By The Light In Your Eyes
Chapter One

My whole heart
Will be yours forever
This is a beautiful start
To a lifelong love letter

I Choose You - Sara Bareilles

He always comes in on Tuesdays.

She first interacts with him as she's leaving for a quick lunch. He's coming in as she's going out, and he smiles and holds the door open for her.

He has a nice smile.

So the next Tuesday she takes lunch earlier, so she's back when he arrives, and he flashes that same smile when she greets him. He wanders around the store for a good hour—not that she's clock-watching, but she likes to keep an eye on her customers. At least, that's what she tells herself.

"Do you know when the next Patterson comes out?" he asks as she hands him his change from his small purchase.

She answers without needing to look at the calendar. She owns a mystery bookstore. Knowing when the next Patterson comes out is part of her job description. "Next Tuesday," she answers, and he returns her smile.

"Thanks." He takes his bag from the counter but lingers. "Do you, uh, reserve copies? So I can make sure to get one."

She reaches for her notepad. "Of course. Can I get your name and number?"

"Rick. Rick Rodgers." He gives her his number too, then hesitates. "I'll be in though, so you don't have to call. Unless you want to, of course."

"I can hold it however long you need me to." She shouldn't, her reserve policy is one week except for special circumstances, but he's cute. He's cute, and he's blushing, and he seems nice, so she'll make an exception.

His grin is contagious. "Thanks, um…"

"Kate."

"Kate." He nods. "Thanks, Kate. Have a good day."

"You too."

She tries not to stare after him when he leaves.

She fails.

She has to force herself to stay open the next week.

She's coughing, and barely able to breathe, and she almost closes shop early, but she doesn't.

Because she wants to see him.

It's silly, and he's only come in a few times, but she finds herself looking forward to Tuesdays. To his easy smile, his bright blue eyes with their ever-present sparkle.

She's helping another customer when he comes in, so she smiles a silent greeting when he walks by. She's noticed a pattern; he starts at the new releases, then moves to clearance, then finally the stacks. And he always buys at least one book.

"Find what you were looking for?" she asks through sniffles.

"Yeah, thank you." He studies her for a moment, brows furrowed in concern. "Are you okay?"

She manages a smile. "Just a little under the weather, thank you for as-" She's interrupted by a coughing fit, and she turns from him for a drink of water. She turns back to him when she's back under control, sees the concern across his face. "I'm okay. Nothing some rest can't fix. Oh, I almost forgot." She hands him his reserved Patterson. "I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the reviews are good."

He gives her a smile. "Thanks. Can I get you anything?" he asks after he pays, nodding his head towards the café in the back of the store. At her raised eyebrow, he fidgets. "I mean, to help with the cold."

"No, I couldn't."

"I insist. I'll be right back." He slides his bag to the side of the counter. "What would you like?"

She sighs, but judging by the determination on his face, she won't win the argument. "Um, just tea?" She reaches under the counter for her purse, but he waves her off.

"No, I got it." He's back in a few minutes, tea in hand, and sets it in front of her. "Forgive me if I'm out of line, but do you not have someone who could watch the store? So you can go home and rest?"

She shrugs. "Not today. My help couldn't come in, so I'd have to close. Oh, excuse me," she has to interrupt herself, and turns to sneeze into her arm. She feels her cheeks flush as she looks back at him. "Sorry."

"Bless you." He takes a sip of his own drink. "Well, hopefully someone can come in tomorrow? So you can take the day off? To feel better, of course."

"Maybe. I'll be okay."

He just stares at her for a few moments before he glances at the clock. "Oh, I have to go. Thanks for the books, Kate."

She lifts her cup. "Thanks for the tea."

"Any time," he answers with a smile.

He doesn't come in the next week.

It's a busy day, but she still catches herself glancing at the door every time it opens, hoping she'll see him step through. And every time it's someone else, not him, she tries to ignore the disappointment that flares in her gut.

