Christmas in Angel Harbor - Jeannie Moon Page 0,37
in the near future.
“I’ll put it on my list. Is that it?”
“I, ah, I think so.”
Tracy narrowed her eyes for a second, before she pulled up a small chair and sat down with a plop. “Okay, girlfriend. Give it up. I’ve known you for too long not to have noticed that you are not yourself, even after having a hot date last night. What’s going on? Is everyone okay? Are YOU okay?”
Of course she was okay. Everyone in her family was healthy and happy. Her business was doing well. She had good friends. But Tracy knew her better than almost anyone, so she’d obviously picked up on Jane’s uneasiness.
“I’m fine, and I wouldn’t exactly call it a hot date.” Now she was lying. Never a good look on her. There might not have been a lot of sizzle between her and Danny, but there was definitely heat.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake. Something isn’t right, Jane. Is it Tara? Your mom?”
“Everyone is fine!”
“Right.” Tracy leaned back in her chair, frustrated. “I’m not clueless. I was going to come in here and harass you about Mr. Gorgeous Author out there, but you’re preoccupied. What’s going on?”
Did she tell her? There was no concrete reason for Jane to be worried. It was pure speculation.
“I guess I’m thinking too much about next year. Tara and Mom will be off on their respective adventures, and…I don’t know, something has been bothering me for the last month.”
“What? A disturbance in the Force? You could just be distracted by Danny.”
“No, that’s not it.” She took a deep breath. “It’s probably nothing, but I haven’t received my new lease yet. Normally, I’d have it. It’s been eating at me and I don’t know why. Danny said not to worry…”
“Danny said?” Tracy’s eyebrow shot up as a grin teased the corner of her mouth. “What did Danny say?”
“Stop it.” Tracy’s playful tone actually made Jane shiver a bit as she remembered the walk she took with him in perfect detail. “He said not to worry. There’s plenty of time, and there are a thousand reasons it could be held up.”
“But?”
“I dunno. It’s not right.” No matter how many times she reassured herself, Jane couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was brewing. “I’m acting crazy right?”
“Your woo-woo is usually pretty tuned in to the universe. Do you want me to talk to Elena Martin? If anything is going on with the real estate in this town, she’d know. She hears about changes in the market, offerings—whatever—before anyone. I don’t know how she does it.”
That was true. Elena did know everyone and everything that was happening within a ten-mile radius of Angel Harbor. “Sure. That might be a good idea. We’re going to be so busy over the next two months, I don’t need this weighing me down.”
The bell over the door tinkled, and they both watched as Danny came inside. Jane’s heart fluttered a little, just like a schoolgirl’s. It was ridiculous, but it still felt wonderful. Like something was coming back to life, blooming inside her. Before making his way back to the table, he handed the china mug to the barista at the coffee bar, and sent a sweet smile in their direction.
“Wow,” Tracy said, fanning herself. “Is it getting warm in here?”
Watching him go back to the table, Jane couldn’t deny the man was a powerful presence. “It sure is.”
*
When Danny got back to his cottage, he dropped on the couch, content for the first time in a year. He’d made real progress today, and he’d forgotten how satisfying that could be.
Jane had talked through some setting points with him over lunch, giving him some insight on “modern” small-town life, but mostly they caught up on what they’d been doing over the years. In some ways she was still the girl he knew in high school. She was whip smart, a little nerdy and awkward, but now she possessed a spine of steel, and a contagious calm. Dan was bottled nervous energy, always under extreme pressure, but being in Jane’s presence had started to change that.
Sure, coming home, being with his family had been great, but there was something magical about her, something so centered it was seeping into him. Even as she faced huge changes in her own life, she found a way to focus on others. He wondered who worried about her. Dan was an intense individual. He didn’t do calm, but for the first time since he’d left home all those years ago, he