AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hazel let out a shocked gasp. She drew herself up to her full height and began breathing deeply in and out of her nose. “Jasper Prescott! You may consider yourself an old rooster, but I don’t think of myself in those terms.” She bristled. “I may not be a spring chicken, but I’m not ready yet to be put out to pasture.”
Before Jasper could say a word, Hazel stomped off. Boone and Declan tried to stifle their laughter behind their hands. Grace jabbed her husband in his side. Jasper sent them a fierce glare. “Thanks a lot,” he griped as he walked after her. Declan subtly tried to locate Annie again in the crowd. He felt Boone’s gaze on him. Boone’s lips were twitching with merriment.
“What?” he snapped. “You look like the cat that swallowed the cream.”
“Take a picture. It might last longer,” Boone said with a straight face that suddenly dissolved into a grin threatening to take over his entire face.
“You’re a regular comedian, aren’t you?” Declan drawled. Almost a year ago, he had said those same words to Boone when he’d caught him staring at Grace in the Moose Café, the coffee bar owned by his brother Cameron Prescott. Boone’s mind was like a steel trap. He never forgot a single thing.
“Go on and talk to her. You know you want to,” Boone said in a singsong voice.
Declan rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked away from his best friend. Boone’s hearty chuckle trailed after him. With every step he took toward Annie, he became more nervous. Not seeing Annie for the past week had been like not catching a glimpse of the sun.
He didn’t have any idea what was wrong with him, considering making small talk with women was his strong suit.
She met his gaze from where she stood on the steps. He studied her expression, but it didn’t tell him anything about whether or not she’d forgiven him. For once, her features were closed off. She looked unapproachable. He placed his hand over his chest, startled by the pounding of his heart.
Annie’s shoulder-length hair now hung in loose waves, gently framing her face and gleaming like burnished wood. Every time she moved her head, it swung around her shoulders. Her dress peeked out from under her coat. It resembled something from another era. It was a really nice shade of gray. It hung past her knees and showcased her great sense of style. On the side of her head sat a black hat with some netting and a little bird on it. Or at least, he thought it was a hat. It looked a tad unusual, although Annie managed to pull it off.
“Hey there, Annie.” His eyes slid down to her feet and the boots he’d bought for her. A ridiculous amount of joy speared through him at the sight of her wearing his gift. It made him feel ten feet tall. How mad could she still be at him if she was sporting the peace offering?
Her smile showcased dimples he hadn’t noticed before. “Thank you for the boots. I love them,” she said, flexing her right foot to show off the shoes.
Relief flooded him. “I’m glad you like them. They look great on you.”
“That’s what Hazel said when she came to pick me up. I can’t believe she created these boots and the town developed them as a way to boost revenue.” She shook her head and laughed. “It’s fairly mind-boggling.”
“That’s our Hazel. She’s one of a kind. And those boots of hers have been helping the economy here in town,” Declan said.
Annie grinned. “Anything that helps the economy is a wonderful thing indeed.”
Declan stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I wasn’t sure if you’d still be speaking to me.”
Annie locked gazes with him. “I’m a big believer in forgiveness. You wouldn’t be here today if you didn’t support the library, now would you?” She gifted him with a beatific smile. “That’s good enough for me.”
“Maybe I just believe in you,” he blurted out. All of a sudden, he felt as if his defenses were down. He had hoped Annie would forgive him, but he hadn’t counted on the way it would make him feel to see her again or to realize how easily she could twist him up inside. He’d spent the past week keeping his distance from her, knowing that it was for the best. Being in her presence made him feel as if he was on a high wire without a safety net.
One false move and he might just fall on his face.
* * *
Annie’s cheeks started to feel warm despite the November chill, and she looked down at the ground to avoid the intensity of Declan’s stare. When she swung her gaze back up to meet his scrutiny, she reminded herself to remain unflappable. Declan had an uncanny ability to shake her composure. It wasn’t just his good looks, she realized. He made her feel more alive than she had ever felt in her life. Suddenly everything around her seemed more vibrant. The sky was now a more vivid shade of blue. Cerulean. The sound of the red-breasted bird rang out more sweetly when she was in his presence. And knowing he thought well of her calmed down all her jitters about the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“If you’re trying to flatter me, it’s working. Don’t stop there,” she said in a light tone. “Keep ’em coming.”
“Well, for starters, you’re the prettiest librarian I’ve ever seen,” Declan said. He smiled at her, appreciation evident in his gaze.
She shook her head, not quite believing him. “Am I the only librarian you’ve ever seen?” she asked.
“Of course you’re not.” Declan frowned. “I’m not some local yokel who’s never left Alaska. I’ve lived a little. I’m sure you’re used to being told you’re stunning.”
Not exactly, she wanted to say. She deliberately let Declan’s statement sit out there unanswered. The truth was, she wasn’t used to flattery or sweet words about her looks. Other than her ill-fated romance with Todd, she had barely dated. Once bitten, twice shy.
Annie couldn’t stop smiling. His compliments meant more to her than she wanted to admit to herself. She had missed being in his presence over the past week. In such a short time he had grown on her, and not seeing him had caused an ache inside her. She’d even wondered if Declan had been avoiding her.
It had been a long time since a man had told her she was attractive. And hearing it from his lips made her want to do cartwheels. There was something about Declan that was so endearing, even when she felt annoyed at him. It scared her a little bit that he had so easily crept past the defenses she had worked hard to build up.
And she worried that it meant so much to her to hear his sweet words. After all, Declan could never be more than a good friend. That knowledge felt bittersweet, but she knew it with a deep certainty.
