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“You should date her.”
Evan glances my way, an amused look on his handsome face. “I like her, but not like that.”
“Your loss, I guess.” Evan pulls up to my house. “Thanks a lot for the ride. I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Do you want me to walk you in?”
“Nah, I’ve had my eye on the security app, and there hasn’t been anything going on. I’m good. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“Anytime. Have a good night.” He waves to me, offers me that charming smile, and then drives off toward his own house just down the street.
It’s too bad that Evan isn’t interested in Polly that way because I think they’d make a cute couple.
Lily is excited to see me when I walk in the door. She does her zoomies through the house and then runs out to the yard to do her business as I put a load of laundry into the wash and unload the dishwasher. By the time that’s done, she’s ready to come back in, and I give her dinner.
“I know you hate these evenings when you’re here by yourself.” I scratch her behind the ears. “But I deserve to have a social life, too, you know.”
She doesn’t reply, just leans into my hand as I continue to scratch her in her favorite spot.
“Come on. Let’s go watch some TV.”
“When did you get here?” Sharla asks me with a frown. She glances at her watch. “I thought I was early, and it’s seven in the damn morning.”
“I was here at six,” I reply without looking up from the bridal bouquet I’m working on. “This is a busy weekend.”
“They’re all busy this time of year.” Sharla loops her apron over her head and immediately strides into the cooler to fetch what she needs for the orders she’s working on today. Before long, Ida and Vickie arrive, ready to dig into work.
“Margie’s sick today,” I inform the others, who all pause what they’re doing and stare at me. “That’s all I know. So, Vickie, you’ll be delivering by yourself today. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Vickie says, waving me off. “I’ve got this. Don’t worry about it. If I have to, I can stay late.”
“Thank you,” I reply, relieved that the conversation went way better than expected. Not that Vickie’s ever given me trouble, but I was worried that she’d tell me she couldn’t stay later than scheduled. “I owe you.”
“You owe me nothing,” Vickie says with a wink. “We’ve got this.”
The morning flies by, and when the bell above the door sounds, my eyes are glassy, and my brain is foggy as I look up and see Chase walking through the door.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” he says with that handsome grin, looking delicious in his uniform.
“Afternoon?” I repeat and check the time. “Wow, I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“I take that to mean that you haven’t eaten,” he guesses and sets a brown paper bag on the glass counter. “One turkey on rye with mustard. Just for you.”
My stomach growls.
“You should go sit outside in the fresh air and eat that,” Ida suggests. “Take twenty minutes.”
“I shouldn’t,” I reply as I untie my apron and pull it over my head. “But I’m going to. Do you have time to join me?”
“You bet.”
I gesture for Chase to follow me, and we walk outside and across the street to the park in the town center. We find a bench and sit, and when I unwrap the sandwich, I sigh in happiness and pass Chase half.
“Eat with me.”
“I won’t pass it up.”
We take a bite in companionable silence, watching people pass by, and I tip my head up as I chew, enjoying the way the sunshine feels on my face.
