Page 44 of The Lake House

I raise an eyebrow, eyeing her dubiously.

She rolls her eyes at me. “Look, I know that candy is for the little miss. You don’t think I’m going to charge you for that, do you?”

I smile. “Thanks, Mrs. Abner.”

She nods. “Don’t mention it.”

I pull out my wallet and pull out a ten-dollar bill, then place it on the counter. She takes it and punches the amount into the register.

She pulls out my change, but before she can hand it back to me, I can practically see the wheels turning in her head.

She opens her mouth to say something and then shuts it quickly.

I chuckle. “What is it, Mrs. Abner?”

She bites the left side of her bottom lip, and then finally speaks. “Have you seen Giuliana lately?”

The corners of my lips pull into a smile I can’t hide if I wanted to. “I have, actually. I was kinda hoping to see her here today.”

She nods. “She usually works Sundays, but she requested the day off. She’ll be in tomorrow morning at seven if you want to stop by for a cup of coffee.” She winks at me.

I’ll be going to the office around eight tomorrow morning, so I totally could stop here right before then to grab a cup of coffee so I can see Giules. Her beautiful face, gorgeous smile, and dazzling eyes… what a way to start a Monday morning.

I smile, take my change and receipt from her before grabbing my bag. “Mrs. Abner, you know I love your coffee. Have a great day.”

I make my way out of the store and head to my car. While my mother’s house is not far at all from here, everything in town, and I mean everything, is close to the next place. That’s the thing about small, close-knit communities.

I unlock my door, place the bag on the passenger’s seat, and just as I’m about to hop in behind the wheel, her voice calls my name.

“Hey, Declan.”

I pull back and turn around, knowing my ears have not deceived me. Her angelic voice, I’d recognize any day.

I’m greeted by a beautiful smile and soft, gentle eyes.

She’s drop-dead gorgeous in a flowing yellow sundress, making her appear to glow.

Surprisingly, in her hands is a bouquet of flowers… white and blue carnations.

Fuck, I wonder if I just lost my shot at asking her out again. Did some guy already beat me to it? I probably should have gotten her flowers when I asked her out the first time. Dammit!

“Giules,” I finally respond with a smile, not wanting to appear rude by taking too long to answer. But her beauty had me captivated and then thoughts of someone else coming in and swooping her away stopped me from responding.

She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear as her eyes quickly dart to the ground. Is it just me or was she just staring at me for a moment longer than normal?

It’s probably just in my head, but I’d love to think that she likes what she sees right now.

Dammit, why do I always go out dressing like a bum? Jeans and a T-shirt… I could’ve done better. But I had no idea I’d be running into her today. I thought I was just going over to my mom’s for Sunday dinner.

Okay, okay. I need to stop stalling. No more small talk. I want to take her out and do things the right way.

Without wasting another second to dawdle over details, I suck in a deep breath and speak. “Listen, Giules. We keep running into each other all the time, and that’s gotta mean something. I mean, I know this is a small town and all, but still. I don’t keep running into the same people as I’ve done with you. And I know you’ve said no before—”

“Yes.”

“… but, I’m going to try it one more time… wait, what?” Have I heard her correctly?

She smiles widely. “Yes.”

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