He spotted her the instant he stepped through the doors of the hotel’s ballroom. Hair the color of the coffee he drank every morning, a dress the color of the wine he enjoyed every evening. Sitting next to a frumpy blonde, the vision in the corner was the missing piece in his life. His middle. He had to have her.
She frowned at something her friend said, her brows lowering over eyes the color of bluebells. He truly had never seen anything lovelier. Not wanting to make her acquaintance yet, he stayed on the outskirts of the party he crashed. A Christmas party full of people in fancy clothes and fake smiles.
Taking his time, blending in with his dark suit and Christmas-green tie, he headed for the buffet. His stomach rumbled at the sight of carved roast beef. He hadn’t eaten since that morning and only a bagel then. Handing out justice took all his time.
He filled his plate and searched for a table where he could view the pretty woman but not attract her attention. Not yet, at least. He had to know whether her prettiness went deep inside or merely flashed on the surface.
After finding out the woman he’d once loved had been spending time with his friend, well…he moved with a little more caution now. The good thing about being cheated on? He smiled. He now knew his life’s purpose. Rid the world of cheats and liars.
~
Brynlee Bourge balanced a plate of food in one hand and a flute of Champagne in the other. “Since you forced me to come to this party with you, can we at least sit down to eat?” She glared at her friend, Madison Wells.
“I’m trying to find someone handsome enough to warrant conversation.” She grinned. “Stop being such a fuddy-duddy, Brynn.”
“Librarians are supposed to be fuddy-duddies.” Not waiting any longer for her friend, she marched to the nearest table and sat across from an older couple who held hands under the starched white tablecloth. So cute. “Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson.”
“Merry Christmas, Brynlee. I didn’t know you were a member of the country club?” Mrs. Anderson took a sip of water from the crystal goblet next to her plate.
“I’m not. I came with my friend, Maddy.” Who, at the moment, was giggling at something one of the servers said.
“Ah, yes. The Wells family are huge contributors to the arts.” She set her glass down with precision, matching the sweat marks on the tablecloths. “It’s only fitting the two of you be here since this dinner is to raise money for the library addition.”
Firmly put in her place, Brynn ducked her head and focused on her food as if she was starved. She fought back a sigh. It was her place to be there as head librarian, but for an introvert, social gatherings of this size were torture. All she wanted to do was spend her days helping readers find books and her evenings with her nose buried in the latest mystery or suspense.
Fiction helped erase the danger she’d escaped from a few years ago, similar but Fiction’s happy endings gave her hope she’d one day escape the memories of her assault. Her hand trembled as she reached for the Champagne flute and downed the last swallow before reaching for her water glass.
Movement to her right caught her eye. A dark-haired man in a suit sitting at a table in the corner seemed to be watching her. With his face shadowed by a large silk plant, she couldn’t make out his features. Why were parties so dark?
A server approached with another flute. “Compliments of the gentleman in the corner.” She set it in front of Brynn and moved on.
“Oh, a secret admirer.” Mrs. Anderson clasped her hands together. “How sweet.”
Brynn pushed the flute aside. “One’s my limit, I’m afraid.” She cut the man another glance. He raised his flute in a toast.
Although she couldn’t see his eyes, she felt as if they bored through her. She shuddered and pushed to her feet. “Excuse me.” She rushed from the room and into the atrium in search of the women’s restroom. Veering left, she ducked into the restroom, slamming the door of the stall behind her. Brynn had learned two years ago to trust her instincts, and they were telling her the mystery man wasn’t someone who wanted to be her friend.
Sitting on the toilet seat, she buried her face in her hands and took deep breaths. One, two…
The door opened. “Brynn?” Maddy’s voice drifted under the stall. “Are you okay? I saw you rush from the room. Are you sick?”
“No, I’m fine. Just overwhelmed.”
“Come on out. Let’s refresh our lipstick.”
Maddy’s solution for everything. A fresh coat of a brightly colored lipstick.
The door opened again.
“An employee delivered a note,” Maddy said. “It’s labeled to the woman in the wine-colored dress. Since I’m wearing green, it has to be you.”
Brynn’s heart leaped into her throat, and she stepped from the stall. Her hand trembled as she took the note and opened it. “Your beauty, your kindness, your sweet shyness. All this makes me want you. You are mine.”
