Till There Was You by Lilliana Anderson, Wade Anderson

watched you—just like you do me.” He looked up at her then, his features warring as his brow knit tighter and jaw hardened.
    When his gaze touched hers, Lily’s heart flipped in her chest and the butterflies took flight in her stomach. He’d caught her watching. He’d also been watching her. There was a chemistry between them, she could feel it in the air around them. If he could see it all too, why did he behave as though she was an annoyance that needed to go away?
    “So, you feel whatever this is?” she clarified, gesturing between them, needing to be clear her observations were right.
    Linc ran his hand over his face then gripped the back of his neck tight as he chewed at his lip and began twisting a piece of rope around his hand. The silence and his lack of objection told Lily all she needed to know.
    “How is that even a problem? Are you married?”
    “No.”
    “Gay?”
    “No.”
    “A priest?” She was reaching, but there needed to be an explanation.
    “No.”
    “Then what? Why do you watch me from afar and act like you hate me up close?” 
    “Because...because I don’t want to like you.” He had finished winding the rope around his hand and released it, allowing it to spiral to the ground in a rapid coil.
    “But why? ” she insisted.
    Pain. When he met her eyes, it was all she could see. Suddenly, it dawned on her. Linc was scared. Something had happened—something big enough to make him want to hide out in small town Canada. And whatever had happened meant he was scared of getting hurt. This place and his attitude was his way of protecting himself. Closing himself off prevented anyone or anything from getting close, but he was cracking. Lily could see that. Each time he looked at her, it was as if his hard edges were slowly blurring. Her attention scared him—she scared him.
    At the realization, her remaining anger drained away. Her heart constricted a little as she saw him in a new vulnerable light. Lily wanted nothing more than to hold him, comfort him, and help with whatever past haunted him.
    “I’m sorry I yelled at you, and I’m sorry for being so pushy. But, I’m here now and I have to drive back into town anyway, so why don’t you let me give you a lift?” This time, her tone was even, a direct contrast to her demanding tone from before. When you spoke to a frightened animal, you didn’t yell and make a lot of noise, you trod carefully and used a cajoling voice. While Linc wasn’t exactly an animal, the same principal could be applied to humans. Lily was reminded of the whole honey and vinegar saying again and tried to appeal to the logical side of Linc’s brain.
    “It’ll be faster, safer, and more comfortable for your dog than being out in the cold on that,” Lily said, pointing to the well-constructed frame of the sled he had almost finished.
    Gripping the handle of his sled, Linc bowed his head in thought before his shoulders relaxed in defeat. Even he couldn’t deny what she said made sense. He might be stubborn, but he wasn’t quite as stubborn as Lily. She had won this round. 
    “Fine,” he said with a sigh. “Just let me grab a few things and I’ll meet you back here.”
    She was happy with the small step in a positive direction as she climbed back inside her truck and started the engine. While she waited, she let the heating breathe some feeling back into her cold toes as she cycled through the radio stations.
    The sound of the front door closing drew her attention. He walked toward her, long, confident strides over the slippery ice bringing him closer and closer, her heart beating faster as she watched him. He’d basically admitted he was interested in her, and while he also made it clear he didn’t want that interest, she couldn’t help but feel hope that she might be able to break down the handsome stranger’s walls.
    He surprised her when, instead of opening the gate, he vaulted over the top of it then slid into the passenger seat beside