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“Wasn’t aware this was a competition.”
“Why wouldn’t it be one?”
She was almost yelling now, her words strained, and anger all over her face. Still, she looked beautiful, even at this moment, and that was the paradox about her, the thing I noticed immediately when I saw her all those weeks ago. Anya was gorgeous, even in moments of stress and strain. She had an undeniable, fresh-faced beauty, the kind that made me sit up and take notice. And she didn’t have to try too hard, either. It was simply... there.
Too bad she clearly hated me.
“We were perfectly happy before you moved back here,” she added. “New Burlington was perfectly fine. We didn’t need you.”
I cocked my head. I was enjoying this a little, I had to admit it. She certainly had a flair for drama. I decided to push her buttons a little more. “We didn’t? The town didn’t? Or do you meanyoudidn’t?”
“Stop.” She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, she was still angry but seemed more in control, as if she’d managed to sweep something unruly and dangerous from her mind. “I wish you’d never come back.”
“That’s a shame,” I whispered.
Her shoulders relaxed. “Why?”
“Because if I hadn’t come back, I wouldn’t have had the chance to see you again. Our paths wouldn’t have crossed.”
“So what?”
“Plenty.”
I walked the final two steps toward her. We were face-to-face now, toe to toe, and I could reach out and touch her if I wanted. I could put my hands on her shoulders, embrace her, touch her hair, and let her lean on my shoulder. I could even feel her breathing if I wanted; she was that close to me.
“I’m not the enemy, Anya.”
“You’re the biggest threat to my business we’ve had in over forty years,” she said, almost struggling to get the words out of her mouth. “And when you open in a few weeks, we’re sunk. I know it. The Green Frog won’t make it against your bookstore-slash-bourbon-bar and all the... the...”
“You’re scared.”
She nodded. She looked so vulnerable, and I’d yet to see that side of her. It made me want to hold her, comfort her, take her in my arms...
Now.
“You shouldn’t be scared,” I said, still focused only on her. Through my peripheral vision, I knew the circle around us had grown tighter and that a group of people from our community hung on to every word spoken in this fight. I could almost smell the popcorn. “I wish you’d see what’s right in front of you.”
“Which is what?” she asked.
“This.”
And before I gave it another thought, before I gave myself time to back out, I leaned down, cupped the back of her neck, and kissed her.
