“Nah, that’s okay,” he said, letting his hand fall back to his side. “I think I’ve read it before. It is a good one, though.”
“Yeah, it is,” Harper agreed.
“I have to come clean with you,” Daniel said gravely.
She swallowed hard. “Oh?”
“I didn’t come in for a book,” he admitted, and one corner of his mouth turned up slightly.
Harper glanced over at Marcy, who was standing on the other side of the desk, unabashedly watching the two of them talk. Harper raised her eyebrows, trying to give her friend a knowing look, and Marcy sighed.
“I guess I have some books to put away or something,” Marcy muttered, and started pushing the cart out from behind the desk. “Because it’s not like I don’t have all day to put away twenty books. I need to do it right now.”
Once Marcy was out of earshot, Harper turned her attention back to Daniel.
“What is it that brought you here, then?” Harper asked, hoping she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. Daniel had a way of making her completely flustered.
“I wanted to see why you’ve been avoiding me.” Daniel was smiling when he said it, but he couldn’t hide the hurt in his hazel eyes.
“I haven’t been—” Harper began to protest, but he waved her off.
“You’ve been ignoring my calls, and you haven’t been down to the docks to bring your dad his lunch,” Daniel said. “The poor man is probably starving.”
Brian worked down at the docks near where Daniel lived on his boat. Her father was notorious about forgetting his lunch, and Harper saw Daniel a lot when she brought it to him.
“My dad didn’t work that much this week,” Harper said. “He is today, but I honestly can’t tell you if he remembered his lunch or not. I forgot to check.”
“Oh,” Daniel said. “Well, that makes sense. But that doesn’t explain you ignoring my calls.”
“I…” She stared down at the floor, unable to meet his gaze. “Daniel, you know what the situation is. Things are so strange right now, and I really don’t have time for anything.”
“I wasn’t suggesting we run away together,” Daniel said. “I know how crazy things are. That’s why I was calling. I wanted to see how you were doing.”
“Oh.” Harper licked her lips and tried to think of something to say. “Well. Things are…”
“Why don’t we go talk about it?” Daniel asked. “Let’s go across the street to Pearl’s and grab some lunch. I’ll even let you pay for me.”
“I can’t just leave.” Harper gestured to the library, which was now almost empty aside from one mother and her child looking through the kids’ books. “I’m working.”
“I can cover for you,” Marcy said, poking her head out from behind a nearby bookshelf. “If you want to go have lunch, I’ve got it.”
Harper sighed. “Thanks, Marcy.”
Of course Marcy had to go and be helpful the one time Harper didn’t want her to be. She knew Marcy was making a concerted effort to be nice, since Harper was going through a rough patch with Gemma missing, but still. This was insane.
“You may not have time to run off with a ruggedly handsome guy like myself, but I know you still have to eat,” Daniel said. “And Marcy says that she has this under control. You have no reason to say no.”
“Okay,” Harper relented, because he was right. She couldn’t think up an excuse, no matter how hard she tried. “But it’s a little early for lunch.”
“We’ll have brunch, then,” Daniel said.
He stepped back from the desk and waited as she prepared to go. When they left, he held the door open for her, and she smiled politely but tried not to let her eyes meet his.
“So, have you heard from Gemma?” Daniel asked as they waited on the sidewalk for a break in traffic.
“No.” Harper shook her head. “Not yet.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Daniel said, and it sounded like he really meant it.
“Me, too,” Harper said, and they crossed the street.
“It’s a terrible situation,” he said. “But I think she’ll get through it and come home. She’s a good kid. She’s tough and can handle herself.”
They’d reached Pearl’s, and Harper grabbed the door so she could open it before he did.
“You always say that,” she told him.
“And I’m always right. You don’t give Gemma enough credit.”
“I think this time I actually gave her too much credit.” Harper slid into a booth in front of the window. “I never thought she’d get into any real trouble, and now she’s turned into some kind of mythological beast.”
“Mythological beast?” Daniel raised an eyebrow and leaned back in the seat across from her.
“Yeah.” Harper glanced around to make sure that no one was close enough to hear, but they were early for lunch, so the diner was pretty empty. “Sirens. Alex and I did some research, and that’s what we think they are.”
“Sirens?” Daniel asked. “The mermaids that sing?”
“Something like that.” Harper signaled him to be quiet because Pearl was approaching.
“How are you doing today?” Pearl asked.
“Good.” Daniel grinned broadly at her, and even Pearl had to feel the effects of it. When he smiled, it was a truly stunning thing. “How is my favorite waitress doing?”