Page 20 of The Bookworm Who Stole Christmas
I don’t know why I run toward the exit, but my gut tells me Maddie went that way. If she hates Christmas as much as she says she does, then this will have been too much for her.
I’m such an idiot.I pushed her too soon.
When she said she didn’t like Christmas, I thought it was one of those ‘I don’t like Christmas, but I secretly do’ kind of things, but I think I might’ve been wrong.
Chasing after her, I get to the edge of the park and see a figure hunched over, hands bracing against their knees.
“Maddie,” I call out.
Her head jerks toward my voice, and my heart stops. Her eyes are lined with tears, a frightened look on her face.
Slowing my movements,I walk toward her. “It’s okay, Maddie. Everything’s okay. Did you want to leave?” I ask gently.
She nods her head once. I put an arm around her shoulders and start walking us back into town. The snow’s falling pretty heavily now as the sounds behind us start fading into background noise.
Maddie shivers in my hold.
“The coffee shop’s open. Let’s get that hot chocolate and get you warmed up, hmm?” I suggest.
She clears her throat, her cheeks flushed. “Can we just walk?” she asks, huddling in on herself.
“Sure.”
We stroll through the deserted streets. I’ve got no destination in mind, and I don’t think Maddie does either. She seems lost in thought, her eyes darting everywhere but not really looking at anything, and she keeps nibbling on her bottom lip.
“Thank you,” she finally says, not making eye contact.
My feet slip on the sidewalk, but I quickly right myself, cursing the weather.
“Is everything okay?” I ask, concerned. “If I upset you, I didn’t mean to. That wasn’t?—”
“It wasn’t you, Parker,” she interrupts me, huffing out a derisive laugh. “That was me being silly.”
I stop, turning her to face me. “Look at me, sweetheart,” I whisper gently. She looks up at me, sadness etched onto her features, and my heart breaks. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Maddie fusses with her hands, most likely debating whether to tell me or not. If she does, she does. If she doesn’t, that’s okay too. I feel a protective instinct for this woman, and I’ve only known her for a short while. Even with my previous track record with women, I’ve never hadthis intense a reaction to anyone before, not even my ex-wife.
“I don’t like big crowds of people.” She shrugs. “It was my own fault. I never should have said yes.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t think. If I’d have known?—”
She cuts me off. “No, Parker. This wasn’t your fault.” She turns away, her cheeks pink. “God, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Please, don’t be embarrassed,” I reply, feeling awful. “I’m sorry I pushed you.” Maddie gives me a shy smile, and my heart beats a little bit faster. “So, how did you end up here? In Haven’s Dale?” I ask, changing the subject.
She sighs, turns away from me, and begins walking again. “My grandmother left me her shop when she passed. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I packed up what little possessions I had and came here, planning on selling the place. But when I walked into the shop?—”
“You fell in love and didn’t want to leave?” I finish for her.
“Something like that,” she murmurs.
“What about your parents? Don’t they miss you?”
“I, uh…” She trails off, and I wonder if I’ve put my foot in it for the second time tonight. “I don’t know my parents. I was left with a couple who I really shouldn’t have been left with. They aren’t the type of people to have kids. I didn’t even know I had a grandmother until I got the call about being in her will,” she explains.
“That must have been tough,” I respond, my tone soft.
I’ve never known anything other than a loving family, so I can’t even begin to imagine what she’s been through.
