Celeste
When Hunter Dawson walks through the door of my bookstore with his brother, my heart drops. I made a list of fears to overcome on New Year’s Eve, but I didn’t think I’d have to face this one before January was even over.
Not that Asher is scary in the usual sense. It’s more that he’s … Asher. So cool and confident and at ease with himself. He’s the kind of person who walks into a room and seems to take up more space than anyone else in there.
And did I mention that he’s so gorgeous it’s hard to talk around him?
Yeah …
I busy myself with re-ordering the Starlight Valley postcards for sale by the register. The tins of mints. Then the postcards again.
“Hey, Celeste,” Hunter says. Normally, I’d be really intimidated by Hunter too—except that the last time he came in with Ellie, he spent the whole time reading baby books and walked out with every single board book I had in stock.
It helps that he’s also a man of few words.
“My mom said you had some work for Asher to do.”
He practically shoves Asher—who’s looking more glum than I’ve ever seen—toward the register. It’s like someone clipped his wings. My chest tightens so that I have to make a little extra effort to breathe.
I keep fussing with the mint tins at the front register as I wait for him to say something.
When he doesn’t say anything, I risk a glance. But I was not at all ready for what I’d find. Because a moment ago, Asher looked like a kicked puppy. But now there’s something twinkling in his hazel eyes.
And he’s looking at me.