She nods and smooths her hands over her white skirt. “I know. Do you mind if we have one more stop tonight?”

She’s completely composed, while I’m the exact opposite.

I look at my watch. It’s nearly seven. “Alright.”

“Good. I think this one will do the trick. There’s no way you won’t believe after this.”

I shake my head. Not a chance.

14

Jessie

The library closed at five. The lights are low and the building is silent. I lead Will through the rows of nonfiction toward the back of the building. The sound of our footsteps is muted on the carpet and I can hear Will’s soft breath from behind me.

He hasn’t said anything since walking the two blocks from Hart’s Chocolates to the library. He didn’t even say anything when I opened the back door of the closed and dark library. It’s because he’s said everything that needs to be said. He wants me, he always has. He won’t step aside and acknowledge Erma is right about my soul mate. There’s nothing more for him to say. The move is mine.

I stop at the end of a row of books. There’s a large thick wooden table with ten upholstered chairs placed around it. The table is handmade and carved around the edges is a scrolling pattern of leaves, branches and acorns. The walls are painted with a mural of an oak tree. Its branches are filled with books. I had the painting commissioned five years ago, shortly after I started working here and was placed in charge of updating the reference section. Will steps beside me. He looks at the mural and lets out a long sigh.

“I didn’t know this was here,” he says.

My breath catches at the quiet awe in his voice. “I had it painted after I started working here.”

He steps to it and runs his hands over the titles of all the books in the tree. His hand stops at the heart of the tree, where I put my favorite. When he turns to me, his expression is hungry.

“Is this what you wanted to show me?”

I move toward him, drawn in by the hunger in his gaze.

“No,” I say.

I take another step toward him. Even when I wanted to, I could never stay away from him. Even now, when Erma told me my dream had finally come true and Gavin is my soul mate, I can’t stay away from Will.

“Then what did you want me to see?”

He looks down at my lips and I imagine him tasting me, tasting the memory of oaky chocolate and hot tea. Of friendship, and dreams, and first kisses and wishes.