Page 21 of Once upon a Summer Night

“You seem to have a low opinion of yourself,” Colin observed. He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

He could almost see Ellie’s hackles rise. “I do not! I’m realistic. She thinks I’m lonely, and I’m not. Well, not really. Not most of the time.” She blushed, then hurried on, “But she also thinks I’m witty, and beautiful, and a stellar conversationalist. I’m not any of those things. I’m just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill bookseller, happy with the way things are in my life. I do exactly what I want, when I want to do it. I have no obligations to anyone but myself and my customers, and I truly love my days.”

Interesting how she said she loved her days.Colin wondered if she loved her nights, too.

“You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself,” he observed.

“Not at all,” she returned coolly.

“Your life sounds wonderful,” Emma said quickly, shooting Colin a warning look.

“It is! And I’m not looking to change it,” Ellie reassured her.

Emma shook her head. “We’re not either. We’re looking to help you enhance it. I get that it isn’t a man that will set you free, or make you happy, or make life worth living. But my question is: Why deny yourself any form of happiness, if it’s there for the taking?”

“Relationships have yet to offer me any form of happiness,” Ellie snorted. “Headache? Absolutely. Many, many forms of headaches. Tension headaches, cluster headaches, migraines—”

“We get the point,” Colin cut in. “Not all men are bad.”

She shrugged. “Probably not.”

Emma’s phone rang, and her eyes widened as she fumbled for it. “I’m so sorry, I meant to silence this before we started!”

“Answer it in reception.”

“No, no, I’ll just—”

“Answer it,” Colin interrupted firmly, “in reception.”

With a nod, Emma quickly exited.

“Do you always command your employees like that?” Ellie asked.

“She’s family.”

“That doesn’t make it any better.”

“Let’s focus on the task at hand, shall we…Rose?”

Chapter 4

Ellie’s breath hitched.

Aside from the fact that the man in front of her was easily the most beautiful one she’d ever seen, it was his charisma and charm that had her falling half in love with him as they sat in the Irish garden. When she finally shook off the stupor from the earth-shattering kiss they shared, it was well past midnight and she had a sneaking suspicion she was well past the halfway mark.

Ellie’s thoughts were consumed by him for the last week, during which she wished she had given him her real name and career. In her fantasy, he would’ve stopped at nothing to find her. When he stepped into her bookstore, he would declare passionate love for her, and claim he couldn’t continue without her. He would approach her gently and his lips would meet hers. Then, aware that she had a crap history with men, he would vow to be careful with her heart, and guard it forever.

Reality, however, was a far cry from fantasy.

She gulped. “That night…” Her voice trailed off, and she prayed she didn’t sound as pathetic as she felt.

Colin raked a hand through his hair. “Eleanor—”

“Ellie, please.”

He continued, “Ellie. I’m not upset about the circumstances we find ourselves in today. Not at all.”

Her chest expanded, and hope spread throughout her chest. Why she felt such a strong connection to this man didn’t matter, even though it flummoxed her. He was about to tell her that she wasn’t the only one who felt something, she just knew it. Perhaps his thoughts had centered around her, as well. The thought further robbed her of breath, and her stomach erupted with butterflies.

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