Ella: an Everland Ever After Tale Read Free Page A

he could do was going to hamper that.
    The door to the shop was open to catch the breeze, so she lifted her chin and stepped through. Inside, Crowne’s was neat and tidily organized and filled to the brim with goods. There were ropes strung tautly across the room about seven feet up, being used as a sort of advertisement, with goods dangling off of them. Barrels overflowed with nails and flour and pickles, and there were tins of food and folded piles of ready-made clothes and bolts of cloth. Ella gave a little sigh of relief when she saw how many were there—surely there’d be trim to go with it?
    She made a beeline for the table with the fabric, and had to move some of the bolts out of the way. There was flannel and denim and cotton and silk, but that was it. She didn’t see any lace or embellishments any where! Ella made a little sound of frustration.
    “Can I help you find something?”
    She glanced towards the counter, intended to wave away the offer, but when her brain caught up with her eyes, she stopped mid-movement. Frankly, it was remarkable that her jaw didn’t drop.
    There, behind the counter, was one of the most attractive men she’d ever seen. He had rust-colored hair neatly combed back, and a lovely dark vest, and glasses perched on a straight, regal nose. A regal nose? Where had that thought come from? Ella would’ve scoffed at herself, if she could stop gaping long enough to do so. The man had been working in a ledger, but now straightened, and she could see the sprinkling of light hair at the base of his neck where his collar fell open.
    Most remarkable of all, though, was his size; his shoulders looked like they might break through the seams of his fine white shirt, and his sleeves were rolled up almost to his elbows in this heat, revealing powerful-looking forearms. Had she always found forearms so compelling? Right now, she couldn’t remember. Couldn’t remember ever seeing a set of forearms so fascinating.
    “Miss?” She could hear the laughter in his voice, and would respond, just as soon as she could breathe again. “Can I help you find something in particular?”
    “Lace.” Ella managed to choke out the word, and watched him smile in response. Dear God, his smile . He had even white teeth, and were those… were those freckles? He had freckles? My, was it warm in here?
    “Certainly. What kind do you need?” Her paragon pulled his glasses off to swipe at them with a handkerchief he’d pulled from his pocket. He had green eyes. But not just any green. Ella clamped down hard on her tongue, trying to stop her silly brain for waxing poetic about a pair of eyes, no matter how exquisite they might be.
    By turning her attention back to the bolts of material, by touching them instead of his forearms, she was able to get her heart pounding normally again. A deep breath, and then: “I need trimmings for some dresses I’m working on. The other stores’ supplies have been picked over, and I was hoping…” She swallowed. She was hoping for a lot.
    She was hoping that Crowne’s Mercantile carried lace and fringe. She was hoping that Mabel and Eunice would get married this year and move out. She was hoping that her sisters’ ugly bullying would stop, and maybe she could be allowed to live her life in peace. She was hoping that Mr. Heyward would sprain his ankle and have to stop following her around. She was hoping that she’d be allowed back into town more regularly. She was hoping the gorgeous store-keeper would come over here and she might get to touch him, somehow.
    Looks like she was going to get one of her wishes, at least. From the corner of her eye, she watched him settle his glasses back in place, brace both strong hands on the counter, and straighten further. He’d been perched on a high stool, and now that he stood, she realized just how tall he really was. With an odd little hop, he came around the corner of the counter, and then reached up to grab one of the ropes strung across