Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 132097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132097 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
I must’ve forgotten to lock up after moving some books in earlier.
“Sorry,” I call as I run out, fixing a polite smile on my face. “We’re temporarily closed.”
I point to the sign on the door which says Closed in pretty cursive.
“Will you forgive the intrusion for a friend?” the man says, flashing his abnormally white teeth.
That smile triggers a memory.
“Cooper Daley?” I frown.
His smile widens with delight.
“You remembered! You’re better than I am with faces, Miss Sage.”
I stare at him, trying to find my own smile again. After the way Ethan reacted, he’d be a hard face to forget.
“That’s great! Although I have to say, part of me hoped you wouldn’t.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I bungled my first impression.” He approaches, giving me ample opportunity to notice he’s wearing a shirt and suit pants that look runway worthy—almost absurdly attractive. “Anyway, I was hoping I could give it another try now.”
What is going on?
I swallow hard.
Margot arrives by my side and gives him a brief once-over, then a smile.
Not the devastating flirty one she uses to impress, but a polite one.
Definitely not like Ethan, who swooped in bristling with aggression.
“Margot Blackthorn?” Cooper whistles, looking just as pleased to see her as he was to see me. “I wasn’t expecting to find you here.”
Margot jerks her thumb at me. “Hattie owns this place now. I’m helping her spruce it up and get organized.”
“Besties till the end. Couldn’t do it without her,” I joke.
Margot smirks. “I am kinda invaluable like that.”
I roll my eyes as I turn pointedly back to Cooper.
I haven’t thought much about him since Ethan exploded in his face. Now, I wonder why.
In the middle of the store, eyeing the books with interest, he doesn’t look like a bad guy at all.
Although I’ll admit, I might be more than a little dazzled by his appearance.
I’m not shallow, but I’m a human woman with eyes, and he is very nice to look at.
Can a bad guy really pull off tan suit pants and a classic Ralph Lauren look like he just walked off a sailboat?
He places a hand on his chest and gives me another disarming smile, noticing my observation but not seeming to mind.
“I really am sorry for making a mess of things at the dinner,” he says. “Truth be told, I’ve been beating myself up over it ever since.”
The corners of his eyes crease with sincerity as he looks at me.
Margot returns to sorting a smaller stack of books from a box near the register, ignoring us again as she puts in her earbuds and hums to the music.
“Beating yourself up? Why?” I ask cautiously. “Don’t do that. I’m not sure what got into Ethan, honestly.”
“Nah, don’t apologize. I never wanted to cause any friction between you two. Ethan had every right to get a little territorial, and at such a sensitive time for the poor man, too.” The sides of his mouth turn down in a frown.
“It is a bit difficult right now,” I agree, glancing at Margot again, though she doesn’t seem to have heard.
When she glances up, she just offers me a shrug.
Guess I’m on my own.
“Can I ask what’s up with you guys? Ethan doesn’t like you very much, but I’m not sure why,” I offer. “Actually, he warned me to stay away from you.”
Cooper smiles, grabbing his chest in a pained motion.
“I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m not surprised. Frankly, I think we got off on the wrong foot years ago. He never liked how close I was with his grandfather, and perhaps he had good reason.” Redness lights Cooper’s cheekbones and he runs a hand through his hair, looking chagrined.
“Well, I don’t know what went on, but—”
“Hold on, let me get to the point.” He holds up a hand, digging around in his pocket until a brown envelope appears. “I’m no villain, Miss Sage—Hattie. Can I call you that?”
The flash of his teeth is mesmerizing.
“Sure.” I blink to try and clear my head.
“I’m afraid I have a…” He grimaces. “A complicated history with the Blackthorns. And I’m somewhat at fault for Ethan’s suspicions, I’ll admit. However, I came to make amends.”
I give him another frown. “The bookstore, you mean?”
“That’s right. I heard you worked here.”
“How do you mean?”
That’s a little weird.
Granted, Portland can be a small place with lots of loose lips. But he still would’ve had to do a little digging, at least for my social media.
That weirds me out a little.
But he hands me the envelope with Ethan’s name on the front in neat print. I don’t follow, but he nods at it roughly, like it explains everything inside.
“Consider this an apology, and a confession of sorts,” he says. “This industry gets as cutthroat as it comes, and if I have any regrets, it’s…” He shifts uncomfortably. “Well, it’s the way my mentorship with Leonidas ended.”