Page 9 of More Than Words (Trickle Creek: The Lyons #2)

Chapter Seven

Ethan

T he sky was a clear, cloudless blue, but the air was just cool enough for a sweater. The perfect day for Fall into the Plaza. And I wasn’t the only one who thought so. The plaza was packed. It looked as if the entire town, and a healthy dose of tourists, had come out for the event.

Our little corner of the plaza and our Books and Brews table had enjoyed a steady flow of visitors all day and was definitely one of the more popular tables. Not that it was a competition, but I couldn’t help but notice Delaney and I had way more visitors than Brody’s table.

Of course, my brother wasn’t offering free beer samples.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud of our efforts.

Okay, a lot proud.

The spinning wheel I’d built from leftover plywood scraps and had Quinn paint bright colors stood tall behind the table, its wooden pointer clicking with every spin.

The oohing and aahing from onlookers every time the wheel stopped on a new genre and beer pairing had been a big part of the draw at our table.

It was a total hit.

“Historical romance and a brown ale,” I called out as the wheel clicked on the bright-blue wedge. “A classic pairing.”

Delaney laughed and handed the woman a sample of the beer before directing her to the pile of appropriate books she’d gathered.

“Are you sure you haven’t rigged the wheel?” She smiled at me after the customer moved on with her list of recommended books in hand. “I think I’ve handed out more romance titles than anything else today.”

I grinned. “What can I say? Maybe I’m a sucker for a happily ever after.”

She laughed. Soft and real, and damn if the sound didn’t go straight to my chest. Delaney looked good today. Really good. Her burgundy scarf brought out the pink in her cheeks from the chill in the air. Her hair was down and curled naturally around her face in a slightly wild, effortless way.

I’d caught myself looking more than I should. But I couldn’t help it; she was mesmerizing in a way I didn’t expect and had no idea what to do with.

“I thought you were more of a sci-fi, fantasy type?” She reached over and spun the wheel absentmindedly.

“I can be two things.”

She laughed again as the wheel landed on a science fiction and pale ale pairing. We both laughed easily. “What are the odds?”

“I can recommend a few selections for you.” I moved casually to the stack and pulled the first in the Wheel of Time series. I couldn’t help but notice she’d chosen my favorite for the table.

“You don’t think I’ve read it?”

I narrowed my eyes and pretended to assess her. “I’m not sure,” I said honestly. “You don’t really strike me as the type who’s into epic fantasy.”

“Neither do you.”

“Fair point.”

“But I’m happy to try the beer.” She winked at me and poured herself a small sample. “Honestly,” Delaney said after taking a sip. “This wheel was a really good idea. I can’t believe how busy we’ve been today. This is nuts.”

“Are you saying that working with me was actually a good idea?” I wiggled my eyebrows, and she rolled her eyes.

“I’m just saying it hasn’t been as bad as I expected.”

“High praise.” My laughter was cut short by the arrival of a new customer at our table.

An outdoorsy-type man in his thirties, wearing a fleece vest and an easy grin that was aimed directly at Delaney. He had that casual, rugged charm that guys like him always seemed to wear like a second skin, and women seemed to find attractive.

“What do you recommend?” he asked her, not even glancing in my direction.

Delaney turned her attention to the man, and I instantly missed having her focus on me. “A book or a brew?” She smiled politely.

“Spin the wheel.” I motioned toward it, but he didn’t bother to take his gaze off Delaney.

“Actually, I think I know exactly what I’d like,” he said to Delaney, keeping his eyes locked on her.

I didn’t like it. I didn’t like him.

There was no logical reason for the flare of jealousy, but logic didn’t stand a chance against the green monster clawing up the back of my throat. Not that there was much I could do about it. Not without looking like a total jackass.

So I swallowed it down and focused on the couple approaching the table.

“Hey there,” I said, my voice tighter than I meant it to be. “Care to spin the wheel for a pairing?”

While they moved for the wheel, snippets of Delaney’s conversation reached my ears.

“I’m looking for something to take on a hike,” the guy said. “Something adventurous…and maybe someone to read it with me.”

Seriously?

Reluctantly, I turned back to my task, pouring a sample of the pilsner for the couple in front of me, but my hand wasn’t as steady as usual. Beer sloshed over the cup and onto the table, narrowly missing a stack of books. I muttered a curse and reached for a paper towel.

I caught Delaney’s response as I blotted up the mess. “I’m not much for the outdoors,” she said. “But I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”

The guy either didn’t notice or care.

I looked over in time to see Delaney hand him a book with a small, practiced smile that I noticed didn’t reach her eyes.

He finally moved on, and I exhaled. Delaney turned back to the table and raised her eyebrows at the mess I’d made.

“Everything okay over here, Ethan?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

She smirked.

“Was that true?” I asked before I could stop myself. “About you not liking the outdoors?” I’m not sure why it mattered so much, but I needed to know.

“Not at all.” Her eyes locked on mine. “I just didn’t want to encourage him.”

I blew out a breath. “Good.”

“Good?” She looked at me pointedly, but before I could say anything, Delaney added, “Jealousy doesn’t suit you.”

