The Summer Girlfriend (Heart Beach, #1)(75)

Wait…Danny. Jeremiah’s best friend? It had to be him. Jeremiah mentioned that Danny’s parents owned the bookstore.

“I got here late last night,” he said. “My mom ran out to get lunch, so I said I’d help while she was gone.” His throat muscles worked as he swallowed. His eyes softened. “It’s really good to see you.”

Amara smiled and nodded quickly. “You too.”

Then neither of them said anything. Amara stared down at her shoes, and Danny gazed at the top of her head like it was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. Noelle glanced back and forth between them.

“Hi,” she finally said, giving a little wave. “I’m Noelle.”

“Oh, sorry, this is Jeremiah’s girlfriend, Noelle,” Amara said. “This is, um, Danny. Jeremiah’s best friend.”

Danny spared a glance at Noelle and recognition dawned on his features. He sprang into action and hurried around the register with a quick, loping gait. He shook Noelle’s hand with an exuberant grip.

“Noelle,” he said, grinning. “That’s right. Jeremiah told me about you.”

“Good things, I hope,” she joked, although she was genuinely curious to know what Jeremiah had said. Did Danny know the truth about her and Jeremiah’s agreement?

“Yeah, of course,” Danny said, nodding. “Only good things.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. He glanced at Amara again, and her cheeks resumed their fierce blush. She trained her eyes to the floor.

“We have some books to pick up, actually,” Noelle said, breaking the silence again, wondering why Amara had suddenly lost the ability to speak in Danny’s presence. So curious.

“Oh yeah, of course.” Danny returned to the register and grabbed their books. There was a small stack of horror novels for Amara, and Jeremiah had ordered the new Jeanette Stevens thriller for Noelle, most likely because she’d mentioned it to him last week. He’d also ordered an urban fantasy novel that she’d heard about a while ago but hadn’t had a chance to read, and a sci-fi romance about two humans stuck on an alien planet.

It was like someone had taken the sun and injected it directly into her veins. That was how happy she felt that Jeremiah had picked out these books for her. She felt so known.

Realizing that she’d been grinning like a fool at her books for the past few minutes, Noelle finally looked over at Amara and Danny. Amara was placing her books in her tote bag, and Danny was leaning his elbows on the counter, watching her with keen interest. He murmured something, and Amara glanced at him with a soft smile. Whatever she mumbled in reply caused his whole face to light up.

When they noticed Noelle watching them, Danny stood up straight and Amara cleared her throat.

“Thanks for stopping by,” Danny said. He looked at Amara again. “My mom will be sad that she missed you.”

Amara smiled. “Tell her I said hi.”

“I will.” He looked at Noelle. “It was nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, same,” Noelle said, raising an eyebrow as Danny’s attention automatically returned to Amara.

Amara lifted her hand in a wave as they started for the exit. “Bye, Danny.”

“Maybe I’ll see you later tonight,” he hurried to say, coming around in front of the register again. “I told Jeremiah that I would stop by.”

“Oh yeah,” Amara said. “Okay, see you then.”

Noelle got one last glimpse of Danny’s besotted expression before she followed Amara outside. Amara let out a deep breath and started walking in the direction of the house. Noelle hurried to follow her.

“Okay, I have to ask,” she said. “Is there a story with you and Danny? Did you hook up before? Date?”

Amara laughed miserably. “No, nothing like that.”

Noelle blinked, obviously confused. Amara sighed.

“I was in love with Danny for most of my life up until a couple years ago when I realized he’d only ever look at me as his best friend’s little sister,” she said. “Eventually, I gave up on trying to get him to love me back. Now when I see him it’s very awkward, which is what you just witnessed.” She winced. “I know that sounds pathetic.”

“I could never think you were pathetic,” Noelle said, looping her arm through Amara’s. “But the way Danny looked at you in the bookstore…I don’t think that’s a man who doesn’t love you back.”

“That’s just Danny,” Amara said, shaking her head. “He’s nice to everyone. It’s kind of his thing. We grew up together. I know he loves me. But he’s not in love with me. Anyway, I hate talking about my past infatuation with him because it’s kind of embarrassing. Please don’t tell Jeremiah. He doesn’t know, and there’s really no need for him to.”

“Of course,” Noelle said. “Your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you.” Amara let out a relieved breath as she leaned her head on Noelle’s shoulder. “Can we talk about something else? Which books did Jeremiah get for you?”

“I’m going to read this one next,” Noelle said, holding up her copy of Jeanette Stevens’s book The Missing Women.

“What’s it about?” Amara asked.