“Thanks, Sadie,” she says.
“See you soon, Mrs. Thomas,” I say with a smile before hanging up.
I pick up my pen and addTake Mrs. Thomas her new budget planto my list, trying my best to ignore the fact that Milo Carter is leaning against my office doorframe with a wide grin on his face—the kind that used to make my stomach flutter with nerves and excitement. I swallow down the dusty remnants of butterflies trying to take flight again.
Milo shifts his weight against the doorframe, eyes flicking from the screen to my face. “Mrs. Thomas as in Rhonda Thomas? Wasn’t she the one who always said we were so cute together?” he asks playfully.
“People can be wrong,” I say before leaning back in my chair. “Why are you here, Milo? I thought I told you that it was best if we weren’t seen together.”
He takes two strides to the chair across from me, easily sinking into it. “Well, the problem is, I need a new accountant, and you’re the only one in Dusty Hollow.”
I raise my brows. “Well, isn’t that convenient for you?”
“It is,” he agrees with what feels like a smug smile.
“You know, there’s this thing called the internet. You can hire an accountant from practically anywhere.”
He cocks his head to the side as if he’s considering. “I prefer to keep my business local.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, well, I don’t even think you need an accountant. You were the one who was always helping me with my math homework.”
His blue eyes spark. “Do you need a tutor now? I’d be more than happy to help you.”
“Like you helped with the puppies,” I say softly, tilting my head to the side.
He shrugs. “I just wanted that little vampire pup to stop sucking your blood.”
When the animal shelter kept calling and telling me puppies had homes throughout the weekend, I knew it wasn’t just my Facebook post. It didn’t take long to find out that Milo Carter had been true to his word. He helped.
“But back to accounting.” He pauses to pull out his phone. “You have great reviews on Yelp. There’s a comment here that saysSadie Summers knows what she’s doing. She can crunch my numbers anytime.”
My cheeks flush and my shoulders tighten. “That isn’t a real review.”
He turns his screen to show me. “It’s right here.”
“Oh, I know it’s on there,” I say quickly, “but that was Sophie playing a prank on me. She used the usernameForm1040AndChill.”
He grins, then visibly reins it in. “I promise I won’t hold Sophie’s sense of humor against you.”
“Thank you, but I’m not taking new clients,” I answer as I shift uncomfortably, picking up my pen and clicking it repeatedly.
He shakes his head. “I don’t believe that for a second, Sadie. You were never one to say no.”
And that’s true for the most part. I have said no a few times in my life—such as saying no to senior skip day, no to sneaking out even when a certain cute blue-eyed boy pouted and promised he’d have me back before sunrise, and no to caffeine after six. Turns out the older you get, the more coffee does affect you.
“No,” I say proudly, crossing my arms.
His grin widens as he leans back in the chair, his hands behind his head. “How’d that feel?”
I feel the tug of a smile wanting to pull at my lips, but I pick up my water bottle and take another sip instead.
The bell clangs against the front door glass again. I hear the familiar squeaks of wheels and grunts from my dad. I instinctively jump from my chair and leave Milo behind in my office.
I quickly walk through the tiny hallway with beige walls and family photos to the small front lobby, where we have a couch no one ever sits on with magazines on a coffee table that date back several years.
“Dad, I’ve told you to call me so I can help you in.”
He runs a hand through his dark hair flecked silver and laughs. “I can open the door, Sadie. I’ve been a certified wheelchair driver for almost seven years now.”
