Chapter One
Marnie wiped her palms on her skirt and picked up the book from the display table next to her, trying not to look at the group of parents clustered toward the back of the room. She could get through this. She just had to ignore them.
Ignore him.
He hadn’t changed much in the past fifteen years. He had the same sharp chin and heavy brow, the same way of standing like he was about to barrel right through someone in attack. Or possiblyrun out the door, like he had when she was twelve.
Ignore him.
She scanned the eager little faces of the costumed first-graders sitting on the floor in front of her. One little girl with an elfin face and blonde curls gathered into pigtails, dressed in a blue Power Rangers suit, smiled at her and bounced excitedly.
Marnie relaxed a bit and smiled back. There, see? Just like any other story hour. Not even an hour, in fact. Fifteen minutes. All she had to do was focus on the children and everything would be fine.
Deep breath.
“Thank you all for joining me this afternoon. You look so cool in your costumes!” She put a smile into her voice, and the children all nodded vigorously with unfiltered pride.
“I’m the Farmer in the Dell!” One little boy, who was wearing overalls and what looked like a beat up old sombrero, shouted before adding in a stage whisper, “But my real name is DeShawn.”
DeShawn was one of her favorites. He was always full of life. She put on her most serious face and looked at him as though appraising his costume, then said with a nod, “You look exactly like a farmer.”
The little boy beamed, and a few more shouts rang out, each child trying to announce what he or she was dressed up as. Marnie listened for another minute, then held up a hand to ask for quiet. “I think you will all have the best costumes in the entire town during trick-or-treat. But first…” She held up the book so that everyone could see picture on the cover—a cartoon ghost giggling as a villain dressed in a mask and holding a bag with a dollar sign on it slipped on a banana peel. “Since today is Halloween, we’re going to read a special story about our very own ghost called The Legend of the Wilford Ghost .”
A few “ooos” erupted from the little group, and she had to hold back her laughter at the melodramatic response. On impulse, she glanced toward the back of the room, looking to one man in particular. The one she was supposed to be ignoring.
He was frowning.
Of course he was. He’d frowned through her entire childhood. What had she expected, now that he’d returned to town with his new wife and their six-year-old son? Hugs and a blissful reunion? She’d seen him around town already, but he hadn’t so much as acknowledged her when they passed one another on the sidewalk.
If she hadn’t known before that he’d moved on, she certainly knew now.
She flicked her eyes away in disappointment, only to land on another face that she hadn’t seen in years.
Oh, my God.
Her breath caught.
Collin Morgan.
What were the odds that the only two men she’d ever felt so much for would turn up in the children’s room of the library on the same day? And not just any day. Halloween .
A weird shiver went down her spine, and she wrapped her sweater more tightly around her body.
You’re being silly. Of course they’d show up today. Parent are welcome at this month’s story hour and they’re—
Oh. Of course. Collin must be the father of one of these children. In fact, he was smiling at the little girl with the blonde curly pigtails, his expression one of pride. She had to be his daughter.
A sharp pang of longing struck Marnie in the chest, and she had to gasp for breath. She’d wanted a family of her own for years, but it simply hadn’t happened. Seeing the man she had fantasized about constantly back in high school and never forgotten made the loss feel even more profound.
It was no surprise that he would have a daughter like that, sunny and precious
Marnie wiped her palms on her skirt and picked up the book from the display table next to her, trying not to look at the group of parents clustered toward the back of the room. She could get through this. She just had to ignore them.
Ignore him.
He hadn’t changed much in the past fifteen years. He had the same sharp chin and heavy brow, the same way of standing like he was about to barrel right through someone in attack. Or possiblyrun out the door, like he had when she was twelve.
Ignore him.
She scanned the eager little faces of the costumed first-graders sitting on the floor in front of her. One little girl with an elfin face and blonde curls gathered into pigtails, dressed in a blue Power Rangers suit, smiled at her and bounced excitedly.
Marnie relaxed a bit and smiled back. There, see? Just like any other story hour. Not even an hour, in fact. Fifteen minutes. All she had to do was focus on the children and everything would be fine.
Deep breath.
“Thank you all for joining me this afternoon. You look so cool in your costumes!” She put a smile into her voice, and the children all nodded vigorously with unfiltered pride.
“I’m the Farmer in the Dell!” One little boy, who was wearing overalls and what looked like a beat up old sombrero, shouted before adding in a stage whisper, “But my real name is DeShawn.”
DeShawn was one of her favorites. He was always full of life. She put on her most serious face and looked at him as though appraising his costume, then said with a nod, “You look exactly like a farmer.”
The little boy beamed, and a few more shouts rang out, each child trying to announce what he or she was dressed up as. Marnie listened for another minute, then held up a hand to ask for quiet. “I think you will all have the best costumes in the entire town during trick-or-treat. But first…” She held up the book so that everyone could see picture on the cover—a cartoon ghost giggling as a villain dressed in a mask and holding a bag with a dollar sign on it slipped on a banana peel. “Since today is Halloween, we’re going to read a special story about our very own ghost called The Legend of the Wilford Ghost .”
A few “ooos” erupted from the little group, and she had to hold back her laughter at the melodramatic response. On impulse, she glanced toward the back of the room, looking to one man in particular. The one she was supposed to be ignoring.
He was frowning.
Of course he was. He’d frowned through her entire childhood. What had she expected, now that he’d returned to town with his new wife and their six-year-old son? Hugs and a blissful reunion? She’d seen him around town already, but he hadn’t so much as acknowledged her when they passed one another on the sidewalk.
If she hadn’t known before that he’d moved on, she certainly knew now.
She flicked her eyes away in disappointment, only to land on another face that she hadn’t seen in years.
Oh, my God.
Her breath caught.
Collin Morgan.
What were the odds that the only two men she’d ever felt so much for would turn up in the children’s room of the library on the same day? And not just any day. Halloween .
A weird shiver went down her spine, and she wrapped her sweater more tightly around her body.
You’re being silly. Of course they’d show up today. Parent are welcome at this month’s story hour and they’re—
Oh. Of course. Collin must be the father of one of these children. In fact, he was smiling at the little girl with the blonde curly pigtails, his expression one of pride. She had to be his daughter.
A sharp pang of longing struck Marnie in the chest, and she had to gasp for breath. She’d wanted a family of her own for years, but it simply hadn’t happened. Seeing the man she had fantasized about constantly back in high school and never forgotten made the loss feel even more profound.
It was no surprise that he would have a daughter like that, sunny and precious
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