Christmas in Angel Harbor - Jeannie Moon Page 0,34

showed him exactly how important Harbor Books was to the town, and to him.

She’d created something special. Sure, her father ran a great shop, but Jane? The place vibrated with her goodness. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the bookstore was Jane’s destiny, and Angel Harbor was better for it.

Lost inside his own head, Dan didn’t notice that someone was standing next to him until a steaming mug of coffee slowly passed under his nose. Turning his eyes in the direction from whence the coffee came, he saw Jane. With her hair lifted gently by the chilly breeze, she was snugly wrapped in a plaid blanket shawl to ward off the cold.

“Thank you.” It was all he could mutter. She was a goddess. A beautiful goddess who gifted him with caffeine.

“You look like you have a lot on your mind,” she said.

That was an understatement. “You know us writer types,” he said. “We’re always thinking too much.”

“I’ve heard something about that. Is that who you are? The brooding artist?”

“I don’t know about brooding,” he said. “I’ll take thoughtful, even contemplative, but I don’t brood.”

Jane smiled that beautiful smile, the one that went clear to her eyes, and Danny felt his stomach do a little turn. She was still the prettiest girl he’d ever met. Her slow, deliberate movements were so graceful, it was like watching a dancer. She sat down in the chair next to his, crossed her legs, and started rocking. Back and forth, back and forth, the rhythm was hypnotic. She didn’t say anything, just lifted her chin and looked out at her town.

“I had a nice time last night,” she said. “I got the third degree when I got home, but it was a lovely evening. Thank you.”

“Who debriefed you?”

“My daughter. First she gave me a hard time about going out and not telling her where I was, who I was with, or when I would be back. Then, she started asking all kinds of questions about our dinner.”

He took a sip of his coffee and watched her expression carefully. Jane was being very cautious about what she revealed to him. Interesting. What was her game?

“What did she want to know?”

Jane took a deep breath, and he damn near died when she started chewing on her lower lip. “She wanted to know if our dinner was a date.”

“Ah. What did you tell her?”

She smiled and turned her gaze in his direction. Bright and happy, Jane’s eyes opened her heart to the world. Danny could watch her all day.

“That I’m not really sure. That’s the most honest answer I could give. She had quite a few specific questions that seemed to bring her to the conclusion that it was, indeed, a date.”

Danny leaned back in the chair and started to match Jane’s rhythm, moving back and forth, the gentle motion lulling his brain. There was something very intimate about this time they were having together. It felt similar to the embrace they’d shared last night.

“For what it’s worth,” he said, “I think it was a date. Our first official one, and long overdue. For the record, I had a wonderful time as well.”

“I see.” Jane’s cheeks turned pink, and he wanted to think it was a reaction to what he said, but to play it safe he was going to blame it on the cold. “I’m still not so sure.” Her voice had a light, flirty lilt that was musical. It was incredibly attractive. He could listen to her all day.

When Danny looked over, he found her staring at him, a tiny grin on her lips. “Why aren’t you sure?”

“I don’t know. It felt like something was…missing.” She stopped rocking, and stood, pulling her wrap tightly around her. “Don’t stay out here too long—it’s cold.”

“I won’t. I’m just going to soak in the morning for a while.”

Jane dropped a hand on his shoulder and let it stay there for a moment. Through his jacket he could feel her kindheartedness, her energy. Everything about her seeped into him and jolted his body with awareness. The woman was dangerous.

“I was thinking about ordering lunch later rather than eating the yogurt I brought with me,” Jane said as she reached the threshold. “Would you like me to add something for you?”

“That sounds good.” Danny’s eyes were fixed on her. She held the doorframe with her hand, leaning in almost, with one foot inside and one foot out. Her cheeks were pink from the cold, giving her skin a young,