Kind, beautiful, smart, and talented? Who wouldn’t want a woman who had it all in spades?
The bored, itchy feeling that came over him when his mind wasn’t occupied had all but vanished since he walked into Juliet’s kitchen the day before. The second his gaze fell on Willow, his attention belonged to her.
He’d thought he had everything he needed in life.
He’d never been so wrong.
They hadn’t even finished their first date yet and he was already working on ways to see her again. He couldn’t imagine going back to how things were before—just him, his hobbies, and his job.
“Ellie’s cafe is just across the street.” Harry indicated the shop at the end of the block and Willow read the name on the neon sign hanging over the door.
“Good Beginnings?”
“That’s the one.” Pride lit Harry’s heart as he stared at that sign. A couple months earlier, someone had broken into Ellie’s place of business and destroyed everything inside. The entire Moore family came together to help her rebuild, both financially and physically, and that sign had been part of his contribution.
“It looks wonderful! I bet Ellie just loves running her own business.” Willow stared at the cafe as if it was an oasis. “There has to be so much freedom in being your own boss.”
“There’s a lot more to it than you think.” Harry took her arm as they crossed the street. “You get out what you put in, which is great.” He shrugged. “Except sometimes that means you never stop trying to put more in.”
“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Definitely. I love my restaurant. Love the control of being my own boss and setting my own hours. But sometimes that means I work way more than what normal people consider acceptable.” He gave her a devilish smile. “I’m sorry, I should say other normal people.”
With a grimace, Willow apologized. “I never realized how snobby that sounds…”
“I’m just teasing, Willie. No worries. I get it. The cult of ballet has you brainwashed.”
She gave him a playful shove as they pushed through the front door of Good Beginnings. Perched on the counter was James, picking off bites of a muffin and tossing them at Ellie’s mouth. “Hey!” his brother called out, hopping down. “Don’t mind us, we’re just killing time until it’s time to close.”
He hit Harry with a confused look, one that said he definitely did not expect him to bring Willow to the café. Under normal circumstances, the teasing would never end, but these were not normal circumstances and thankfully, James stayed quiet. With an unexpected dash of shyness, Willow held out her basket of goodies.
“I, uh…” She bit her lip. “Harry and I put this together for you. It’s just a bunch of silly things that might help fight off the nausea.”
Ellie’s jaw dropped and James—understanding the reason for the stop—offered an apologetic smile to Harry as Willow presented the basket to the couple, explaining the contents in a quiet voice.
“Thank you,” Ellie said, blinking furiously as her eyes misted. “And I’m sorry for the tears, I just…well…it’s been a crazy couple months and the pregnancy has me weepy.”
“Don’t think a thing about it. I just hope something in there brings you relief.” Willow smiled and glanced around the cafe. “This place is amazing! You must be so proud.”
Ellie explained the highlights of what happened, pointing out the damage that had been done and how the Moores gathered around her to put things back together. “Having a Moore in your corner is pretty much a life-changing event.”
The statement caught Harry off guard…until he thought about how much had changed for Juliet and Ellie after they met his brothers. Basically, everything about their lives had been altered. For those two, that had been a good thing. Life for them had seriously bumped off the tracks and needed the reset Ian and James provided.
But maybe running into a Moore wouldn’t be such a good thing for Willow. Her life seemed to be completely in order. What change could he bring her that didn’t blow her plans right out of the water?
Easy there, big boy. Getting a little ahead of yourself, considering you haven’t even known her for twenty-four hours yet.
With a shake of his head, Harry promised himself he’d take it easy when it came to her, then almost laughed out loud at the thought. As a man of extremes, he’d never taken anything easy in his life.
Chapter Thirteen
Harry
As much as Harry loved James and Ellie, he wanted Willow to himself. He didn’t have the luxury of time on his side. With only a few days to learn everything there was to know about her, he felt exceptionally greedy about each hour.
“You hungry?” James asked Willow. “Thirsty? I’d recommend just about anything on the menu.”
She studied the sweets in the bakery display then bit her lip as she turned her attention to the menu. “Coffee is a must,” she said, still reading through her options. “Black, please, and as caffeinated as you can make it.” She finally settled on a salad with grilled chicken and no dressing and stepped aside for Harry to place his order. His mind went to work, adding up the calories and nutrients in the meal, then designing a plate that would better suit her needs.
He’d played it cool when she said she hadn’t eaten yet that day, but he couldn’t allow that to keep happening. As an athlete, Willow’s body was her tool. If he wouldn’t let the GTO drive around in less than pristine condition, he certainly wouldn’t let his woman…
He cut that thought off.
Willow wasn’t his. Not
