Page 24 of Haunted Hearts
Goddamnit. I can’t be thinking about Will’s fingers. Not right now—not ever. Our little… incident… was a mistake I willnotbe allowing myself to make again.
My tone is cool as I stare him down. “Yes?”
“Am I interrupting?”
“I mean, itisthe middle of the work day,” I say, breaking his gaze to flip my eyes back to the books I’m scanning.
“Nonsense,” Nancy chides, giving a nervous laugh. She casts me a warning look. “I was just telling Lydia that it’ll be the three of us working the library booth at the fall festival, which she was very excited to hear. We’ll have a ball, I’m sure!”
Even across the room, I see Will’s blue eyes twinkle, andugh—this asshole justwinkedat me. I don’t even bother to refute Nancy’s version of events because what good would that do? The lazy grin Will’s wearing as he walks toward us tells me he already knows I amnotexcited about the news Nancy just dropped on me.
“Definitely,” Will agrees. He runs a huge hand through his tousled hair, and I have to look down. I’m suddenly remembering how his honey-blond locks fell into his eyes as he thrust his fingers into me just a room away from here.
“Anyway,” Nancy says, her glow returning. “What can we help you with?”
I can feel Will’s eyes still on me as he steps forward, but I keep my own fixed on the barcode of the Stephen King book I’m scanning.Beep.
“Well, I’ve got something to show Lydia, actually, but if she’s too busy I can find a different time…”
“Oh, don’t be silly!” Nancy swipes my stack of books toward her and gives me a little shove. “I’ll take over here, Lydia.”
With no excuse left, I rise from my chair and stalk out from behind the desk. I avoid Will’s gaze even as I approach him, making sure not to come too close. The last thing I want to do is let myself start thinking about that solid fucking chest of his.
“What do you need?” I ask, keeping my tone as even as possible.
Will gives a low chuckle, like it’s exactly the reaction he expected from me. He tips his head toward the doorway, and I follow him out to the foyer, arms crossed tightly over my chest.
“Thought it might be easier to envision out here,” he says, slipping his phone from his pocket.
“Envision what? The gutting you’re planning for this poor old building?”
“Jesus, woman. Can you give it a rest?”
“Wow, you’re a charmer.”
Will gives me a hard look but ignores me, his eyes softening again as he swipes through his phone. He shakes his head, thrusts the phone toward me. “Here. It’s probably hard to see on this tiny screen but I tried to do it justice. It wasn’t in the original plans, but I managed to get it cleared with everyone on the board…”
I frown, but I’m curious now, so I take the phone. It takes me a minute to figure out what I’m seeing, but when I do, I stop short, my breath catching in my throat.
Because there, on the screen of Will’s phone, is my banister.
Peering at the screen, I zoom in to see the rendering in detail, my eyes flicking between the current real-life foyer and the one that Will’s envisioned. The automatic door is still there, as is the elevator shaft and the paneling along the walls. But I’m shocked to see the way he’s managed to tie them in with the design, making the majestic staircase and the original banister—the one I loved so much as a child—the center of the foyer.
In Will’s rendering, the banister is polished and shiny, stained a deep, rustic cherry color that makes it come alive. The decorative carvings that spiral up and down the railings are sharp and clear—a far cry to the state of the banister now, with all its chips and divots. He’s taken a beat-up piece of history and breathed new life into it.
I look up at Will, a little awestruck. I gesture to the phone. “You’re… going to do this?”
Will nods. For a split second, I think I see something in his gaze. Something almost searching. But then he speaks, and I lose sight of it. “Yeah. You like it? Does it pass the Lydia test?”
“It’s beautiful,” I say. Because it is.
“Is it… how you remember it? From when you were a kid?”
There’s that searching again, only in his voice this time. I nod, bringing my eyes to his. It’s the most words we’ve spoken to each other since last Thursday.
“Definitely. Only better, honestly. It looks… gorgeous.”
He flashes me a grin that makes my knees weak. “Good.”
