Read A Christmas Affair: A Seaside Cove Romance (Seaside Cove Romance Series Book 1) for Free Online

he realized it was coming, and began to cough. He did not hear footsteps come up behind him.
    "Could you do that any louder?" Molly said with a laugh in her voice. He jumped up and turned around surprised to see her standing alone a few feet away. As soon as Jack locked eyes with hers though, she looked away from him. First to the ground, then back up and just to the right of his face. He looked over his shoulder expecting to see someone standing there, but there was nothing except for a few student council posters splashed on the wall.
    "I thought I was going to get out of here without anyone seeing me," Jack said. "You left early too?"
    "I had an idea," she said finally looking at him. He immediately fell under her trance, just like he did when he met her in high school. Every time she would look at him with those beautiful blue eyes he felt as though someone was taking all the air out of the room. "On how you can make money during Dickens."
    "I'm listening," Jack said crossing his arms over his flannel jacket, soft and worn from years of washing.
    "I heard what you said in there, and you're right." She was twisting her fingers together, just like she always did when she was nervous. "You shouldn't have to play along if it isn't going to benefit your business at all."
    "It isn't that it doesn't benefit my business, I lose money this month Mols," the nickname came out of his mouth before he realized it, and he was surprised at how familiar it felt even though it had been ten years since he used it.
    "Well, what if we can talk to the city, and get you a permit to sell beer outside? I've heard you brew your own beers? You could make a Christmas blend, and sell that, hard cider, and spiced eggnog to the tourists." Her eyes lit up, and he wanted to know if it was because of the business talk, Christmas talk, or because of him. "I'm sure you'd make a profit that way! I mean, what parent doesn't want a beer when they are dragging their children around a festival? I know I would!"
    He squinted his eyes and looked at her. His mind began to wrap around her idea and the possibilities. "You know..."
    "What? Bad idea?" she puffed out her chest like she always did when she got ready for an argument. "Well, at least I'm trying, instead of sulking around at Christmas time."
    "Actually, I was going to say that was the best idea I've heard in a while." Jack laughed. He put out his hand to shake hers. "Now, who do I see about filling out permit paperwork?"
    "Don't you have about half of city council in your bar every night?" she looked at his hand but did not offer hers.
    "Not every night," he said, and the corner of her mouth twitched. His eyes stayed on her mouth, and he was resisting the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her long and hard. Get it together, we're too close to where it happened. With that thought, he looked down the hall and felt the anxiety from prom night return. Molly looked as though she was going to walk away.
    "I'm sorry I blamed you for taking my lights." Jack forced himself to find something else to talk about, just so she would not leave.
    "I almost did, those stupid things made me pretty mad last night," she said. Jack laughed as the anxiety washed away, and the stillness of her face softened into a true smile. "I also came out here because I wanted to thank you for last night. With that guy."
    "I didn't do anything." Jack wondered how she knew he had checked the outside of her building several times the night before.
    "You did, you helped Brian get that man to the cop car," she said and his heart sunk a little. That is what she meant. "It might not have seemed like a lot, but I was pretty scared. It makes me feel good to know I have someone across the street who will help me if I need it."
    "It was nothing. I would have done the same for anyone," he said. Why did I say that?
    "I know." She sounded defensive.
    "Well, if that's it." He did not want it to be it. But he also knew he could not stand with her alone