Do Anything by Wendy Owens Page A

the altar with a Dear John letter.”
    “Shut up!” I shout, slapping him across the arm again and then collapsing back into my chair.
    “No, I swear it’s the truth. My girlfriend and I were set to marry. Had I listened to her, I probably would have realized she had no desire to stay in this small town for the rest of her life. She decided I wasn’t worth convincing, so she wrote it in a letter and that was the end.”
    “Did you ever see her again?” I know it’s rude to press such a hurtful subject matter, but I can’t help myself. To meet someone else whose love life is more pathetic than my own is … impressive.
    “I did … when she came back a few weeks later to get some of her stuff. It didn’t go well, I guess you could say. I was still pretty pissed, and my ego was bruised. Then about six months ago we talked on the phone. She met someone in London, and she’s happy. I told her I met someone, even though I haven’t, and we all pretend we’re okay with it now.”
    I burst out laughing. “Oh my God, you didn’t?”
    “Hell yeah I did!” he exclaims. “That girl ripped out my heart, so no way am I going to let her think I haven’t moved on. You know the only reason you think it’s funny is because you would do the same thing in my situation.”
    I gasp for breath between laughs. “You’re so right.”
    It was like in those crazy romance books where they say you lose all track of time. Holden and I sit there sharing stories of our childhoods, lost loves, our dreams. Heck, we even discuss our favorite things to eat. Occasionally I’m distracted by his smile or the way the fire makes his eyes glow, but overall, it’s a fun time. So fun, that when we realize what time it is, we have both missed lunch, and Holden has to start working the afternoon bar shift.
    “Wow, I had such a good time with you today,” he says, following me as I walk over to the stairs.
    “I did, too.”
    “Umm …” It’s obvious neither of us want our conversation to end. “Do you want me to have Bea make you a sandwich?”
    “That would be great,” I answer with a smile.

The entire day I sit at the bar and interact with Holden. I watch how the people who come into the inn love him. It’s obvious a lot of the locals view him as a part of their family. I admire that, and in a way I envy him. My guess is if I dropped off the face of the Earth tomorrow, only Kenzie would miss me.
    I’d spent the entire day near him, and I’m beginning to worry how it makes me look. I wonder if he thinks I’m desperate.
    “Well, it’s late, so I’m going to head up to my room,” I announce, standing and moving over to the stairwell. When I turn around to see if Holden heard me, I’m startled to find he’s nearly right on top of me.
    “Are you sure?” he asks. “We could talk more after I close up in a few hours.”
    This doesn’t seem to compute for me. I wonder if he wants a fresh face around him for the evening, or if it’s me he actually wants. I tell myself to play it cool.
    He is so close now I can feel his breath on my cheek. I wonder if the other patrons in the bar are watching. “No, I should head up. I want to get a shower in.”
    I watch for a shift in his expression as I mention the shower. His eyebrows lift, and I can tell the idea is intriguing to him. “Well, maybe we’ll pass in the night.”
    “What?” the word slips from my lips in shock.
    “You know, two insomniacs?” He narrows his brow at my assumption, and I feel my cheeks flush.
    “Yeah, right. Goodnight, Holden.”
    “’Night, Belle.” When he calls me by his own special nickname for me, I feel a shiver rush over me. I keep it together, making my way up the stairs, using the wall to steady myself. I don’t know what this day was, but I know for sure it was fantastic.
    I shove open my door, closing it behind me once I’m in the room, and spin around, falling back onto the bed. My head is swirling, bits and pieces of the conversation