"Miss March. I'm glad you made it tonight." Therese the owner of the Wet Ink Bookstore strode from around the counter and approached Annika where she shook the snow from her coat, by the back door.

Annika snorted. "Hello, Therese."

Therese took Annika's coat and hung it on an old-fashioned coat rack. Too many lunches from Jerry's Burgers and too much time sitting and reading had widened Therese's frame over the past decades from a svelte girlishness to a curvy womanliness. But she was a sweet lady who could tell you the name of a book or author with less than fifty words of description.

"And it's not like we haven't known each other forever. Just because I have my name on a few spines now doesn't mean I don't spend hour upon hour in your reading nook devouring everything you recommend. So none of this Ms. March crap. You know my name."

The smell of paper both old and new permeated the air and made Annika smile. When books and words surrounded her, it was like she was transported to a distant safe place that put her at ease and opened her up.

Therese laughed. "We have you set up in the nook if that works. We've been getting calls all week asking when you were going to be signing. We would put you up front but I don’t want people to have to wait out in the snow longer than necessary to see you."

Trepidation did a two-step in her stomach with her excitement. As much as she hated to admit it, it tickled her that people loved her writing.

"Didn't you see the line out front?"

Nope. She hadn't. She'd been anything but level headed in the past few days. All spare thoughts had gone to Jesse Winchester.

Therese ambled through stacks and stacks of books toward the rear reading room. Several covers caught Annika's eye making her want to stop and peek at them.

She'd skipped both the faculty luncheon as well as the holiday gift exchange. Always giving an apology and the excuse that she had a deadline to meet. She'd not been that anti-social in a long time. Thank heavens that there were only two days left of finals week. And then three weeks of holiday break. It wasn't so much that she was avoiding him as it was- no she couldn't lie to herself. She was avoiding him. After their rendezvous at his party the sick, sticky tinge of guilt spoiled their moments together. It wasn't fair to Carrie and she refused to be seen as the old flame home wrecker. Nope. No way. Until she'd sorted out her feelings and gotten her heart to agree with her head, she refused to be anywhere that she might run into him alone.

"We had to pull the remaining copies off the shelf today so you'd have something left to sell tonight," Therese continued. "It's been a lot of fun to see how your career has grown over the last few years."

"You've always been too kind."

Therese stopped and gave Annika a warm smile. "And your biggest fan. Which is why I can't forgive you for not telling me what happens in your next book."

Annika laughed and squeezed Therese's arm. "How about I give you the first Advanced Readers Copy?"

"Deal."

Annika stepped inside the small room; the regular soft chairs had been retired to the back row. Dozens of old wooden hardback chairs sat at attention waiting for human rears to warm them. In front of them a small table waited for her in the front of the room. Banners for Annika's books flanked the table along with a large poster of her upcoming release. It still made her smile to see her name in print.

"We're going to start letting people in in about thirty minutes. Feel free to settle in and tell me if you need anything." Therese bustled out of the room.

Annika had come to love the older woman and aside from the townhouse she'd had since college, the Wet Ink had become like a second home to her.

A text buzzed across her phone from her sister wishing her good luck on the book signing. It struck Annika in the heart realizing how long it had been since she'd seen her younger sister.

Her dad and step mom lived in Idaho with her three younger half siblings, not that Annika kept in contact with them. Being abandoned tended to do that to a girl. Her mom and stepdad had moved to Florida for retirement a few years prior. And Annika's sister and brother lived on either coast with their spouses. Leaving Annika in the middle, freezing her butt off in her lonely teaching career in Colorado.

She texted her sister back and waited out her nerves until people started pouring through the door taking seats anywhere they were able. As the noise level rose so did her anxiety. She recognized several of her students and waved. A few other local fans that had come to see her before also waved, setting her more at ease.

