Page 2 of Christmas Hearts

"He doesn't work here. He's a volunteer." I hurry to tell him.

"If you want him gone, I'll take care of that for you."

"That's okay, he's no trouble. What can I do for you?"

"I'm just thinking ahead. You could come up with a raffle or something where some authors donate books and you raise some money for next year's Christmas Fund.

"I'll think about it, but it's not the right time for such things, with only one week until the year ends. I'll keep it in mind, though. Do you need anything else?"

The mayor looks perplexed at my less-than-enthusiastic response. He's used to all the ladies hurrying to do his bidding. That's just not who I am, and I don't want to get the library involved in any of his dirty schemes.

"I'll take care of Hoffer for you." He says before leaving.

Now I have to worry about what he'll do regarding Justin. I like the fact that Justin's always around helping out in the library. It brings me comfort, and he's a big piece of eye candy.

The Christmas Mixer was a bit of a bust. Justin kept looking at me from afar, but he wouldn't leave his brothers’ side. I swear,what are they? Twelve-year-old girls? When we were ready to go, Justin's mother approached me and invited Mandy and me to their Christmas Eve dinner the next night.

We both accepted, and I wondered what that would actually look like. I knew Mandy and Justin's brother Michael had a past, so the dinner should be interesting.

The library closed early on the twenty-fourth, and I went home to get ready for the dinner. I made some arroz con leche to bring to the party.

The moment I arrived on the Hoffer's doorstep, Daisy threw herself at me, hugging me tightly in welcome. Her beautiful smile brightened her face, and I was glad to have such a special little person in my life. Her grandmother came to the door to rescue me and Mandy and we were welcomed with much warmth.

Daisy shows us to the living room and tells us she is going to get refreshments. I look to her grandmother for guidance, but she just nods. I guess this is all part of the guest treatment in the Hoffer household.

The moment Justin came into the room, my skin burst into goosebumps.

Should I confront him about what happened the other day? Why am I still thinking about it? Do I want him to ask me to marry him again? I think I sort of do. He completely ignores me, of course, and starts helping his mother set the food on the table.

The food is delicious, but I'm getting mad at myself because I keep stealing glances at Justin. I just can't help it. He seems to be having an animated conversation with his daughter and mother. The love and warmth that fills this room is irresistible to someone like me who wants a family.

How do I get this? How do I go from a single old maid at twenty-eight to a happy family of three, maybe even four, somehow? I kick myself for being such a dreamer. If I want tomarry Justin Hoffer, all I need is to wait for him to propose to me again. Somehow, I have a feeling he'll do it again. Not tonight, though.

I make an executive decision to ignore him for the rest of the evening. Everyone loves the dessert I brought, and I promise to send them the recipe. I sit back with Mandy and Daisy, and we let Daisy tell us all about the latest series she's reading.

Her love for the written word is infectious, and I make sure to ask her pointed questions about the books she's been reading and the ones she has on her TBR list. Yes, she's eight and already has a to-be-read pile of books.

I notice Justin paying attention to our conversation, but I keep my resolution to put him out of my mind. That makes the rest of my evening more enjoyable than I thought possible.

Chapter 2

Justin

Iarrive at my office early so that I can get my admin work out of the way. I have a few things planned for the library this week. They'll be closed this final week of the year, and I want to take advantage of that. That all comes to a halt as I open a letter from the board of trustees of the library.

They might want to thank me for all the work I've been doing these past few years, but as I read and read and read, I stand in the middle of my office in shock. I've been asked to stop doing volunteer work for the library.

They do thank me for my services in a small paragraph at the end. Why this? And why now? There's a knock at the door, andMayor Douchebag strolls into my office. That's not really his name—it's what my brothers and I call him.

"Who let you in here?"

"Your mother was kind enough to send me in."

My mother was one of the women who would fall for the mayor's flirtatious behavior, but after his dealings with two of my brothers, we've all seen his true colors.

"What do you want."

"Get any interesting mail recently?"

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