Chapter Four

Izzy

“Izzy, I know I’ll have you seeing things my way soon enough.” Gavin crossed his arms and leaned back against a short white bookshelf off to the side, so he could be at the best angle to watch me as I finished stocking the new shipment of romance books that just came in.

Did he help? No.

Watch? Yes.

Did that do me any good? Not really.

But, honestly, I just wanted him to leave.

Gavin Clarke was a real estate agent in town, the best one we had, and he was— what was the word for it? —cocky. It was like he knew how handsome he was and thought everyone should treat him like gold because of it. Huge superiority complex, if you asked me.

Let me explain how we got to this place, though, him standing in my bookstore, pestering me for the hundredth time to go out on a date with him. I didn’t think we were compatible. Heck, I knew we weren’t. He was so. . . and I was so. . . . It just wouldn’t work.

He cleared his throat and I looked to him and watched him scratch his chin as he checked me out, literally staring me up and down.

What the women in town told me: “You should feel so lucky”; “I wish Gavin would look at me like that”; “You should give him a chance”; “He’s one fine man”

What I’d been told they said behind my back: “Foolish girl”; “She’ll never meet anyone as great as Gavin”; “Izzy is too busy with those silly romance novels to see what’s right in front of her.”

But I didn’t care. I liked to think I’d know when I met my dream man, and news flash: I hadn’t found him yet. And it certainly wasn’t a man like Gavin Clarke.

I tried hard not to roll my eyes, and blew a strand of brown hair out of my eye. I placed it in a loose bun, but had a feeling it was becoming too loose because it was starting to fall. Finally, I responded, “Gavin, that’s never going to happen. I’m just not interested.”

He guffawed and in a deep voice reiterated in a questioning tone, “Not interested? But, Izzy, I can have any girl in this town and I’m choosing to spend one evening with you.”

Oof, laying it on thick, weren’t we?

“Lucky me, but you’ll have to ask one of those other girls out because I don’t think this is going to become a thing.” With my hands finally free of the last book I had in them before having to move onto the next stack, I took my hair down and quickly retied it back in another bun. “Like I’ve said many times before,” I added for good measure.

“Okay, not dinner, then. How about coffee? You have to stop at the coffee shop at some point. I’ll run into you there and we’ll sit down and chat.”

I sighed as I bent down and grabbed another stack of books from the floor. “No.” What did they say about throwing a dog a bone? “But I will be here when Santa reads to the children and wouldn’t say no to the company.”

As though a lightbulb went off, he snapped his fingers and widened his dark brown eyes. “That’s brilliant. I’ll be there.” Then he pushed away from the shelf and walked over to me, helping me off the floor. His eyes staring into mine, he looked serious as he rested his hands on my shoulders. “You won’t regret this. And after that date, we’ll have another one. I’ll make you dinner. I make a mean lobster ragu.”

I glanced at his hands on me.

Chuckling, he backed away and started toward the door. Walking backward as he spoke, he pointed a finger in my direction. “Oh, Izzy, this is all I’ve ever wanted.” He continued backing up right into one of my best customers coming in the store with her niece.

“Uh,” Stassia announced, and Gavin had the decency to stop walking backward and apologize. “Watch where you’re walking, Gavin. You could’ve knocked into my niece.”

Gavin plastered a wide smile on his face, all of his white teeth on full display. I imagined a sparkle would appear like in those cartoons. “Stassia,” he tried smooth-talking her now. “You really should try and relax a little.”

Stassia rolled her eyes and grabbed hold of Mackenzie’s hand. “Weren’t you leaving?”

Ah, yes, one of the things I liked most about Stassia was that she was the only—and I mean the only—person in my camp against Gavin. Not that I was against him, I just wasn’t all for him like everyone else in this town was.

“Yes, I was,” he answered, glaring over his shoulder at me and winking. “See you soon, Izzy.”

When he was finally gone and the door closed behind him, I let out a deep breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Practically shuddering, Stassia let go of Mackenzie’s hand and told me, “I don’t like that guy.” She turned around and looked at the door like he might come back. He wouldn’t. He already got what he wanted—a date with me. Not that it was a date by any standards, but in his head, I knew it was. He wouldn’t show his face again until the day of the Christmas reading.

The truth was, he was so full of himself that he didn’t think he needed to woo me because he felt he already had me. It was just how men like him were. Believe me, I’d been dealing with the likes of Gavin since he moved here a year ago.

I chuckled. “I know.” With books in hand, I made my way to the counter and stood behind it, placing them down. “He asked me out. Again,” I tacked on to the end. Although, I didn’t know why. Everyone in this town knew he wasn’t one to give up and he had his sights set on me.

It was like most of the town was under Gavin’s spell or something. “No one was as handsome as Gavin”; “No one was as muscular as Gavin.” They all traveled in packs and like moths to a flame were drawn to him.

“Auntie, can I look around?” Mackenzie asked, her bouncy red curls moving around as she rocked on her feet, clearly excited to shop for new books.

