Christmas in Angel Harbor - Jeannie Moon Page 0,74

dad back, even if it’s just for a little while.”

“He’d be proud of you.”

Jane shrugged. “I hope so. I did my best.”

There were moments when Jane thought her dad was doing his best to help, sending signs that everything would be okay. “There was a cardinal sitting on the bookstore porch rail the other day. Whenever I see one, I feel like my dad is with me. That he’s trying to help me figure things out.”

“I think he’s always with you. You were his pride and joy—he’ll never be far.” Danny’s arms tightened around her waist while she grasped his arms and pulled him closer. She felt safe with him. Maybe it was foolish considering his track record, but right now, in this moment, she was safe.

“Thank you,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. Not sure what brought about the torrent of emotion, she considered that possibly the alcohol she’d had was making her sloppy and sentimental. But after everything that had happened between them, she didn’t think so. No, Jane was overwhelmed by the depth of her feelings for this man. “Thank you for helping me get out of my own head for a while.”

Turning her in his arms, Danny gazed down at her with such tenderness, the tears that had been threatening spilled over. Not exactly happy tears—Jane was swamped by the love she felt in that moment. With a gentle brush of his thumb across her cheek, he wiped them away. “Don’t cry, Janie. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

Chapter Fifteen

“What do you mean it’s been sold?” Over two weeks had passed since he’d told Zach to make an offer on the property. Like an idiot, he’d never told Jane, and now he was in deep trouble.

He heard a long exhalation from his business manager on the other end of the line. He’d never thought it was a good idea, and Zach was probably relieved. “I just got off the phone with the seller’s attorney, and she said she’d let me know if the deal falls through, but they have a solid offer on the property. It’s in escrow.”

He swore under his breath, hating that his Hail Mary pass to save Jane’s store had failed.

“Up the offer. See if they’ll break the deal with the other buyer. Money talks, right?”

“Not if they’ve gone to contract. This is a big, stable company. It’s money in the bank.”

“I’m a big, stable company.”

“Are you?” Zach shot back. “You’ve made some dumbass moves lately.” Danny wasn’t going to argue with him because on paper that looked to be the case.

Frustrated, he paced. Danny wanted so badly to do this for her. There was nothing more important than taking away the worry he saw in her eyes. Tara’s college acceptances had started rolling in, and while none of them were as far away as Dublin, each little celebration was laced with a hint of sadness.

Now he’d have to tell her about the building sale, and that he’d tried to save the day without asking her. Jane didn’t need a white knight, but he’d wanted to try.

“She said if anything changed, I was her first phone call.”

“Thanks, Zach. I appreciate it.”

“Look, if you want to invest in real estate, there are some great properties in the Hamptons that would be perfect for you. Spend your summers partying with the rich and famous. I hear there’s even a big charity book fair out there in the summer.”

He’d already done too much partying. He’d spent the last fifteen years in that life, and where had it gotten him? Life was easier here in Angel Harbor and Danny wasn’t interested in messing with what was working. He was finally feeling like a real person again. Over the past week and a half he’d written another thirty thousand words. And he was in love.

The story was flowing like a river after a rainstorm. The words were coming like never before, and he was happier than he’d been in a long time.

When the call came in, letting him know his offer had been rejected, he was already on his way to the store. It never occurred to him that it wouldn’t work out.

Now that his plan had fallen apart he had to think about how he was going to tell Jane she’d been right all along.

Heading down the hill into town, he tried to think of alternatives to Jane closing up shop. He’d had his business manager check for retail spaces Jane might have missed, buildings he