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“Sorry,” a deep voice said, drawing Holly’s attention to Declan’s moss-green eyes. “I want to grab a beer.”
“Sure thing.” Sam stepped out of the way, stroking the five-o’clock shadow on his own chin. “You look good, Declan. Did you do something different?”
Declan gave Sam a strained smile. “Funny, man.” He popped the top off the beer and after a few seconds of awkward silence, he said, “I’ll let you guys get back to it. Sorry to interrupt.”
As Declan walked away, Holly’s gaze drifted over the wide expanse of his shoulders until Sam cleared his throat.
“Maybe your sister has a point.”
It took Holly a second to catch on before she scoffed. “Maybe you should climb a cactus.”
Sam slapped a hand over his chest. “So aggressive.”
Holly gave him a sharp nudge with her shoulder before she grabbed her coat off the hook and slipped outside to the front porch, drawing in a deep, crisp breath. The whole grade school analogy that if a boy likes you they’re mean to you was so nineteenth century. Declan Gallagher did not have feelings for her.
And Holly definitely wasn’t pining after him.
CHAPTER 12
After roughly ten minutes of glancing toward the door, Declan excused himself from the conversation and headed outside. If Holly wondered why he was going to his car, he’d tell her it was to get his coat, when in reality he wanted to make sure she was all right. Watching her laughing with Sam before she stormed outside made him think there might be something going on, and for whatever reason, the thought of Sam and Holly didn’t sit well with him. She was young, too young for Sam who was closer to forty than thirty.
Is it really the age difference that bothers you? Or was it seeing Holly’s arm wrapped around Sam’s waist?
When he stepped out onto the porch, Declan immediately caught sight of Holly leaning against the railing with her back to him, the multi-colored Christmas lights above her head turning her hair green, red, and blue. When she looked over her shoulder and saw him, Holly raised one of her brows in a high arch.
“What are you doing out here?” she said.
“Going to get my coat from the car.”
“Why? It’s warm inside and it’s only a few hundred feet to your car.”
He slowed on the top step. “You’ve got me there.”
“Let me guess,” she said, taking a few steps closer. “Not big on social gatherings?”
“What gave it away?”
Holly shrugged. “I never see you out at Brews or anywhere really. Just the store, and I assume you go home afterwards because your truck is always in the driveway.”
Declan ignored the little leap of his heart that she’d checked on her way home.
“What is it?”
“What is what?” he asked.
“Is it the loud music at the bar? The conversation inside? Why do you want to be alone?”
“I don’t. I just—” Declan struggled for an answer. “Why are you out here? You’re Miss Social Butterfly. You do the plays down at the local theater, involved in all the town events. So why is Holly Winters outside during her birthday party?”
“Sometimes my family is too much and I need a break. My parents are amazing, loving, kind, but I’m still their baby. While Nick acts like a big brother when he wants, he’s pretty laid back, but Merry always seems worried about me. I’ve been out on my own since I was eighteen, but they all check on me and worry—” Holly shook her head, a light chuckle escaping her lips. “Way to deflect the subject off you and onto me.”
“It’s a gift,” he said with a small smile.
“I guess I don’t have that barrier. I like talking about myself.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Holly stuck her tongue out at him. “Hey, you are more than welcome to keep moving if it bothers you so much.”
