Page 72 of The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle
“That’s true.” Liz slid her gaze to Melody. “Matt is riding shotgun.”
Melody felt her eyebrows lift. She pulled her hands together at her chest, pressing her fingertips together. “A date?”
“No.” Liz shook her head quickly. “Not a date. It’s just . . . we’re just friends. He wants to help me practice my driving, and I want to take photographs of the sunset. For my business.”
Melody noted the slight blush rising on Liz’s cheeks. “Well, I think that’s wonderful. I want one of the prints after you take them. I’ll hang it on my office wall.”
“Your office wall?” Liz asked.
Melody nodded. “In Charlotte.”
“Right.” Liz looked away again.
Guilt layered in Melody’s gut. She had a right to have a life outside of Trove Isle, didn’t she? A career? “Maybe I need two prints so I can keep one here in my room at my dad’s too. Since I’ll be coming home so often now.”
Liz’s smile was wobbly. “Anyway, I need to go. Matt is meeting me at my house.”
“Have fun. I’ll keep an eye out for the perfect dress for you. It’ll show up, I promise,” Melody called to Liz’s back. She watched Liz leave and then she continued to stand there for a long moment trying to decide what to do with herself. As she pondered, a tall, dark, and handsome man appeared on the other side of Hidden Treasure’s door.
Everything inside of Melody lit up. Her reaction to seeing Christopher took her off guard a bit. She’d known she had a growing attraction to him, but she hadn’t realized just how much it had grown in the last few days.
He opened the door and stepped in, his eyes trained on her. “I was in the area so . . .”
Melody grinned. “Oh? What were you on Seagull Street for? Bites from The Bitery or books from The Book Whore?”
Christopher rolled his eyes playfully. “I can’t believe Danette gave her store that name. But no, I get my books from the library. I can’t bring myself to shop at a place called The Book Whore.”
Melody mocked a pout. “But it’s Danette. And supporting small-town businesses is crucial to keeping their doors open.”
Christopher stepped closer. “I didn’t realize you were so passionate about small-town things. Now that you’re a city girl and all.”
Melody enjoyed the flirty banter between them as he came closer. She leaned against a circular rack next to her, ready to spout off something witty—hopefully—when the rack rolled under the weight of her arm. Instead of coming off witty and charming, she fell toward the ground clumsily.
“Whoa!” Christopher reached for her arm, but she was too far gone on her trip toward the floor. Instead of catching her, she pulled him down along with her. It wasn’t at all like one of those romantic scenes in a rom-com featuring Sandra Bullock or Kate Hudson. No, this was less romantic and more awkward.
“Ow,” Melody moaned, trying to pull her arm from under Christopher’s weight.
“Are you okay?” he asked, lifting himself off her. He stopped though when he realized her charm bracelet was snagged on his necklace. She’d never realized he wore a gold chain. He must keep it tucked in his shirt.
“Oh, sorry,” she said. “Let me see if I can—”
Christopher hovered over her as she tried to disconnect their jewelry.
“This bracelet has a mind of its own. This is the second time it’s done this to me.” Melody’s hands were shaking too much to free the jewelry.
Christopher grinned at her. “You’re talking about it as if it’s a living, breathing thing.”
Melody noticed the charm on Christopher’s necklace. “What is that?”
He looked down at his chain. “It was my dad’s. He wore this every day. When he died, I assumed he’d be buried in it, but my mom gave it to me after the funeral. Dad told her he wanted me to have it. I kind of feel like he’s with me somehow, when I’m wearing it.”
Melody’s eyes were suddenly burning. “That’s beautiful.”
He looked at her for a breathless moment. “You’re beautiful.”
Her first impulse was to pull away, but she was kind of stuck to him right now. “Um . . .”
“Sorry.” He shook his head and then attempted to disconnect the charm bracelet and his chain himself. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
