Whispers of Heart

tore, a brand-new copy of Leaves of Grass in one hand and a paper bag in the other. The afternoon sun haloed his unfairly tousled hair, and

eplacement. And I brought bribes." He shook the

a quiet growl. "Bribes won't fix

y section, where the ladder still leaned against the shel

eaven, and the determined glint in Ryan's eyes w

mehow. He set the pastries up on the counter and rolled up his sleeves again-Le

ing to the top shelf

straightening the cas

to things that are actively dying." He

Books aren't dying. The

id a collection of Frost into place.

counter's chipped edge, where she'd once carved her initials at age seven. "After she passed,

self-conscious. "Your t

me to job sites, let me sketch the houses while he worked." A shadow crossed his f

d in like a wrecking ball. Before she could respond, the shop phone rang. She grabbe

gh the receiver. " You won't believe who just w

ago for his grad school TA. He'd called her an "emotionally stun

. "I'm working, So

er here. You need to sho

der and stood close enough that Lena caught the cedar-and-coffee scent o

that Ryan had overheard. Hated

ped. "Who

Sophie. Lena's got plans tonight. Perhaps another ti

t with

ng between t

ath caught

ner. Tonight. Let him see you laughing w

's gaze made her fingertips tingle. For the first time

she said "No

ile could've m