ook.”
He put his book back and found another. Holly watched him, loving that he was excited about books as she was. He darted around the bookshelves like a kid on Christmas morning.
“And you have the whole series? I can never find them,” he exclaimed, caressing a bookshelf of titles. He looked up at her. “No wonder you wanted to stay here. I want to stay here.”
She grinned. He loved books as much as she did.
“Let me buy you a cup of coffee,” she said, guiding him over to the cafe portion. She ordered two cappuccinos and they took them to a small table off to the side of the bookstore. The cafe had a slow but steady stream of customers, but Holly and Nathan were far enough away that they were basically in their own little world.
“I would have loved this place as a kid,” Nathan told her, settling in. He draped his jacket over the back of his chair, looking relaxed and like he belonged there.
“It was a great place to grow up,” Holly agreed.
Nathan’s eyes went distant. “My dad wouldn’t have liked it,” he said softly. “Not enough promise for a big payout.”
“Sounds like a fun guy,” Holly commented.
Nathan made a sound that could pass as a laugh, but was utterly mirthless. “He wasn’t a bad man. He just didn’t know what to do with a child. He had these ideas, but never the plan to accomplish them. He always said it was the lack of funding, but it was more than that.”
Holly sipped at her coffee, wrapping her fingers around the warm mug. She watched as Nathan’s kind eyes filled with long-lost hurt.
“Do you see him around Christmas?” Holly asked.
Nathan shook his head. “No. We aren't really close. He was never big on Christmas anyway. It was more important to work.”
“I’m sorry,” she told him.
He shook himself, flinging away his bad memories as if they were water droplets off a dog. “It’s something I’ve learned to deal with. Now, tell me more about this parade on Friday. I’m told it’s something the whole town participates in?”
Holly let him change the subject. “So, the kids and local business all show up. There’s candy and floats and music. The high school marching band does a special performance every year, right outside the Mayor’s office. It’s how I know Christmas is really here. Will you be here?”
“I should be,” he told her. Holly felt her stomach zing with hope.
“Really?”
He nodded, sipping at his coffee. “I have lots of meetings tomorrow. I’m helping to inspect the building and see what assets we can salvage. Thursday, is more of the same. I need to go back to California Friday night.”
“You mean you have to leave before Christmas?” Holly was surprised by the amount of disappointment in her voice.
“I have work to do,” he told her gently.
“Right.” She nodded. “I remember.”
Nathan asked her about the parade again, and she tried not to think about his leaving. He just felt so right here. She didn’t want him to leave. She felt greedy wanting more of him, yet she couldn’t help it.
She began to wonder if maybe there was a way to use the magic of the parade and the holiday to convince him to stay. She certainly felt like there was enough magic in Christmas that it could happen.
Chapter 27
Nathan
Nathan could hardly believe how easy and wonderful it was to talk with Holly. He remembered it being good while they were at the ski resort, but this was so much better. Surrounded by books and sipping on coffee, he felt like they could talk about everything.
And they did.
They had close enough opinions on politics that they didn’t argue, but could hold a lively debate. Neither one of them had much time for television, but the few shows they did watch they shared their enjoyment. She got up several times to show him a book he hadn’t heard of or to find one that he recommended.
It was a perfect evening.