“Creepy.” Maddy peered over her shoulder. “It was sweet until the last line. Who sent it?”
“No idea.” Other than that it had to be the man who sent her the Champagne. “I’m going home.”
“Okay. I’ll drive you.” Disappointment laced her friend’s words.
“Absolutely not. Stay. Have fun. I’ll call for a ride. See you tomorrow at work.” Brynn dropped the note into the trash and yanked the door open, almost expecting to see the stranger standing there. With the coast clear, she raced for the concierge’s desk and asked him to call her a ride.
She rubbed her hands up and down her arms against a sudden chill and stared at the front doors. Her mouth dried at the reflection of a tall man in a dark suit watching her from the entrance to the ballroom. No time to wait for her ride. She had to go now. Lifting her dress to her ankles, she whirled and raced out a side door, making a beeline for the brightly lit park close by. Even with night having fallen, people strolled the path that wound between trees lit up with lights. Wreaths adorned old-fashioned lampposts. Her rented home waited on the other side of the park. Her beacon.
A glance over her shoulder showed the man following, his dark suit a speck against the purity of a freshly fallen snow. With a gasp, she increased her speed. Another glance showed the man heading in the opposite direction as he tugged at his tie.
Brynn ducked behind a tree to catch her breath. When she peeked around, he’d discarded his suit jacket. Was the man undressing? She closed her eyes, said a quick prayer for safety, then peeked again. No sight of him. Her heart rate slowed.
Lifting her dress again, she resumed her mad dash toward home. She careened around a corner and smashed into a man in a white long-sleeved shirt and dark pants.
“Whoa.” He reached out to steady her.
She screamed and jumped back. “Leave me alone or I’ll scream again.”
~
“I’m sorry I frightened you.” Weston Hoover reached for her again.
The woman shrank back.
“Are you okay? Do you need help?”
She shook her head hard enough that her hair obscured her features. “Leave me alone.” The woman made a wide berth around him and resumed her dash through the park.
Weston studied the grounds in the direction from which she’d come. Clearly distraught, she’d acted frightened, but he didn’t see anyone who appeared to be following her. Wanting to make sure she made it to her destination safely, he turned in the direction she’d fled.
The color of her dress made it easy for him to catch sight of her ahead. She’d slowed to a fast walk, her hands rubbing her arms against the winter chill. Why was she outside without a coat?
Weston knew why he was. He’d worked late at the diner. Not having taken a coat to begin with, he now had to jog home in an effort to stay warm.
The woman glanced back, her eyes widening at the sight of him. She darted forward again, leaving the path and heading for a group of teenagers hanging out under a bridge. Not the safest place to seek safety. Then she pointed his way. The boys turned toward him. She sprinted in the opposite direction.
“Hey, dude, you bothering this lady?” One of them wearing a football letter jacket crossed his arms. The pungent smell of marijuana wafted from the fabric.
“No.” Weston heaved a sigh. “She’s obviously frightened about something. I’m following her to make sure she makes it to her destination safely.”
“She said you’ve been following her since leaving the hotel.” The teen jerked his chin toward the newly erected Misty Hollow Regency built by a mob boss the year before he arrived in town, at least that’s what someone had told him. The place marred the landscape of the small town. A miserable ploy to bring tourists to their town. Since it worked, no one proposed tearing it down.
“Nope. She collided into me. I’m simply playing Good Samaritan.” He crossed his arms to match the boy’s stance as the woman disappeared from sight. “Thanks to you, she’s now gone with no one watching out for her.”
“That’s Miss Bourge, the librarian. If you were from around here, you’d know that.”
“I’m new to town. Just arrived last week.”
“Turn around, Mister, or we’ll pound you. Come on, boys.” He turned and marched back to the bridge.
Since he had no idea where the woman would have gone, Weston resumed his jog home. He’d stop by the library on his break the next day and explain to the woman that he hadn’t meant her any harm.
Someone or something had definitely frightened her enough to send her out into the cold, snowy night alone without the proper clothing. He glanced around again. The dark form of a man stood under a streetlamp seeming to stare in the direction the woman had gone.
- Publisher : Winged Publications
- Publication date : October 21, 2022
- Language : English
- Print length : 219 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1956654860
- ISBN-13 : 978-1956654868