knew she didn’t have time to like him, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t like him. She just wished she didn’t.
Harper did a slipshod job of the last quarter of the book, and she made a promise to herself that she would make it up to the kids at the next story time. But none of the kids complained. They seemed happy just to have an excuse to roar.
Some of the children and their parents tried to talk to her after she’d finished the story, and Harper did her best not to rush them. She smiled and reminded them about the next story time in July. When a mother told her how much she loved Maurice Sendak, Harper even recommended other books she should check out.
But the very second she could, Harper extracted herself from the children’s corner and went over to the front desk, where Daniel was still talking with Marcy.
“No, I don’t doubt that,” Daniel was saying, laughing at something Marcy had said.
Marcy, for her part, wore her usual blank expression, giving Harper no indication of what they could’ve possibly been talking about.
“Hi,” Harper said, and her voice sounded oddly high-pitched to her own ears, so she rushed to correct it. “Hi. Um, were you looking for a book?”
Daniel had been leaning forward, his arms resting on the desk, but he turned so he could face Harper, leaving one elbow on the counter. His smile widened when he saw her, and she noticed the fading cuts on his cheek.
When Penn had been that awful bird-monster on Bernie’s Island, Daniel had rushed in with a pitchfork to defend both Harper and her younger sister. But Penn had lashed out, scratching him across the cheek with her claws.
That memory both tightened her heart and warmed it. The horror of the monsters still frightened her, but knowing that Daniel had put himself in harm’s way to protect her … it was hard not to feel something for him.
“What book were you reading them?” Daniel asked, pointing to where she’d been for story time. “Because that looked like a lot of fun.”
“ Where the Wild Things Are . I can get it for you, if you want.” Harper moved like she meant to, and Daniel reached out, gently putting his arm on hers to stop her.
“Nah, that’s okay,” he said, letting his hand fall back to his side. “I think I’ve read it before. It is a good one, though.”
“Yeah, it is,” Harper agreed.
“I have to come clean with you,” Daniel said gravely.
She swallowed hard. “Oh?”
“I didn’t come in for a book,” he admitted, and one corner of his mouth turned up slightly.
Harper glanced over at Marcy, who was standing on the other side of the desk, unabashedly watching the two of them talk. Harper raised her eyebrows, trying to give her friend a knowing look, and Marcy sighed.
“I guess I have some books to put away or something,” Marcy muttered, and started pushing the cart out from behind the desk. “Because it’s not like I don’t have all day to put away twenty books. I need to do it right now.”
Once Marcy was out of earshot, Harper turned her attention back to Daniel.
“What is it that brought you here, then?” Harper asked, hoping she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. Daniel had a way of making her completely flustered.
“I wanted to see why you’ve been avoiding me.” Daniel was smiling when he said it, but he couldn’t hide the hurt in his hazel eyes.
“I haven’t been—” Harper began to protest, but he waved her off.
“You’ve been ignoring my calls, and you haven’t been down to the docks to bring your dad his lunch,” Daniel said. “The poor man is probably starving.”
Brian worked down at the docks near where Daniel lived on his boat. Her father was notorious about forgetting his lunch, and Harper saw Daniel a lot when she brought it to him.
“My dad didn’t work that much this week,” Harper said. “He is today, but I honestly can’t tell you if he remembered his lunch or not. I forgot to check.”
“Oh,” Daniel said.
Harper did a slipshod job of the last quarter of the book, and she made a promise to herself that she would make it up to the kids at the next story time. But none of the kids complained. They seemed happy just to have an excuse to roar.
Some of the children and their parents tried to talk to her after she’d finished the story, and Harper did her best not to rush them. She smiled and reminded them about the next story time in July. When a mother told her how much she loved Maurice Sendak, Harper even recommended other books she should check out.
But the very second she could, Harper extracted herself from the children’s corner and went over to the front desk, where Daniel was still talking with Marcy.
“No, I don’t doubt that,” Daniel was saying, laughing at something Marcy had said.
Marcy, for her part, wore her usual blank expression, giving Harper no indication of what they could’ve possibly been talking about.
“Hi,” Harper said, and her voice sounded oddly high-pitched to her own ears, so she rushed to correct it. “Hi. Um, were you looking for a book?”
Daniel had been leaning forward, his arms resting on the desk, but he turned so he could face Harper, leaving one elbow on the counter. His smile widened when he saw her, and she noticed the fading cuts on his cheek.
When Penn had been that awful bird-monster on Bernie’s Island, Daniel had rushed in with a pitchfork to defend both Harper and her younger sister. But Penn had lashed out, scratching him across the cheek with her claws.
That memory both tightened her heart and warmed it. The horror of the monsters still frightened her, but knowing that Daniel had put himself in harm’s way to protect her … it was hard not to feel something for him.
“What book were you reading them?” Daniel asked, pointing to where she’d been for story time. “Because that looked like a lot of fun.”
“ Where the Wild Things Are . I can get it for you, if you want.” Harper moved like she meant to, and Daniel reached out, gently putting his arm on hers to stop her.
“Nah, that’s okay,” he said, letting his hand fall back to his side. “I think I’ve read it before. It is a good one, though.”
“Yeah, it is,” Harper agreed.
“I have to come clean with you,” Daniel said gravely.
She swallowed hard. “Oh?”
“I didn’t come in for a book,” he admitted, and one corner of his mouth turned up slightly.
Harper glanced over at Marcy, who was standing on the other side of the desk, unabashedly watching the two of them talk. Harper raised her eyebrows, trying to give her friend a knowing look, and Marcy sighed.
“I guess I have some books to put away or something,” Marcy muttered, and started pushing the cart out from behind the desk. “Because it’s not like I don’t have all day to put away twenty books. I need to do it right now.”
Once Marcy was out of earshot, Harper turned her attention back to Daniel.
“What is it that brought you here, then?” Harper asked, hoping she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. Daniel had a way of making her completely flustered.
“I wanted to see why you’ve been avoiding me.” Daniel was smiling when he said it, but he couldn’t hide the hurt in his hazel eyes.
“I haven’t been—” Harper began to protest, but he waved her off.
“You’ve been ignoring my calls, and you haven’t been down to the docks to bring your dad his lunch,” Daniel said. “The poor man is probably starving.”
Brian worked down at the docks near where Daniel lived on his boat. Her father was notorious about forgetting his lunch, and Harper saw Daniel a lot when she brought it to him.
“My dad didn’t work that much this week,” Harper said. “He is today, but I honestly can’t tell you if he remembered his lunch or not. I forgot to check.”
“Oh,” Daniel said.
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