Page 23 of Love Around the Corner

“Yes.” Leo fumbled his keys out of his pocket. “Ah, thanks for letting me tag along tonight.”

“Anytime. It was fun.” Alfie cleared his throat, taking a step backward. “I had fun tonight.”

Leo risked another quick glance. “Yeah. Me too.”

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then. You can set up your stall from three. I could—” He hesitated. “If you need a hand, I’d be happy to haul some books up to the market.”

Leo quashed his habitual insistence that he could manage alone. “Thank you,” he said. “I’d appreciate that.”

Another smile, another silence stretching too long. And then Alfie gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder. “Okay then,” he said, and headed back to his truck. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Leo.”

“Night, Alfie,” he said, and lingered in the street until well after the truck’s tail lights had disappeared around the corner.

Chapter Seven

Alfie woke to the same thoughts that had filled his mind last night—a collision of disappointment and excitement.

Disappointment over LLB’s last message and excitement over Leo Novak.

There was no two-ways about it—last year’s crush on Leo had returned with a vengeance. And while it didn’t exactly eclipse his disappointment over LLB, it certainly distracted him. And that couldn’t be a bad thing.

He spent the morning working, listening to Christmas tunes on the radio, and closed at lunchtime, heading home to eat a sandwich. He ate at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, enjoying the view of the real tree in the corner of his family room, lights glowing. Maybe it was extravagant to have a tree when it was only him, but he’d always loved Christmas and didn’t see why he should compromise just because he was alone in the house these days.

His dad had passed away three years ago now, finally succumbing to emphysema after decades of struggle. The house and the business had been his and Alfie had inherited both. He’d spent a lot of his off-hours over the last couple years fixing the house up just the way he liked it. All he needed now was someone share it with, and for the last few months he’d been entertaining romantic notions of enticing LLB to move out to Long Island. But since last Tuesday, those castles in the air had started to crumble...

And now there was Leo.

He shook his head at himself when the memory of those pretty sea-glass eyes crept into his mind. He’d only really gotten to know the guy a couple of days ago, yet he felt a profound connection he just couldn’t explain. And as he sat at the breakfast bar in his kitchen, looking out into the open plan family room, he could sketch Leo in his mind’s eye, lounging on the sofa, his sock-clad feet propped up, and his nose buried in a book.

Romantic nonsense. His dad had always called him a soft-hearted fool, and he wasn’t wrong. But the image squeezed his heart with a bright hope that felt different to his intense, cerebral feelings for LLB. Leo Novak was real, tangible—touchable. He made Alfie’s pulse race in a way LLB never could.

Finishing up lunch, he stuffed everything into the dishwasher and headed out to help set up the stalls. Don Brennan was already there and, to Alfie’s surprise, so was Sean Callaghan. Between the three of them, they wrestled the folding tables out the back of the rental company’s truck and began setting up. Dee had a master plan of what went where, and Alfie was happy to do the grunt work. By three o’clock, all the tables were in place, gazebos erected over most of them to keep off the worst of the weather, and power cables trailed out to allow the floodlights to work.

The Christmas tree stood at the center of their little market, glittering in rainbow lights, a star perched at a jaunty angle on top. The kids were going to sing carols under the tree and, with luck, parents and other visitors would mix and mingle, and buy festive treats from Dee’s stall, books from Leo’s, and all sorts of arts and crafts from the others beginning to show up and unload their wares.

Trying not to look overeager, Alfie made his way to Bayside Books a little after three. The winter sun was already low in the sky, making the bright lights from inside all the merrier. Leo had been hard at work, the Christmas tree they’d bought now sitting in the window, decorated in red and white with a tasteful scattering of ivory lights.

Alfie paused outside the store, struck by a memory of the moment last night when he’d been tempted to lean in and claim a kiss. Leo had looked inviting, no doubt about it, gazing up with wide eyes, cheeks rosy with the cold. All that had kept Alfie from reaching for him was the thought of LLB, and how much it felt like betrayal. But was it? They’d made no promises. And LLB had been the one who hadn’t shown up, the one who’d left Alfie waiting alone. He was the one who wanted to keep their relationship virtual.

Truth was, he didn’t know whether or not it would have been a betrayal, but he did know it would have been unfair to Leo to start something when his heart was entangled elsewhere. So he’d resisted, and it was for the best. Whatever the source of this strange bond he felt for Leo, he had to understand what he felt for LLB before he waded into something new. For now, they should only be friends.

Probably.

But it would be difficult, he realized, as he glanced through the window and saw Leo pilling books into a box. He was wearing those ubiquitous skinny jeans, but today he wore a thick dark blue sweater flecked with hints of green, the sort that had long sleeves and a hole for your thumb. He had slim, artistic fingers, and Alfie felt a visceral tug of desire—he knew, without question, what it would feel like to kiss those fingers, to hold that warm sweater-clad body in his arms. He’d smell of cedar and books, and that wide, expressive mouth would be warm and eager, his eyes bright beneath his lashes.

The impression washed over him in a flash, a physical sensation that left him breathless. And then, as if sensing his thoughts, Leo looked up and smiled. Alfie felt it right below the belt, a frisson of raw desire he’d never felt for LLB’s brilliant mind. He lifted a hand to wave, taking a moment to quell his feelings before he pushed open the door and stepped out of the cold.

“I’ve spent all morning fishing out Christmassy books,” Leo said. “And some bestseller’s too.”

“So I see.” Alfie inspected a couple of boxes on the floor near the door with an amused smile. If he sold even a fraction of them, he’d be doing well. He nodded to the window. “And you put up your tree.”

“Oh yes.” Another smile. “It looks nice. I might take it upstairs for Christmas.”

Alfie felt his face drop. “You’re here for Christmas?” Alone, was the word he didn’t say.

A one-shouldered shrug was Leo’s only response as he turned back to his final box. “I’ve never been a real fan. Gray was the one who…” He trailed off.

“Gray being your cheating ex?”

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