“Thanks for packing that stuff up,” I said.
Despite the awkwardness of this morning, Candace and I had worked prettyseamlessly throughout the day. She hadn’t just been upbeat with the tourists. I’d been on the receiving end of her smiles as well.
“Oh,” she squeaked, fumbling the shirt she’d been folding. “Of course. No problem at all.”
She wouldn’t meet my gaze, and I wondered if we were back to being weird with each other now that there weren’t customers around. I didn’t think she’d overheard my conversation with Joan from the back of the tent. Maybe she?—
But then Brady and Joan were back, and there wasn’t much time to get Candace alone to talk to her or gauge her reaction. We had to finish up so we could go home, then get up and do it all over again tomorrow.
As Candace kept her head down and avoided conversation for the rest of the afternoon, I tried not to let myself wonder about the alternative.
What if we’d kissed last night? Would we have flirted and teased today behind the scenes? Shared secret smiles and found ways to be in each other’s space?
Catching sight of Eloise Carter in her bright green volunteer shirt down the street, I shook my head and forced thosewhat-might-have-beenthoughts away, grateful for the reminder.
I’d done the right thing taking a step back with Candace. It would keep her reputation and hometown sweetheart status intact. She didn’t need gossipmongers like Eloise Carter catching wind of something brewing between us. She didn’t need to be guilty by association.
Keeping her in the friend zone would keep her safe.
No matter how much I wished for more.
nine
CANDACE
“So, you saw them what? Being affectionate? In a passionate embrace? Eye-fucking? Break it down for me, Candace.”
I quickly swallowed the pizza roll I was eating and sucked in a cooling breath as the too-hot cheese threatened to blister my tongue. “Ow. Crap. No, I mean. Not really.”
“How would you describe it, then?” Bonnie asked again.
It was Sunday night after another busy day at the Orchard Festival, and Bonnie had tomorrow off from teaching since it was Labor Day. The farm wasn’t open to tourists on Mondays, and as exhausted as I was from working the festival all weekend, I was up for a late night with my new friend.
We currently had on moisturizing mud masks while we ate like frat boys on the living room floor of the garage apartment. The television was on in the background with aPsychrerun, but we weren’t really paying attention. It didn’t matter, I’d seen this episode like four times.
I’d confessed to Bonnie the scene I’d walked in on Saturday afternoon between Mark and my sister. I needed someone else’s perspective. I needed to know if I was seeing something where nothing existed, or if I was simply freaking out because of the almost-kiss. Bonnie was playing the role of sounding board andreality wrangler while I let my imagination run away with me and scarfed down pizza rolls at an alarming rate.
“I don’t know. I got a vibe,” I tried to clarify. “Joan was squeezing his arm, and they were smiling together.”
My sister was not an affectionate person, so voluntary touching was notable.
“They looked cozy,” I added, sounding glum to my own ears.
“And you’re jealous,” Bonnie said without judgment before she popped her own pizza roll into her mouth.
I shifted uncomfortably, crossing my pink-pajama-clad legs. “I guess I thought we had a moment the other night. Mark’s lips had been like a millimeter away from mine before we got interrupted. But then he practically set a new land-speed record getting away from me.”
“Almost like he suddenly realized he had a girlfriend and probably shouldn’t be Frenching her sister,” Bonnie said.
“Exactly.”
Although, I had a hard time imagining my grumpy sister actually getting laid and still being in such a terrible mood all the time. Annnd I should definitely not be thinking about Mark and assuming the sex would be good. Even though I knew it would be. He was good at everything. And so strong and capable, yet sensitive and attentive.
God, maybe that was why Joan had been so cold and angry since I’d returned to Kirby Falls. I’d been spending a lot of time with Mark—working the farmers’ market and tackling the new projects for the orchard together. He’d even stood up for me at the staff meeting and backed me on my ideas. I bet Joan could tell I had a crush on him. I resisted the urge to hide my face in my hands.
The thought of being theother womanonce again made me want to barf up my pizza rolls.
Bonnie paused with her wineglass halfway to her lips. “But why would they be hiding a relationship? They’re both adults. Why keep it a secret?”
