“Okay. See you tonight, then.”
She had ended the call and returned her phone to the back pocket of her jeans when the door chimes sounded.
She looked up in time to see the man she had been talking about walk into the store.
Her heart started a steady drumbeat that she could swear matched his footsteps as he smiled and walked across the room toward her.
She could almost taste him on her lips again, feel the strength of him against her.
She drew in a steadying breath and forced a smile. “Hi.”
“Um, hi.” He looked around the store. “You don’t look quite as busy today as you were yesterday.”
“We haven’t had as much foot traffic. That’s actually good, since I’m busy prepping everything for the wedding tomorrow.”
“Do you need any help with deliveries? I have to head over to my dad’s place and thought I would ask if you need me to drop off anything on my way.”
She considered her to-do list. “I have one delivery in Haven Point, actually. I planned to take it later, but if you’re heading in that direction anyway, I would really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Happy to do it.”
“I’ll get the arrangement ready for you. Can you give me five minutes to make some finishing touches?”
“Sure.”
She brought the elaborate arrangement, shaped like a Christmas tree, out of the cooler in the back to her work counter. Working quickly, she added miniature red and silver ornaments to accent the large white Asiatic lilies, red miniature carnations, noble fir and Oregonia branches.
The whole time she worked, she was aware of Ryan studying her with an intensity that left her uncomfortable.
Finally, when she was nearly finished, he spoke in a low voice. “Do I owe you an apology?”
She looked up. “For what?”
“Last night. For kissing you again.”
Once more, her mind carried her back to his arms, her senses flooding with the warm, familiar scent of him as she felt safe and whole and wanted.
“You owe me nothing, Ryan. I hope that’s not the reason you stopped by today.”
He gave her a searching look and she hoped he couldn’t see any trace of her growing feelings for him. “I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Why did you?
She almost blurted out the question but managed to refrain. “It’s totally fine. I know it didn’t mean anything. Don’t worry. I’m not going to start thinking we’re really in a relationship. I know exactly where we stand with each other.”
“Good that one of us does,” he muttered.
She wanted to ask him what he meant by that but couldn’t quite find the courage.
“I know you aren’t looking for a relationship,” she said quickly, wondering if they would ever be able to return to the comfortable friendship that had been growing between them.
“Do you?”
She nodded. “Kim talked about her younger brother often. I told you that. She gave the impression of a man who has no interest in anything serious.”
“Kim talks about me entirely too much,” he said, his tone disgruntled.
“She loves you and she worries about you,” Holly said. “Regardless of what Kim might have said, my point is that you don’t need to be concerned that I’ll start getting ideas.”