Stassia was sister to Dru, who worked long hours at her job as a nurse at the hospital (she was trying to be a good person—at least that was the story I was always told), so Stassia stepped up and helped out as much as she could. And luckily for me, Mackenzie was an avid reader. The little girl reminded me of myself when I was her age. That was when it all started for me—my love for books. “Sure,” she answered, letting her go, then she leaned forward and eyed me. “So what does he want this time?”

I placed an elbow on the counter and shrugged my shoulders. “What else? And I gave in. Somewhat.”

“What?” she shrieked and then reeled it in, practically whispering now. “What?” she repeated even though she didn’t need to. I got that she was shocked the first time. “You don’t actually mean—” She tried again, “You didn’t actually—” She smacked her lips together and closed her eyes. “Nope. I can’t even get the words out. They’re, like, vile.”

I raked my teeth over my bottom lip. “To answer the question you can’t bring yourself to ask, yes, I did.”

“You’re not actually going out with that. . . that arrogant, uncultured swine, are you?” she asked, her eyes like saucers.

Even to my own ears, it sounded a little unbelievable. I’d been fending him off for so long, but even I had to cave at some point. “Stassia!” I admonished. Sometimes, she could be downright wicked with her words. Don’t get me wrong, I liked her, but she needed a filter.

“Sorry, but he’s just so—”

“I know,” I supplied, trying to be less surprised. “It’s not really a date,” I explained, “it’s more like a meeting. Here at the bookstore. I invited him to come to Santa’s reading.”

Shaking her head, she started helping me move books to reorganize the shelves. I was setting up a Christmas display of all the holiday books. Romance in the front, of course, and children’s books off to the side. All the other genres would be around the other side. “At least you’ll have an audience. I swear, he gives me the creeps,” she said, practically shuddering. “Anyway, rumor has it Louie’s friend, Bo Grant, is in town,” Stassia noted. “He’s like a New York billionaire, you know.”

I finished what I was doing at the display and moved around the back to start working alongside Stassia. “I didn’t.”

“You need to read the Internet more often. Blogs. They are full of information, not like in your books, but modern information.”

I looked up and over at her. “Har! Har! I’m busy. So tell me, what’s his deal?”

“He’s taking over his father’s company in the new year. The man is like the most eligible bachelor of the decade. And since you’ll be working with him on the wedding, you should try to feel him out. Maybe—”

I put my hand up to stop her right there. “He may be the most eligible bachelor, but he’s also too grumpy for my liking. And I try with him, I really do, but he just doesn’t get it. Like with the wedding, he has a whole different approach.”

Stassia shrugged. “Big deal.”

“I don’t know, Bo’s not an overly talkative person. He doesn’t share much about himself.” Then I corrected, “He doesn’t share much in general, actually. I can’t see him looking for a romantic entanglement.”

“You’ve been reading way too many of those romance books you love so much.”

I waved the last book in my hand at her. “Whatever.” No one ever understood my love of books. The way they fed my soul. The way they gave me something to hope for, dream about. It was like I could actually believe in this great big universe and all that was out there, love included. Books had this way of showing me the world, period. But I was tired of explaining that, so I changed the subject. “The wedding planning is going great.”

“How’s Fiona’s trial?”

I shrugged. “It has her so tied up. I’d be a nervous wreck this close to my wedding if I were her. I mean, not being able to think about it or plan for it.” I couldn’t even imagine.

“For my wedding, I decided I don’t want a big to-do. Instead, I’m thinking we’ll elope or maybe go away somewhere and elope. Even better.”

“But your mother,” I reminded her. Wouldn’t she want her mother there? I knew they weren’t the closest, and her mother might’ve done some less than savory things, but it must’ve came from a place of love. Right?

She picked up one of the books she just set out on the display and flipped through the pages. “One of the benefits to eloping. To do it far from Mother.”

Just then Mackenzie ran up to us, clutching two books to her chest. “Auntie, I can’t decide, can I buy both?”

“Sure, sweetie. Just make it fast, we have to get you to the vet to pick up Grandma’s cat before they close.”

I led them to the checkout counter and bagged her new books so Stassia wouldn’t be late. I knew that cat and he wasn’t named Spike for no reason. Surely, he wouldn’t take kindly to being left, and his claws would come out as soon as he was out of the office. I’d bet my life on it.

“Thanks for helping me.”

“Thanks for talking with me,” Stassia said, smiling. “See you next week.” She took Mackenzie’s hand and led her out of the store.

With the place quiet again, I looked around and realized I was happy with the displays. I just needed to add a few more decorations before Santa arrived and I’d be all set.

That meant one thing. I could try to get some wedding planning in for Fiona.

That meant getting ahold of Bo.

I picked up my phone and shot an email to him since I had no idea where he was staying.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

Subject: In town

Hi, Bo. Since you’re in town maybe we can get the cake picked out if you have the time. Let me know. I can call Phoebe and get us in for a tasting. -Izzy