“Okay, you can text me. I’m usually there pretty early but you know how busy mornings can get in a coffee shop. Maybe Mia wouldn’t mind helping me out.”
“Ugh, no. I’m done with early mornings at the coffee shop. If I’m going to drink coffee early, it’s going to be made by Ross and brought to me in bed with kisses. I’m sure this is something that you and Mason won’t have any problems figuring out on your own. About the tree, of course. I would never presume to make assumptions about kissing, as some people need to do a lot more figuring out than others. Hypothetically speaking, of course.”
She poked Mia’s side in order to get her to shut up before attempting to change the subject away from Mia’s marital bliss and weird ramblings. “So, do you guys actually get poinsettias at your Poinsettia Paradise?”
“We do,” Mason replied, smiling. “When you come back for opening day, you’ll see. Do you need any for the coffee shop?”
She felt her cheeks heat at the implication that she may have been dropping a hint. “Oh, no, that’s okay. I shouldn’t be trusted with live plants. I-I was just wondering that’s all.”
Silence filled the air. She wondered if Mia had been right earlier and maybe she did purposely wear blinders. What if there was some kind of spark between her and Mason and she was falling into her normal habit of pretending there wasn’t?
They had reached the parking lot with him escorting them the whole way, arriving at Ross’s old truck which, most definitely, was not sparkly clean. She suspected the last time it had been touched by water was due to rainfall. Mason stood nearby, rubbing his big hands together as if to warm them from a chill, studying her.
“Thanks for your help,” Mia said.
Her words snapped his focus to her. “Yeah, no problem. I guess I’ll talk to you later, Natalie.” That hazel gaze slowly slid back in her direction.
Natalie gripped her arms to her chest, her best attempt at holding herself together. “Okay. I hope I’m not pulling you away from your farm too much.”
“It’s fine. I just work on the farm. I actually live in Placerville. So it’s not out of my way or anything.”
She exchanged a glance with Mia who looked at her nervously. “Oh, so you’re actually a local guy then? Good to know.” She got into the truck and shut the door.
And, with that information, Mason became just another man Natalie intended to keep in a box labeled,Business Acquaintance Only.
