

“Oh. You’re really in love with him.”

The awareness unfolds inside me while golden light spills through the bookstore. A helpless laugh escapes me.

“Oh no,” Bailey whispers dramatically. “That face means you admitted it internally.”

I cover my face briefly with both hands.

“This feels emotionally aggressive.”

“You’re literally glowing.”

The bookstore bell jingles before I can defend myself further. The entire room shifts as Nolan walks in carrying coffee.