Page 48 of Better Watch Out
An ordinary day on the job, except Frannie was making it extraordinarily hard for him to find reasons why he should ignore the feelings brewing inside of him.
ChapterNineteen
Andrew used the whole twenty minutes in traffic heading to the F Line on Second Avenue to remind himself ofallthe reasons why acting on the feelings Frannie stirred up in him was a bad idea.
One, she just had her heart broken. Romance 101 made it clear that rebound relationships never work. Two, her brother. Andrew wasn’t sure where Ryan stood on his sister’s dating life but as a brother himself, he understood the high standard a potential suitor must meet before being offered temporary and revocable permission to date his sister—conditions subject to change at any time. Three, Frannie didn’t live in New York. This felt like a minor issue compared to the first two, but he’d tried long-distance once when he moved to New York to play hockey. His ex-girlfriend wasn’t willing to leave Michigan or her family or accept that the only photos paparazzi liked to publish were the ones that stirred up gossip.
Andrew didn’t blame her. Even he was shocked at the headlines accompanying his image. Their breakup was mutual, amicable even, and it freed him up to focus solely on hockey. Which worked out fine until he watched his teammates with their families before games, getting hugs and kisses from their wives and children, celebrating wins that seemed so much sweeter with their loved ones next to them.
Andrew sent a side-look at Frannie. It didn’t take his brain long to imagine her smile, her cheers, and the feel of her arms wrapped around him at the edge of a hockey rink.
“We’re here!”
The Uber pulled to a stop in front of the steps leading down to the F Line train. Andrew got out and checked his surroundings before offering his hand to Frannie. He carried her shopping bags as they descended the stairs and Andrew was shocked at the number of people waiting for the train. And even more surprised by how many were wearing vintage attire like Frannie.
“That man is wearing a top hat, a monocle, and has a cane.”
“I know,” Frannie whisper-squealed. “He looks like a young Teddy Roosevelt.”
The overhead speaker crackled to life and an announcement was made for the approaching holiday train. Passengers cheered and clapped. Frannie rose up on her tiptoes, trying to get a peek but her small stature was no match for the crowd—or their hats.
Taking her hand, he led her down the track a bit until he found an open spot. They made it just in time to see the dark green train screech to a stop. A wreath with red ribbons was mounted to the front and on the sideCity of New Yorkwas written in gold lettering. When the conductor stepped out, he was wearing period clothing that immediately had Andrew thinking of the Polar Express.
Frannie handed him a ticket and they moved to board the train. Andrew’s insides stirred with a strange sensation. This ticket was supposed to be for someone else. Everything they were doing together … she was meant to do with someone else.
“Ticket, sir?”
Andrew handed the conductor his ticket and then followed Frannie to an open seat. Her face glowed with excitement. Did it bother her that he was here instead of her ex? A part of him felt a pinch of jealousy that she might be thinking of him in this moment.
The conductor announced their departure and soon the train vibrated with movement as it pulled out of the station. Christmas music played on the speakers and passengers took selfies and photos, their voices full of excitement.
A couple, somewhere in their upper seventies or maybe older, sat on the wooden bench seat across from them. The old man rested a cane against his knee, one age-spotted hand on it and the other holding onto the hand of the woman next to him. She smiled up at him beneath a velvet hat with a flower on the side of it.
“I like your hat.” Frannie had to speak up over the chatter and train sounds. “It’s lovely.”
“Thank you.” The woman’s rheumy gaze moved between Frannie and Andrew. “Are you two local? Or tourists?”
“I’m a tourist.” Frannie’s shoulder leaned into his. “He’s from here.”
“New York at Christmastime is magical,” the woman said, her eyes moving to the passing high-rises outside the train’s window. “No mistletoe needed, right, Benny?”
“No, my love.” Benny, the man next to her and presumably her husband, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.
Andrew and Frannie exchanged a smile, their eyes lingering for a second too long, and something electric passed through him. He saw Frannie swallow before turning to the window. New York City zipped by and he was left wondering what harm it would do to just man up and ask her about her ex. He didn’t want to upset her or ruin what had turned into a really fun day. There’d been no run-ins with danger, although a little disappointment swam in his chest that he couldn’t hold her close again. But bringing up her ex seemed like he was sliding headfirst into dangerous territory.
He blew out a breath and shifted in his seat. His attention snagged on an announcement for St. Patrick’s Christmas Mass services. The graphic showed the inside of the church decorated with evergreen wreaths, red bows, and hundreds of poinsettias. It was beautiful and awakened a longing inside of him he hadn’t felt since he was a kid.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Frannie had followed his gaze to the poster. “I wanted to get tickets to tour the church but …” Her voice grew shallow. She pressed a hand over her dress and straightened. “I couldn’t get Calvin to commit to a date.”
So, the idiot had a name. Andrew’s fingers itched to pull up Frannie’s social media and search out this Calvin and figure out what kind of man dumps a woman who flew all the way to see him and planned an entire week of holiday events that culminated in—he blinked.No. He wasn’t going to think about that last line on Frannie’s bucket list.
“It should’ve been my first clue, I guess.” Frannie let out a soft puff of air. “Nothing makes you feel more foolish than figuring out all of the clues were there and you were just too blind to see it.”
Andrew wanted to say something but kept his lips closed. He wanted to hear her out. Wanted to find out what happened. Wanted to know if the glimmer of attraction he thought he’d seen in her sapphire-blue eyes might be real.
But Frannie pressed her lips together too and Andrew wasn’t willing to let this go.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.” He swallowed over the dryness in his mouth. “Do you want to talk about it?”
