Page 40 of Like A Daydream
“Your beverage, Madame,” Andrew says, handing her coffee out to her with a flourish. He bows low, hat flopping onto the ground in front of him as his hair falls into his face and she rolls her eyes. Andrew stands to his full height, grinning as she takes the drink from him. She tries, and fails, to be annoyed as he settles his hat back on his head.
“Thank you,” she says, taking a sip. She can almost feel the caffeine sink into her bloodstream and she hums in content.
“What’s on the list for today?” he asks, sipping his own coffee and watching her. He rarely takes his eyes off of her when they’re in the same space, and it’s not in an unsettling way. She feels at ease in his presence, like he has her back in any situation, like he’ll be there if she needs anything.
“We have to reset some of the displays,” she says. “I thought you could have your own… if you wanted. Just to put some of your favorite books on.”
“Really?” he asks, raising a brow. “You wantmyfavorite books on display?”
“If you want,” she repeats with a shrug. “It’ll drive sales. People love to know what their favorite celebrities have read. Now that the town is getting wind that you’re the hot-shot NHL player here, they’ll be curious.”
She’s also curious about how well-read this man is, but he doesn’t need to know that.
“I’m not much of a reader,” Andrew says, teasing glint in his eye. “That’s always been JT’s job. But, I’ll give it a shot if I can find the books I’m thinking of.”
“If we don’t have them, I can order them,” she replies. “I’ll have to, anyway. I’m doing my own list, and so is Cara.”
“You know how to make a man feel special,” he says, teasing, as he sips his coffee. “Anything else?”
“I have inventory we have to pull for returns, which will probably take a week at least.”
“Is Cara coming in today?”
“Not until the afternoon, why?” she slides the list across the table to him, waiting for him to extend a hand and take it.
He watches her hand him the piece of paper like it’s the most attention-grabbing thing in the world, and she feels her face warm.
She tries to stay as cool about this as she can when he’s around, but sometimes it’s unavoidable. Especially when his focus is on her, and he’s making her feel like the only thing that matters.
He grabs the paper, her eyes trailing up his forearm slowly. From the tiny scars that make up the back of his hand, to his slightly crooked index finger that tells her he’s probably broken it. To the leather bracelet and up his the rest of his forearm to where his bicep disappears under his shirt sleeve.
“Harper asked if I could take her to get ice cream,” he says, cautiously, “and I told her I would ask. Would that be okay with you?”
She studies him for a moment, trying to get a read on his motives. If he even has any. The man in front of her is as clear as Mirror Lake on a Tuesday.
“Why?” she asks.
“Why what?”
“Why are you doing this?” she asks, before she can stop herself. “You show up in Lake Placid and get a job at my store, and you want to hang out with my – Harper. Why?”
“Call it… looking for what’s important in life.”
There’s a pause.
Andrew pulls his hat off and runs a nervous hand through his hair. “Can I take her? You can come if you want.”
She studies him for a moment, finding only honesty. She trusts him, she realizes, more than just about anyone these days, and so does Harper.
“You can take her,” she says, finally. “Only a small. In a dish. She makes a mess if she gets a cone.”
“You got it, boss,” Andrew says, million-watt grin splitting his face as he salutes her. “I’ll get to pulling inventory.”
“Hey, Andrew?” she calls, he turns, blue eyes meeting hers. “What’s with the bracelet?”
He looks down at his wrist, then back up at her.
“My mom got it for me when I got drafted in college,” he says, “It was a really big deal for me, and now I keep it on as a fidget, mostly.”
