Page 1 of Marrying My Brother's Best Friend

Chapter 1

Gracie

The thud of books falling from the top shelf shocks me out of my gossip-filled conversation. I muffle a chuckle with a hand to my lips. “Whoops,” I say to my best friend, Natalie, before rushing over to the crumbling shelf.

“Hopefully the new owner will make changes to this place,” Natalie says as we start picking up the books. “I’ve worked here almost my entire career. I’d hate to see it close.”

“Me too,” I agree with a sigh. Espresso Books has been my favorite place in Golden Bay since I was old enough to read. The building’s architecture was what originally drew me in. The perfect blend of wooden shelves and lovely art brought magic to the library.

The idea of a combined bookstore and café was amazing to me. I could spend days here with friends and have the adrenaline rush I need from a variety of coffee drinks.

The doorbell rings, and a customer waltzes in, interrupting my gossip. “Welcome to Espresso Books,” I chant as she smiles at me, then stares at the menu on our counter. “The usual?”

“Yes, Grace,” the lady answers, then goes to hunt for books.

Natalie joins me behind the table and picks up a plastic cup to scribble down our customer’s name. I grab the coffee beans and start the process of making a double mocha americano coffee.

The earthy notes from the freshly ground coffee beans and the lazy undertones of caramel drifts into my nostrils and relaxes my nerves.

Usually, I don’t need to drink a cup of coffee to enjoy the pleasant sensations it provides. As I whip up some cream, I start humming the song playing in the background and smile to myself.

It’s a new beginning for Espresso Books. I’ve felt that way since my brother announced the previous owner sold off the building and business to some rich guy.

“I hear he’s loaded,” Natalie mentions once our customer has left. “The new owner.”

I angle my body towards her, wanting to hear more of what she knows about this new guy. “You think he’s gonna work here?”

My brother worked part-time as manager of Espresso Books for a long time, but he recently moved out of Golden Bay to work for an engineering firm, leaving me in our parent’s house alone.

Natalie’s lips twist into a smile as she says, “I hope he does. They say he’s a sports celeb—plays basketball, crazy handsome … like a Greek god.”

I chuckle as her eyes light up like twinkling stars. Natalie always fawns over the hottest guys in town, and every time, her voice takes this soft, melo-dramatic tone.

“He can’t be that good-looking,” I counter with a fluttery laugh, folding my arms over my chest. “No one is that good-looking, Nats.”

“Well, I am!” someone speaks from the entrance.

The deep-bass voice is a timbre of velvet and thunder. I freeze for a moment because its ruggedness sounds vividly familiar.

“Oh my …” Natalie squeals as the heavy thud of footsteps approach us. I hesitate to turn around because I already know who I’ll see.

“Nice seeing you again, Gracie,” he says, his tone holding the hint of a smile. I envision his lips curving into a cocky smile even before I twirl around to look at him.

Trevor Hawkins is grinning at me like Cheshire cat, his blue eyes unwavering as they lock with mine. “I never thought I’d see you again,” I whisper, drawing in a deep breath to steady my racing pulse.

Not since he turned me down six years ago.

I reel with a tumble of emotions in that moment as our eyes meet. His grin widens in its usual cocky form and his eyes assume an expression I haven’t seen in a long time.

Trevor steps forward and I instinctively back away from him, shocked that he’s standing in front of me. “You…You’re the new boss?” I stutter shamefully, unable to hide the flush that creeps through me and spreads like wildfire over my cheeks.

I blink, too stunned to speak again as Trevor’s eyes sweep over my body and settle on mine again. “What? Were you expecting some hot-shot geek who can’t take his eyes off a book?”

“Yeah,” I answer without thinking and Natalie pokes me in the side to caution me from saying anything foolish. The thing is, Natalie doesn’t know this man as well as I do.

Memories of the past flood my mind as we stare at each other. The years have aged him, but they haven’t changed him much. His eyes are the same ocean blue that always made me melt inside, and there’s the flash of his dimples carving deep in his right cheek.

His chiseled jawline exudes strength in every way. I recall moments when we shared genuine laughs and smiles that made my heart race with excitement. I mistook those moments for something more and made a complete fool of myself.

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