Soon there was only standing room left and even that filled in. She scanned the room as Therese made her way to the front of the room. Annika's heart almost stopped when she spotted a tall handsome figure in a Sherpa jacket leaning against the back wall. A group of girls whispered and stared at him, but his eyes were trained on Annika. Jesse. Her gut fell like a plane in a tailspin.

He gave a small smile and wave. She tried to smile back but couldn't manage to make her facial muscles work. Carrie was nowhere to be seen.

After talking for ten minutes, reading a passage from her book, and then taking questions, Annika was ready to bolt. Jesse's intense gaze had her more nervous than she'd ever been at one of her signings.

Therese ushered people to where the line began for the signing and soon Annika had no time to think of anything but her fans. Smile planted on her face, she listened to them gush over her work. Ask for funny signatures. Tell her their favorite part. And take photos. It was the most nerve wracking, yet flattering part of being an author.

The line crawled forward and for over an hour she signed, and talked, and smiled until she thought her face might go into paralysis. With only a few people left in line she glanced around to find Jesse sitting in the back row still watching her. If her life was any less mundane she would have thought him a stalker in one of her novels.

She brushed her hair behind her ear and when she'd finished with the last signature he stood. She capped her pen and fiddled with her phone as he approached.

He slid her first novel across her table toward her. "Don't put that pen away."

She uncapped her sharpie and cracked the spine of the paperback.

"You want me to sign it to Carrie?"

"This one's mine."

She stared up at him and her cheeks flushed. "You… you read it?" she croaked.

"Every word." His eyes spoke volumes.

"Okay… is there something specific you want me to write? Or just a generic signature?" she stammered.

He gave her a wicked smile. "For Jesse, the real Jeston."

She swallowed hard, unable to form words. Her hand shook as she wrote the words inside the front cover and signed it. She plucked a bookmark for her newest book off the table and stuck it inside.

She handed it over to him and he opened the cover and grinned.

"I didn't think you'd do it."

"Does me no good to lie. Some parts of Jeston were patterned after you."

"And what about Danielle? She's you right?"

"It was my first female character so yes, part of me is bound to be in there." She gathered up her things and shoved them into her bag.

"Would you like to grab a burger?"

She rounded the table. "I should head home. TJ-"

"Isn’t coming home until tomorrow."

Shoot. She was running out of excuses.

He touched her the arm and his expression shot straight through her heart. Dang it, what was she still holding on to?

"Please?"

She licked her lips. "Sure. Let's call Carrie and invite her to join us."

"Carrie is having a date with Nyquil tonight. She caught a cold. Besides, she doesn't mind if I have dinner with a friend."

They wove through the chairs toward the back door where Jesse helped her with her coat. "I'm sorry she isn't feeling well."

"It's why you two haven't gone for those mani's and pedi's yet. She was bummed about not being able to come tonight too. I'm sure she'll be contacting you soon for those autographs you promised her though."

"I'd be happy to do it. She's a very lovely person." She wrapped her scarf around her neck. "Goodnight Therese," she called.

Therese looked over her shoulder from the cash register where she was ringing up the last patrons.

"Night, Hun. I'll see you Friday. Tell TJ I got his new book in."

Annika waved before she and Jesse exited the back of the store to the icy parking lot.

"Want to walk down to Jerry's? It's not too far."

"Sure. Just let me put my bag in my car first." She walked toward the edge of the lot and Jesse's bark of laughter caught her attention.

"Bettie? You still have Bettie?" He walked up to the old Ford Mustang and ran his hand down her side.

"Why wouldn't I? She's a classic."

"She sure is."

A jolt of nostalgia ran over Annika at the sight of him running his fingers down her lines. Bettie had been responsible for them almost being arrested after a frat party where Jesse had begged to drive. Unfortunately, he'd not been completely sober at the time and he'd ended up driving over several mailboxes. Bettie had also been the first place Jesse had said I love you. And the first place that she and Jesse had had sex. Right after his first win of the season.

Embarrassment heated her body and suddenly she didn't need any of the extra layers she'd put on that night. Those were not the kind of thoughts she needed to be having.