“Would you?” A smile flicks across his face. “That gives a man hope.”
Hope? My pulse thuds like the marching beat of a thousand nutcrackers.
“Greta, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
A sudden buzzing noise makes Leo quickly dry his hands and tug his phone from his pocket. He glances at the screen, his face filling with regret. “It’s the station. I’m getting called out.” He removes the apron and sets it on the counter.
“I’ll get your things.” I start to pivot toward the hall, but then remember. “Didn’t you arrive with Leonard?” If so, I might need to run Leo to get his truck.
He shakes his head. “No, I drove. We met here.”
I nod and fetch his stuff from the closet.
He shrugs into his coat, stuffs his beanie on his head, then takes my hand. “Sorry I can’t stay and help.”
“It’s totally fine,” I say, my hand captive in his large one. “Better go out the back. The Mavericks can be a tough crowd to get away from.”
He offers a small smile and withdraws his touch. “Will you explain for me?”
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.” He pauses as if to say something more, but his phone goes off again. His eyes meet mine. “Goodnight, Greta.”
“Be safe.” I watch him leave, the glow from the porchlight carving out his form until he enters the night shadow.
A collective groan rises from the living room, followed by Pap’s gruff rebuke, “Leonard, get your teeth out of the pie.”
Stupid eBay.
CHAPTER 13
“It’s a false alarm,”I say when Leo steps out of his truck, meeting me the next evening in front of The Memory Bank. “The package wasn’t your ceramic tree like I thought. It’s babydoll clothes.”
His gaze dips to the box beneath my right arm. “For Mitzy?”
“You know it.” I found vintage doll outfits for an amazing price. It was too good to pass over. Plus I haven’t seen Mitzy these last few days with her stroller. Not that unusual, since the temperatures have been below freezing. As if on cue, winter’s icy breath pulses against my skin, making me glad I wore my heavier coat today.
He shakes his head, but his eyes shine with amusement. “So you’re cool with being her enabler?”
I laugh. “Her babydoll addiction exists with or without me. Those dolls might as well be fabulously dressed.” I soak in his warm smile but notice the faint lines fanning from the corners of his eyes. Guilt stabs me. He’d gotten called out last night, and I’ve no idea how late he’d been working. Did the man get any rest? “I texted you the second I opened the box and saw it wasn’t your tree. But you must’ve already been driving.”
“It’s all good.” He shoves his hands in his pockets and pops a shoulder against the lamppost. While Dean Martin is crooning through the speakers and the Christmas lights—swooping from the poles overhead—glitter against the darkness, Leo adds allure to the already charming scene. “It’s okay to confess to wanting to see me. I would’ve stopped by without the ruse of the package.” His teasing smile saves him from a retaliatory swat to the arm. Not that he’d even feel it with his thick coat.
“It totally wasnota ruse.” I shift the box to hold it under my left arm, but Leo swiftly relieves me of it. “I should’ve opened the package when Mark left it by the back door, but I was kind of busy. Today being Black Friday and all.”
Leo drums his fingers on the sides of the box. “Who’s Mark?”
“My FedEx guy.”
His brows wing upward, disappearing beneath his hat. “YourFedEx guy?”
I roll my eyes. “Notminemine. Mark’s the delivery dude for all of Main Street.” Mark also happens to be thirty years older than me and, more importantly, married with five children. “The point is, I’m sorry you came here, and I don’t have your package. But I got an email that another delivery’s scheduled for tomorrow.” I raise my phone as if he could see the FedEx notification, then stash it in my tote bag slung over my shoulder. “I’ll be sure to open it before texting you and not just assume.” I’d thought for certain Leo’s tree would arrive first, considering Jared had shipped it days before I even ordered Mitzy’s stuff. But alas, nothing is ever predictable in both love and shipping ETAs.
His mouth curves into an easy grin. “It’s seriously okay. This means I get another chance to see you tomorrow.” He steps closer. “Have you eaten yet?”
I haven’t had time to eat today. I don’t get the foot traffic like department stores on Black Friday, but it was steady. Not thatI’m complaining. Hours fly by on days like these. Though, come six o’clock, I was ready to lock the door. I’d only been closed for a few minutes before Leo pulled up. “No, but I’ve got a date with a giant bowl of Lucky Charms.” And an entire evening’s worth of reading Secret Santa letters.
