‘It sounds like a little girl’s paradise.’
‘I’m sure it is, but when Maya’s mom said there was no need for parents to stay, I was out of the door like a shot. And with Jacob with his mom for the day, I’ve got free time in the big city on my own. So I figured I’d come down here and say hello.’
Cleo served the customer who’d chosen a set of vintage knitting needles for her cousin and a haberdashery bag for her mother-in-law, and then picked up the ice pack again. But it felt damp by now and she took it out back and emptied the remains of the ice cubes into the sink. As soon as she reappeared in the store, she had other customers to serve as Dylan looked on: a man who wanted a set of spaceship buttons for a baby’s cardigan, the teenager who was buying some acrylic yarn for a school project, a woman deciding between the purple or the bright turquoise cashmere.
‘Is it always this busy?’ Dylan moved out of the way each time someone else wanted to peruse exactly what he was standing next to. He’d moved from the haberdashery to the buttons, to the shelves at the front, then the ladder adorned with yarn leaning up against a wall, and now he was back by the cash register after Cleo had rung up the latest sale.
‘We’re busy all through the year, but Christmas gets crazy. I gave my assistant a longer break today but I’m kind of wishing I didn’t right now.’
Another customer came forward and asked if they had any more crochet hooks because there weren’t any on display. Cleo went out the back and brought back a handful, sold one to the lady and hung the rest on the hook where the price tag indicated.
When they were alone at the cash register, Dylan wanted to know her plans after the store shut for the day. ‘Would you like to come for dinner tonight?’ he asked. ‘Ruby finishes up at the party at four o’clock and I could get the train home to Stamford with her, take her to her mom and then come back to Manhattan. We could go for pizza this time… anything you like.’
Cleo took a deep breath. Those green eyes were hard to resist all right. And the memory of their kisses still lingered enough to make her hesitate. ‘I can’t tonight, I’m having dinner with my step mum.’
‘You don’t sound too enthusiastic about the idea.’
‘That’s because I’m not.’ Cleo picked up the duster, and with the lull in customers she finally went over to wipe the front door where the dust had gathered on the wood. Back at the cash register, she said, ‘Let’s just say we never got on. But she’s over here with some friends and so I’m trying to do the right thing, keep the peace, and make Dad happy.’
‘Do you get on with your dad?’ Dylan had taken up position on the wooden stool now.
‘I do.’ She smiled. ‘We’ve always got on. He was the mother and father for me for such a long time and he did the job well. Some men don’t.’
‘I like to think I’ve done a good job, being a single dad,’ he said, ‘but it’s hard to judge yourself.’
‘Your situation is a little different though.’
He nodded thoughtfully. ‘Yes, it is. But at times, especially at the start, Prue was so distant and the kids barely saw her. I had to pick them up from that and make sure their lives were as normal as they could be.’
Cleo felt bad for getting all high and mighty and telling him he didn’t have the same situation to deal with. ‘I’m sorry, it was rude of me to say it wasn’t the same. I’ll bet it was hard.’
‘It was.’ Their gazes locked.
‘And now?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, from what I saw, it seems Ruby and Jacob’s mother wants to be a part of their lives again. You can’t take that away from them.’
‘I wouldn’t ever come between them and their mom.’ He stood up and she knew she’d offended him.
‘Sorry, I’m doing a very bad job this afternoon with my words. What I mean is, you need to let her back in, even if it hurts. She’s their mother.’
His look softened and he reached out for her hand, this time took it and held her fingers in his. ‘She always will be a part of my life, but I’m not sure to what extent.’
‘Dylan, I…’
He lifted his other hand to her lips and touched them gently. ‘Prue and I are very different people, and although she’s the mom to my two children, it doesn’t mean she’s the woman I love.’
When the bell tinkled and Kaisha appeared, Cleo pulled her hand away and fell into conversation with her assistant before both of them were serving customers once again.
As soon as there was a lull, Dylan asked Cleo to go to the café next door for a quick coffee and she had no customers to use as an excuse. She didn’t miss the look Kaisha gave her: the nod and the wink as if to point out how gorgeous this man was. Not that she needed to be told.
In the café, Cleo ordered an espresso and Dylan grabbed a large cappuccino.
‘Is that so you can drink quickly and have an excuse to leave me as soon as possible?’ he asked, nodding at the specially designed small cup.
‘Of course not. I need the hit, that’s all. I should probably have another before I meet up with Teresa.’ She needed to come to her senses now too. This man had children and an ex-wife who was very much in the picture. Could she ever compete with that? And did she want to?