She knows she's being silly. Even if he'd be interested, if he isn't married or gay or a serial killer, she's being silly.

She tries not to think about him all week, to wonder what kept him from coming in. He has a life, she keeps telling herself. He has a whole life outside of the hour he spends in the store.

But still, she thinks about him. Constantly.

So the next week, despite her best efforts, she looks at the door whenever it opens, hoping she'll see him come in. And finally, at his regular early afternoon time, he does.

She hears him before she sees him; a customer is just leaving when she hears "No, after you," in his familiar baritone. She can't stop the smile that overtakes her face, blooming from her gut, when her eyes meet his. "Hi," she calls out, surprised when he saunters to her instead of going to the books, as he usually does.

He leans a hip against the counter and grins. "Hey. You're here." His words are punctuated with a wince, and she barely suppresses a giggle.

"Well, I'm the owner," she points out, mirroring his pose. "If I'm not here, I'm paying someone else to be. So, here I am."

Oh jeez, that was awful.

Rick chuckles, a low, melodious sound that seems to fill the whole store. "Well, you're not here all the time, right? I seem to remember you saying you have Tuesday help?" He glances around. "Not here again?"

"Well, my Tuesday help is my cousin. And she's a student, so her hours vary based on when she can come in. Excuse me." She turns to a customer who's just approached the counter, and rings her up. "Thanks for coming in, have a great day."

Rick disappears when she's helping the other customer, and when she's done she steps out from behind the counter to adjust the books on the clearance table. She figures he's browsing, but after a few minutes she hears someone approach, and she looks up to see him with two cups in his hands. He hands her one with a grin. "Vanilla latte, two pumps vanilla, skim milk," he announces.

Kate raises an eyebrow. "How did you-"

"Barista told me. It's amazing what a smile and a little charm can get you."

Kate chuckles. "Yeah, I'll say." She fidgets, thumbnail playing with the edge of a book. "Missed you last week," she finally admits, cheeks flushing. When she looks back up she sees him just staring at her, lips quirked in a smile.

"Oh?" he teases, taking a sip of his own drink.

"Yeah, I hope I didn't get you sick." She tries not to notice that he's not wearing a ring. Not married.

He lifts one shoulder in a shrug. "No, I was out of town, chaperoning my daughter's class trip."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yeah, Alexis." His grin lights up his face. "She's eight, and I can get time off fairly easily, so I go on field trips with her whenever I can."

Kate hesitates for a moment, then sips her coffee, trying to act casual. "Her mom must work?"

Rick chuckles, but there's no humor, just a low noise in the back of his throat. "You could say that," he mutters before shrugging. "She lives in LA. We're divorced."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Her fingers twitch with a sudden desire to reach out and squeeze his hand, but she resists. "So, um, what do you do?"

"I'm a writer." He flushes. "Well, I was. It's been awhile since I've published anything."

"Anything I might have read?" She racks her brain, trying to figure out if she's heard his name before or seen his face on a book jacket. Although she owns a mystery bookstore, she prides herself on her knowledge of literature in general. She would have recognized him weeks ago, she's sure of it.

He shifts his weight from one foot to another. "Maybe? Hell Hath No Fury? It was, ah, probably not the best idea for a debut book," he admits, his head dropping in embarrassment. "Angry Wiccans out for blood did not attract a lot of readers, believe it or not."

Kate chuckles. She's not aware of this book, but she's curious. "I can't say that I've read that, no." She's about to ask what he does if he doesn't write anymore, but he speaks again before she can.

"So, what about you? What do you like to do in your spare time?"

"What spare time?" she jokes. She spots a customer heading towards the counter, and makes her way back. "Find everything you need?"

Rick lingers at the clearance table and thumbs through a book while she rings up the customer. "If I may be so bold," he says when the customer leaves, "may I buy you coffee sometime?"

