Read Willow Spring for Free Online

just amped up the whole happy-sad-horrified thing going on inside her, and she feared she’d even blushed the first time they made eye contact. She knew he hadn’t noticed, given that he wasn’t at the top of his game yet—but she noticed, and the last thing she wanted to do was act weird around him.
    After that, though, they made small talk—about the new cat at the bookstore, about the gorgeous weather, and she was pleased to hear he’d actually called Mike this morning—and she began to realize she could do this. She could act normal around Logan even while being in love with him.
    And that will be my cross to bear in life. To be in love with my best friend without ever letting him know. Which sounded pretty tragic now that she thought about it, but she knew she could handle it with the same grace and aplomb of any Jane Austen heroine.
    “Tessa minding the store?” he asked.
    In front of him, she gave a nod. And didn’t bother mentioning that Tessa had thought Amy driving out to see Logan was a fantastic idea—or why.
    “That top looks nice on you,” he said then from behind her. “Is it new?”
    Hmm. She dared peek over her shoulder—just briefly. “Thanks. And yeah, it is. Rachel helped me pick it out.” Rachel was Destiny’s fashion maven—she kept up with style and knew what looked good on different body types. And perhaps Amy had worn it purposely today because it was slightly formfitting and made her feel a little more feminine than most of her clothes. But the most noteworthy thing at the moment was that Logan had never noticed that sort of thing—at least not with her. In fact, she wasn’t sure he’d ever complimented something she’d worn.
    “You should get more stuff like that,” he said.
    And she replied, “Maybe I will.”
    After a little more chatting and some time spent just sitting quietly together, Amy extracted her toes from the cool water and swiveled to face him, wrapping her arms around her bent knees. “You know, sitting on your dock with the dog is great and all, but you need to take the next step. We’re going to town.”
    And when he immediately started to protest, she cut him off. “Look, it won’t kill you to take a walk around town square, maybe see a few people. And besides, I know you need some groceries, so we’ll stop at the store before we come back. We’ll kill two birds with one stone, and you’ll be glad afterward, I promise.”
    When Logan finally relented, and Amy stood to slip her shoes back on, Logan glanced down and said, “You have nice feet. I never noticed that before. I like that color.”
    Of toenail polish, she knew he meant. Sassy Salmon, and Tessa’s choice—she’d insisted Amy try something brighter than usual when they’d decided to do home pedicures last week.
    “Um, thanks.” And she had no idea why a mere compliment to her toes made her tingle a little, or why her words almost definitely came out sounding too soft and breathy—but she decided not to overthink it. Not just yet anyway.
    Don’t jump to conclusions. It’s a couple of compliments. And he’s been cut off from society for more than a month; maybe he’d notice these things on anyone, any female who crossed his path.
    But on the other hand, they were compliments he could only pay a female. Which meant . . . he knew she was a female. And maybe that part felt as new as the compliments themselves.
    But do. Not. Over. Think. It. It probably means nothing.
    Amy drove, more conscious than normal of having Logan in the seat next to her. Her toes and torso still felt the effects of being noticed by him. And now she was forced to look at him more, which, weirdly, still took some getting used to. Because she simply saw him in a whole new way now.
    His eyes were so darn blue. As blue as Blue Valley Lake itself on a spring day like today. And they were so pretty, too—so much that she found it almost difficult to concentrate on what he was saying when she looked into them. His