Your One True Love (The Bennett Family 8)

“I know you are. If you need anyone to give him the talk, hit me up. Dad’s too soft.”

I poke his forearm. “Niall! I absolutely don’t need that.”

He smiles sheepishly. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

Once Dad returns, there is no more talk of Daniel, and we focus on the bookstore and Niall’s conference instead.

After he leaves, we start arranging the new merchandise on the shelves. We haven’t even gotten around to unpacking it. I’m in charge of the fiction books since that’s the most straightforward part. All I have to do is arrange them alphabetically according to their genre. Dad’s in charge of everything else, from nonfiction books to miscellaneous items such as puzzles and society games.

By ten o’clock, I’m done with the Action & Adventure, Classics, and Crime fiction sections. Panic shoots through me when I realize I’m not even a third through. I open the first box labeled “Mysteries.” Just as I’m about to unload the first batch, my phone vibrates on the shelf in front of me. A message pops up with a photo of a pelican attached.

Daniel: Morning sighting from Fort Funston. Are pelicans part of those birds that only have one mate for life?

Caroline: Nope, they are faithful to their partner just for the mating season.

Setting the phone back on the shelf, I focus on the box, but I only manage to unload one stack of books when my phone chirps again, this time with an incoming call from Daniel.

“You’re bad for my work ethic,” I inform him the second I pick up. “I’m working on unloading the same box of books since you texted.”

“Bad influence, am I?”

“Absolutely. So, I assume you want to ask which birds have just one mate?” Holding the phone between my ear and my shoulder, I start arranging the stack I unloaded on the shelf.

“Nah, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Oh, wow.

“Daniel, what are we doing here?”

“Finding our way back to each other?”

I clasp the book tighter, an unnerving energy coursing through me.

“Tell me you haven’t thought about it. Tell me and I’ll hang up.”

My breath catches. “Don’t hang up.”

He laughs softly, and I feel his relief in my bones.

“So, why are you at Fort Funston, anyway?”

“Hang gliding. With Freeda and some of her friends.”

I nearly drop the book. “The famous singer? She’s your client?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, you sure keep famous company.”

“Dan, come on. I want to be up in the air.” The voice calling him in his background belongs unmistakably to Freeda.

“Did she just call you Dan?”

He chuckles. “Asked her not to, but she does whatever she wants. Jealous?”

Yes, yes I am. But I’m not ready to own up to that. How on earth did I back myself into a corner ten seconds into this conversation?

“No, just surprised. I know you don’t like it when people call you Dan.”