Kate lifts an eyebrow and reaches for her half-finished latte. "You already have," she teases, tilting it in his direction, "or have you forgotten?"

"No, that's not what I mean." Rick chuckles and shakes his head. "I mean, at an actual coffee shop. Where we can talk without interruptions. You know, get to know each other."

She considers him for a long moment. It's been awhile since she's been asked out by someone she's been even remotely interested in; she gets flirted with at least weekly, but always by men who are flat out leering at her. But Rick seems nervous, like he'll be crushed if she says no.

There's no doubt in her mind that she likes him, and he obviously likes her. She wants to get to know him, to learn more about his daughter, what he does for a living if he's not a full-time writer.

"Why, Rick? Are you asking me out on a date?"

Rick smiles. "Depends on what you say."

Oh, cheeky. "In that case, I'm free Friday night."

She can't stop grinning for the rest of the day.

She's just finished counting her register when the door opens, the bell announcing someone's arrival. She curses under her breath; she's supposed to meet Rick in a half hour, but the time is solely based on the assumption that her Friday afternoon would be as slow as usual and she could lock up on time. This last minute customer is putting a dent in her plans.

"I'm just closing up," she calls out, her back to the door as she tucks the money in her bank bag, "so I'm sorry, but I open back up at 9 tomorrow."

"Does that mean I can see you tomorrow too?"

She looks up in shock to see Rick standing there, one hand behind his back. "Rick! I thought we were meeting there."

Rick shrugs and steps up to the counter. "I couldn't wait to see you," he admits with a blush. He brings his hand into view to reveal a small, yet vibrant, bouquet. "Plus, I wanted to bring you these."

"Oh, Rick…" Kate accepts them with a grin, and takes an impulsive sniff of the fragrant lilies. "These are beautiful, thank you. I'll be right back." She ducks behind the espresso stand in the back of the store and finds a vase.

"Also," Rick continues when she's back in front, "I had a thought. I haven't had dinner, and if you haven't either, maybe we can do that instead of coffee."

Kate glances down at the black slacks and green sweater she's wearing. She'd picked them out with her date in mind; they're nice enough for a coffee date, but not for a fancy dinner.

Rick seems to notice her hesitance, because he continues before she can even open her mouth. "It's casual, I promise. I know the owner of a small Italian place around the corner, and I asked him to reserve a table, just in case."

Kate chuckles and steps behind the counter again to finish counting the register. She'll close out the till then just lock up; usually she spends a few minutes straightening the books on tables or putting away returns, but she'll do that in the morning. "In that case, dinner sounds great."

They end up shutting the restaurant down, talking about everything and nothing for hours. She tells him how she'd been on the track to be the first female Chief Justice until her mom had been attacked by a mugger five years before. She'd transferred from Stanford to NYU to help her mom recover from several stab wounds, and had worked at the bookstore that her family owned. She'd purchased it from her parents just the previous year.

He tells her about his daughter, his eyes shining with pride when he tells about Alexis's intelligence, even at such a young age. He delicately skirts the subject of his divorce, and Kate makes a mental note to ask him about it another time. The three classes per quarter he teaches at one of the local colleges help him pay the bills, and give him enough flexibility to be his daughter's sole parent, and to write. He shares that he'd been hit with a serious case of writer's block after his novel had flopped, and although that had been almost ten years before, he'd yet to find the undeniable rush of creativity that had fueled him through that first novel.

"Oh jeez, it's after midnight," he says after a glance at his watch, and he signals to the one remaining person in the restaurant, hands over his credit card. "Sorry, Scott. Lost track of time."

The owner approaches with a smile. "Don't worry about it. Just let me beat you at poker next week and we'll call it even."

Kate takes the last sip of her wine and stands, allows Rick to help her into her coat. She shivers when his fingers brush against the nape of her neck, and judging by the smile on his face when she turns around, he noticed. "Can I at least leave the tip?"

