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“Did you put your email down?” I ask.
“Of course.”
“Phone number?”
She eyes me. “Why? Are you gonna text me?”
My stomach flips. “Just about the work we need to do.”
She looks away, her lips briefly pursing. “Cool.”
“Great,” I say, trying to sound casual. “We’ll be in touch.”
As she walks away, my eyes follow her, taking in the way her dress sways with each step. My mind wanders to thoughts I shouldn’t be having, especially not in the middle of a meeting. But there’s something about her that’s drawing me in, something that makes me want to get to know her better.
The fact that she insulted me in the bakery is still fresh in my mind, and yet I’m still drawn to this woman in a way that I can’t resist.
What is wrong with me?
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. This isn’t the time or the place for distractions. We have work to do, and I need to focus if we’re going to save Fletcher’s Pond.
As I head out of the meeting room and into the warm summer air, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement. Maybe this project will be more than just a way to save a pond. Maybe it will be a way to save myself from the rut I’ve been stuck in for years.
I’d be lying if I said getting to be around Erin wasn’t a perk. Obviously, nothing will ever happen between us. She’s too annoying for that, and we would never work out.
But I can enjoy the scent of her perfume. Her smile.
There’s no harm in that at all.
…Right?
CHAPTER 11
ERIN
Smoothing the tape onto the last box in my parents’ office, I sit back and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done.
To say they had a lot crammed into their office would be an understatement. But after two days of sorting and packing, everything is in its place. I look around the cramped space, taking in the empty shelves and cleared desks. It’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing that this office won’t be theirs anymore.
A knock on the open door makes me look over. It’s my mom, fresh home from work, still wearing her doctor’s lab coat over her clothes.
“This is amazing.” She looks around with wide eyes. “But honey, did you do anything else today?”
I mentally shift through the day. I remember taking a break to go to the bathroom, check my email, and refill my coffee cup, but I don’t think I had lunch. I was too hyperfocused for an extended break.
I needed — desperately — to keep my hands busy. Seeing Josh at the meeting last night did something unexpected to me.
It made me feel both excited and nervous at the same time. I couldn’t get the image of him out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. And that’s why I spent the entire day packing up my parents’ office, to keep my mind preoccupied with something else.
“I did some packing,” I say, shrugging. “Nothing major. And that’s what I’m here for.”
Mom rubs at her temple, suddenly looking pained.
I straighten up. “You okay?”
She waves her hand dismissively. “I’m fine. Just a bit of a headache.”
“You were at work for a long time today.”
