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“Thanks, Dad,” I manage but my eyes stay locked with Adam’s.
“Josh, come say hi to Mrs. Carwell. She’s brought the most beautiful poinsettias and we need one,” Mom says from behind us.
“Good job, turtle dove. I’ll see you later,” Dad says as he kisses the top of my head and goes to join Mom. He wraps an arm around her, and I look past them to see Ella visibly swooning over my parents’ affection overload. I roll my eyes and then steal myself as I turn back to Adam.
“It’s your charity?” I ask, my voice coming out like venom.
Adam’s chest rises and then falls. “It’s notmycharity, Isa. But yes, my foundation does provide it quite a bit of support. You won the grant fair and square. I promise you I did not interfere.”
I glare at him. “You know, you’re unbelievable. Do you think throwing money at my pet project is going to undo what you did? Think again, Mr. Wellington,” I say as I go to turn but his hand grabs my arm.
“Isa,” he says, his voice low and pleading.
I spin on my nonexistent heels and point a finger at his chest and then quickly drop it as I remember we’re in the middle of the winter festival and I don’t need any prying eyes. “No. Not here. Not now. I have things to do today.”
He slowly nods. “Will you…at least come to see the property later?”
I hate him. I hate that he’s probably helped me win this grant. I hate that he bought my dream property for the library and gifted it to me. I hate that he’s…doing all these nice things after he was such a controlling jerk.
He’s swooped into my life…fine, I sort of knocked on his door, so maybe that’s my fault, but then he had to be all charming and secretly really kind… argh!
I march back over to my booth and plaster on a fake smile as I begin greeting people. It takes all my willpower not to glance back over at Adam.
“Your parents are so cute. I wish I had that,” Ella whispers as she hands me some flyers.
I groan. “They are irritating…but yes, they are cute.” I look over at my parents who are walking arm in arm. For the briefest of moments, that little girl's desire to have what they have overcomes me. I swallow hard, trying to physically push back down that silly dream, a mere remnant from the days when I believed in fairy tales and princesses.
I try to find Adam in the crowd, but he’s gone. I turn away from the people in my booth, pretending to grab more bookmarks from a box under a table. But really, I just need a second to steady my feelings. Because no matter how mad I am at him, I can’t help that somehow deep down, I still love him.
* * *
I stick the last of the leftover handouts in a box and pack it into a little trolley I rolled over here from the library.
“I’ll take it back,” Ainsley says. I hug her. She showed up three hours ago to help.
“You didn’t have to come back from your friend’s house for this,” I point out for the tenth time.
“Yes, I did. I never miss it,” she says grinning. Then she gives me a little shake and giggles. “Aren’t you excited? There’s so much happening! It’s all the stuff you used to talk about when I first started and it’s really happening! It’s like…a fairy tale!” she says, her face splitting as her smile widens.
I give her a small smile back. “It’s great. I’m excited for the future of Storyview Falls Library.”
She gives me a quizzical look. “And?”
“And…what?”
She rolls her eyes. But then pauses and her eyes widen as she stares at something behind me.
Adam is driving up to our booth. He parks a car; one I haven’t seen before and gets out.
Then I see Jace, and I grimace. I give Adam a pleading look. I can’t have this turn into some town spectacle.
“Hey, congrats on the new library. It sounds like you have a lot of amazing things happening here,” Jace says. His back is to Adam, and he clearly has no idea Adam is walking this way.
“Oh, uh, yes! We do. Did you get a chance to check out our new exhibit?” I ask, referencing the first editions from Adam.
He nods. “I did. It’s a great exhibit. I even learned a few things about Charlotte Bronte. Anyhow, I heard there was an opening on the library board.”
Adam steps up beside him and I almost want to shield Jace.