"No, no, I won't allow it," Rick insists, signing the receipt and leaving it on the table. "Thanks, Scott," he calls out as they head towards the door.

Kate pulls her coat tighter around herself when they step outside. A cold spell had rolled in the previous day, and she looks up to see snow flurries begin to fall. She grins at Rick when he groans, and she glances back to see him shiver and shove his hands in his pockets. "You okay?"

He smiles and takes a step closer. "Forgot my gloves."

She takes his outstretched arm and leans into his side. She's warm with food and wine and just being around him; the night had gone unbelievably well, more than she could have hoped. He's been the perfect gentleman, and she's never felt more comfortable with someone over the course of just a few hours.

But it's late, and she has to be up early to open the store. So as much as she'd love to continue the night, she shouldn't. "I've had a great time tonight, Rick, thank you."

"I sense a 'but,'" he teases, nudging her shoulder with his. He chuckles when she yawns, and he stops walking, guides her under a nearby awning.

"Yeah, I have to be at the store by eight." She slides her hand down his arm and into his pocket, intertwines her fingers with his. It feels a little strange on the first date to be so physical, but at the same time, it feels right with him. "Maybe we can get that coffee next week?"

Rick squeezes her fingers. "What if I don't want to wait until next week?"

Kate leads him back into the snow and he follows, falls into step at her side. "How about we make a date while you walk me home?"

She wakes with a smile on her face and a spring in her step, despite getting just a few hours of sleep. By the time Rick had walked her home the flurries had become thicker and were starting to stick to the sidewalk, but even the chill in the air couldn't beat the warmth that spread through her when she'd pressed her lips against his in front of her door.

She'd been tempted to invite him inside, but common sense had overcome her physical desire, and she'd simply kissed him a second time before bidding him goodnight.

"Good morning Lanie," Kate greets her friend, and owner of the cafe, as she unlocks the door.

Lanie grins. "Well, don't you look chipper. Have a good night?"

Kate just ducks her head. "Something like that," she admits. She begins her opening procedures while Lanie abandons her for the cafe. Lanie will corner her later, but for now, they both have work to do. She loses track of time after she unlocks the door, but soon she hears the bell ring, and she abandons the new releases table so she can greet the customer.

"Good morning, how can I - Rick!"

"Hey." He takes her hand and brushes a kiss against her cheek after a glance around at the empty store, and his cheeks are flushed when he straightens.

Kate grins and squeezes his hand; she hadn't expected to see him for a couple days, so it's a nice surprise. "What are you doing here so early?"

He shrugs. "I wanted to get you coffee. I'll be right back."

Kate hears Lanie greet him moments before the espresso machine whirs to life, and she moves to her usual post behind the counter. Rick returns just minutes later with an even deeper flush on his cheeks, and she accepts the coffee with a smile and a quirk of her eyebrow.

"I feel like I just got interrogated," he admits after taking a long sip of his coffee.

Kate chuckles. "She's just looking out for me. She helped me pick up the pieces after the last guy, so she's a little protective." She leans against the counter. "I didn't think I'd see you this soon."

Rick gives her a tender smile. He must have woken up not long ago, because his hair is wet, presumably from a shower, and it flops over his forehead. "I couldn't wait." He runs his fingers through his hair. "I had a really great time last night, Kate."

Kate reaches across the counter for his hand. "Me too. Hey, do you have plans tonight? I might be able to duck out early. Or call someone in to cover me today, if you're free."

His smile widens into a grin that overtakes his entire face. "The chance to spend the whole day with you? Absolutely."

She ends up staying just an hour; she employs a handful of college students, and one jumps at the chance to earn some extra money, despite being called so early. But when Rick meets her outside with another coffee and the warm press of his lips against hers, she knows it's worth it.

A/N: This little idea popped into my head a few weeks ago and just wouldn't let go. Thanks as always to Callie for her enabling and improving. Look for the second and final part soon!