“Wasn’t jealous,” I answered too quickly. “I just didn’t like the way he was looking at you like it was speed dating instead of a book table.”

Delaney shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing if someone did ask me out.”

The words hit me square in the chest. I swallowed and forced a smile. “I mean…yeah. Makes sense, I guess,” I said, aiming for casual but missing it by a mile.

She turned to help the next person, and I focused on refilling the beer samples.

I managed not to spill again, but my mind was still stuck on what she’d said.

Of course she deserved to be asked out on a date.

Smart, sharp, funny, and gorgeous, she also managed to make running a bookstore look like the coolest job in town.

If things were different…if I wasn’t already in over my head with the brewery and raising Quinn…maybe I would have said something or asked her to dinner. On a real date.

But that’s not where we were. We’d come too far in our effort to make peace with each other. Even if I did have a spare minute to consider a date, I couldn’t afford screwing things up with Delaney.

Instead, I focused on the next pour and pretended I didn’t care who might ask her out next.

Even if I really, really did.

Delaney

By the time the sun dipped behind the mountains and the air grew chilly, my feet ached and my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing all day. It had been a very successful event.

I stacked up the leftover books and placed them in a crate. The goal hadn’t been to sell books, but to drive interest in the store. In the end, we’d done both. Plus quite a bit of enthusiasm for Ethan’s brewery, set for a grand opening soon.

Ethan crouched to unlatch the legs of the spinning wheel he’d constructed, now slightly wobbly after hours of use. “I think it’s safe to say this was a huge hit.”

I glanced at the empty sample cups piled up in the trash bin and the handful of flyers we had left and nodded. “Okay, I have to admit. You were right about the wheel.”

His grin lit up his face. “I knew you liked it.”

“I told you earlier I liked it.” I tilted my head and gave him a look.

“Maybe,” he admitted. “But I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of hearing it.”

Before I could fire back, a familiar voice called out. “Dad! Can I borrow twenty bucks?”

Quinn jogged toward us, her hair in her signature messy braid and a smile on her face. She slid to a stop beside the table with another girl the same age right behind her. “Hi, bookstore lady.” Quinn flashed me a grin before turning back to her dad.

“Hi to you, too, kiddo.” Ethan grinned. “Where’ve you been all day?”

“Everywhere. Did you know that over at the flower shop, you could make your own arrangement?”

“I didn’t know that.” Ethan stopped what he was doing to give his daughter his full attention.

“And the Sugar Shack had fudge samples.”

“And I suppose you tried them all.”

Quinn laughed. “But not the rum raisin, whatever that is. It sounds gross.”

I did my best to swallow my giggle.

“So, can I?”

“Can you what?” Ethan asked.

“Can I borrow twenty bucks?”

“By borrow ,” he smiled, “how exactly do you plan to pay me back?”

Quinn cocked her hip and tilted her head with the attitude of a girl much older than she was. Again, I swallowed a laugh. Quinn was a great kid, but I could easily see what a handful she was going to be in a few years.

“Yes,” Ethan said before she could ask again. “You can have twenty dollars.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled his wallet out. “I assume it’s not to buy fudge?”

“Nope.” Quinn snatched the bill from her dad. “We want some of those giant cinnamon buns they have at the end of the plaza. They’re like the size of my head.”

I watched their easy back-and-forth. The warmth and love between them radiated openly. Something about seeing Ethan as a dad, so relaxed and a little goofy, so easily in sync with his daughter caught me off guard.

“Try not to have too much sugar.” He raised his eyebrows. “And back here by six, okay?”

“You’re the best.” Quinn turned to leave with her friend, but hesitated for a moment. “Love you, Dad. Bye, bookstore lady.”

“Her name is Delaney,” Ethan called after her.

“I know.” Quinn laughed. “It’s our thing.”

I didn’t bother hiding my smile as Quinn and her friend took off, running in the direction of the huge cinnamon buns.

“It’s your thing?” he asked with a grin.

“I guess it is.” I shrugged, trying to look casual about it, but on the inside, I loved that Quinn and I had our thing .

“She’s a handful.” Ethan shook his head and blew out a breath, but his voice was filled with nothing but pride.

“She’s incredible,” I said softly. And then, before I could stop myself, “You’re really good with her.”

Ethan looked over at me, surprise on his face for half a second before his expression settled into something else. “Thanks. I’m really just figuring it out as I go.”

“Well, you make it look easier than it probably is.” I meant it.

He gave a little laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Some days feel like a win. Others…well, not so much.”

I flashed him a sympathetic smile. I couldn’t imagine trying to raise a twelve-year-old girl. Let alone doing it on my own.

“She’s a good kid,” Ethan continued. “That makes it easier.”

I nodded and reached across the table to gather up the leftover flyers. The moment was over, but the warmth of watching the two of them together lingered, leaving behind the slightest ache in my chest that I didn’t know what to do with.

They had an effortless rhythm together. The father-daughter connection was different, certainly, but standing on the outside of it made me realize just how long it had been since I’d felt that kind of connection with anyone.

And maybe, how much I’d missed it.