step inside.
Avalon was silent as he walked in wearing a buttoned up shirt under an evergreen sweater, slim black jeans, and loafers.
She adjusted her glasses as she watched him. “Avalon,” she said. “Can I help you with something?”
He nodded, his eyes scanning the shop. “You can. When are you off?”
Why did he care?
“A few minutes.”
“Great. I’ll just chat you up until you’re a free woman. If that’s okay”
Evie pursed her lips. She looked past him, knowing that Parker would soon arrive. She didn’t need him questioning her about the new guy in town.
“Of course. My boyfriend will be here to pick me up soon, though.”
“Boyfriend?”
Evie nodded.
Avalon clasped his hands before him as he stepped closer to the front register where Evie stood.
He leaned against the front counter, staring her down with those enchanting green eyes of his. “I was hoping to take you up on your offer for a tour of New Town.”
She couldn’t move when he looked at her like that. The intensity was thinly veiled behind a look of admiration as he held her gaze.
“We can go another time. I have plans for today.”
“That’s too bad,” he said, fingering through the stack of clearance books on the counter.
She swallowed, still unable to move. “Why is that?”
He shrugged and stood directly in front of her. The only thing that separated her from him was the counter.
Evie gripped the counter. Her heart rate seemed to rise, and her entire body felt warm.
She tried to keep her face clear of emotion, but she knew what he was doing. He was trying to work magic on her.
The idea frightened her beyond anything she’d feared. He was good. It would have worked if she hadn’t sensed it in time and countered the act by shielding her thoughts.
Evie tried to replace her true thoughts with those that were boring, plain, and wouldn’t reveal anything of importance.
“Because I have something for you. A gift.”
“What kind of gift?”
“It’s a surprise. You’ll have to come with me to find out.”
“I see.” She looked around the store. She wasn’t sure if she liked surprises, especially those that came from a strange man from her dreams.
Nina, the owner of the store came in from the back and dusted a few crumbs off the front of her floral dress. She glanced from Evie to Avalon, her eyes brightening.
“Can I help you with something, sir?”
He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m just waiting for the young lady to get off so I can take her out.”
Evie felt her cheeks flush. Now Nina would think she was cheating on Parker.
“He’s a friend of my brother’s,” Evie quickly added. She looked to Avalon. “He just needed directions. Parker will be here to get me in a minute.”
“Oh,” Nina said, nodding. “Are you new in town?”
“Not quite,” Avalon said. He reached a hand out. “Avalon Prince.”
Nina’s eyes widened. “Hugh’s son?”
He nodded. “Aye.”
Both he and Nina looked at Evie.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Nina said.
“Thank you. What’s done is done, right? He lived a long life.”
“Right,” Nina said. She cleared her throat and looked to Evie before glanced around the store to see that it was practically empty. “You can leave, Evie. There’re only about five minutes left in your shift.”
“Thanks,” Evie said, wishing Parker would hurry and get her out of that awkward encounter.
“Have fun.”
She didn’t have to tell Evie twice. She clocked out on the cash register, grabbed her purse and headed out the front door while Avalon stood there watching her.
“Good to see you, Avalon. Enjoy your day.” She quickly held the door open, hoping to escape before he could offer to take her out again.
“You haven’t spoken to your brother yet, have you?”
Evie paused. Something about that statement made her uneasy. She looked over her shoulder.
“About what?”
Avalon walked from the register and out the door she held open. Standing before
Avalon was silent as he walked in wearing a buttoned up shirt under an evergreen sweater, slim black jeans, and loafers.
She adjusted her glasses as she watched him. “Avalon,” she said. “Can I help you with something?”
He nodded, his eyes scanning the shop. “You can. When are you off?”
Why did he care?
“A few minutes.”
“Great. I’ll just chat you up until you’re a free woman. If that’s okay”
Evie pursed her lips. She looked past him, knowing that Parker would soon arrive. She didn’t need him questioning her about the new guy in town.
“Of course. My boyfriend will be here to pick me up soon, though.”
“Boyfriend?”
Evie nodded.
Avalon clasped his hands before him as he stepped closer to the front register where Evie stood.
He leaned against the front counter, staring her down with those enchanting green eyes of his. “I was hoping to take you up on your offer for a tour of New Town.”
She couldn’t move when he looked at her like that. The intensity was thinly veiled behind a look of admiration as he held her gaze.
“We can go another time. I have plans for today.”
“That’s too bad,” he said, fingering through the stack of clearance books on the counter.
She swallowed, still unable to move. “Why is that?”
He shrugged and stood directly in front of her. The only thing that separated her from him was the counter.
Evie gripped the counter. Her heart rate seemed to rise, and her entire body felt warm.
She tried to keep her face clear of emotion, but she knew what he was doing. He was trying to work magic on her.
The idea frightened her beyond anything she’d feared. He was good. It would have worked if she hadn’t sensed it in time and countered the act by shielding her thoughts.
Evie tried to replace her true thoughts with those that were boring, plain, and wouldn’t reveal anything of importance.
“Because I have something for you. A gift.”
“What kind of gift?”
“It’s a surprise. You’ll have to come with me to find out.”
“I see.” She looked around the store. She wasn’t sure if she liked surprises, especially those that came from a strange man from her dreams.
Nina, the owner of the store came in from the back and dusted a few crumbs off the front of her floral dress. She glanced from Evie to Avalon, her eyes brightening.
“Can I help you with something, sir?”
He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m just waiting for the young lady to get off so I can take her out.”
Evie felt her cheeks flush. Now Nina would think she was cheating on Parker.
“He’s a friend of my brother’s,” Evie quickly added. She looked to Avalon. “He just needed directions. Parker will be here to get me in a minute.”
“Oh,” Nina said, nodding. “Are you new in town?”
“Not quite,” Avalon said. He reached a hand out. “Avalon Prince.”
Nina’s eyes widened. “Hugh’s son?”
He nodded. “Aye.”
Both he and Nina looked at Evie.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Nina said.
“Thank you. What’s done is done, right? He lived a long life.”
“Right,” Nina said. She cleared her throat and looked to Evie before glanced around the store to see that it was practically empty. “You can leave, Evie. There’re only about five minutes left in your shift.”
“Thanks,” Evie said, wishing Parker would hurry and get her out of that awkward encounter.
“Have fun.”
She didn’t have to tell Evie twice. She clocked out on the cash register, grabbed her purse and headed out the front door while Avalon stood there watching her.
“Good to see you, Avalon. Enjoy your day.” She quickly held the door open, hoping to escape before he could offer to take her out again.
“You haven’t spoken to your brother yet, have you?”
Evie paused. Something about that statement made her uneasy. She looked over her shoulder.
“About what?”
Avalon walked from the register and out the door she held open. Standing before
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