Chapter 1 The man at the door
The last person Emily Brooks expected to see standing at the entrance of Willow Creek Books was Liam Carter.
Her Liam.
Well… not hers. Not anymore.
Ten years had changed him. The messy-haired boy who once carved their initials into the library desk was now a man — tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a tailored navy suit that screamed big city. The only thing the same was those storm-grey eyes… the ones that used to look at her like she was his whole world.
She tightened her grip on the stack of books in her arms. “Can I help you?” Her voice was cooler than she felt.
A slow smile curved his lips. “Hello, Em.”
Her heart gave a painful, traitorous kick. Nobody called her that anymore.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, stepping aside so a customer could slip past.
“I’m your new boss,” he said simply.
The words hit her like a slap. “Excuse me?”
Liam glanced around the shop, as if checking it over, before meeting her eyes again. “I bought the bookstore.”
She stared at him, speechless. Of all the people who could have taken over Willow Creek Books, it had to be the man who broke her heart and disappeared without explanation.
“Well, congratulations,” she said finally, forcing a polite smile. “You’ll find the accounts in the back office. I’m sure you can manage without me.”
She tried to brush past him, but his hand closed gently around her wrist. The touch sent a shiver down her spine.
“Em… I didn’t come back just for business,” he said, his voice low. “There are things you don’t know. Things I should have told you.”
Her pulse thundered in her ears. She wanted to yank her hand away, wanted to tell him she didn’t care. But before she could speak, the shop bell rang again.
An older woman stood in the doorway, her eyes sharp and knowing. “Emily,” she said, “is this the man you’ve been keeping secrets about?”
Emily froze.
Liam’s gaze darkened.
And in that tense silence, she knew — this was only the beginning.
