“I know I’ve never seen you ignoring guests or forgetting about their needs. She’s distracting you. You can’t keep your eyes off her. Don’t miss your chance. She’s only in town for a while. Don’t let her get away,” Carrie advised.
“She’s meant for the city.” Though he wished she wasn’t.
Amaryllis’s laughter drew his focus. She stood between Thomas and Johnathon, chuckling at something one of them had said. His heart thundered in his ears, drowning out the music and all rational thought.
“You know, when Johnathon and I met here, we had a fling. I thought that’s all it was. He was from Victoria; I was from Montreal. Two cities, worlds apart. I walked away, even though I’d fallen for him in only a couple days. It wasn’t love at first sight, but it was darned fast. My friends call it insta-love. I’d still be heartbroken if he hadn’t chased me down. It took months to come back together. Eventually, we ended up in Calgary; the first city where we were both able to find new jobs. Don’t do what I did. Don’t be a fool and let her escape. Chase her down. Find a way to make it work.”
Carrie’s words rang in his ears and echoed in his heart. Ozitta nodded her agreement. He strode across the room and grabbed Amaryllis by the elbow. “I need to talk to you.” He steered her into the kitchen.
“What is it?” she asked, concern darkening her blue eyes, turning them stormy.
His moment of bravado deserted him.
“Dinner. We need to find dinner. It’s nearly seven and nobody’s been fed.” He was such a coward. He couldn’t tell her he was falling for her. She’d laugh at him. She’d only been back for days. Certainly not enough time to fall in love.
She twisted her head left and squinted at him. “That’s it? You couldn’t say that out there?” She paused. “Are you okay?” She stroked her hand down his arm in a concerned gesture.
The heat of her hand through his flannel shirt stole his breath and his chest grew tight. This was crazy. He shouldn’t be falling for her. Not in a couple days. And why would it panic him? He shook off the discomfort.
The sneaky voice in the back of his head reminded him of his instant attraction in high school. And of how, a couple years later, when he’d spent those few hours in jail waiting for his mother to scrounge up money for a bail, all he could think of was Amaryllis. He should have been concerned that the woman he’d been protecting had made it home safely. Or, he should have been worried about his future. However, it was the thoughts of Amaryllis’s pretty face and calming smile that distracted him and carried him through the interminable waiting. Even then, it made no sense.
“I’m fine,” he lied. “But I think we should feed our guests. What’s fast and easy?”
“I should have served dinner long before now. What can we make?” She glanced around the kitchen as if food would magically appear.
“We’ve been snacking all afternoon, so nobody will be starving. How about pizza?”
“We can’t get delivery,” she wailed. “There’s a blizzard out there. Are you daft?”
“Daft? Really? Who says daft anymore?” He chuckled. “We can make pizza. We’ve got all the staples in the pantry and vegetables in the fridge. I’ve got some pepperonis in the apartment fridge we can use. Pizza and salad.” He feigned calm, hoping she’d forget he dragged her into the kitchen like a crazy person.
“Good plan. You’re a life saver. What would I do without you?” She flung her arms around him in gratitude. She stared up at him, and for a moment, he wondered if she was going to kiss him. He certainly wouldn’t object. He inched toward her, hoping. A burst of laughter exploded out of the other room, and she jerked backwards out of his arms.
“You’d manage without me just fine.”And she would, even if he wished she needed him as much as he was coming to need her. “I’ll get that pepperoni if you want to find a crust recipe.”
“Okay. Good. Fine.” She backed toward the pantry, her gaze not leaving his face.
“Are you okay?” he asked. He had found a measure of calm after their enticing near kiss, but she seemed flustered.
“I’m good. Yup. Good.” Her smile was crooked and didn’t reach her eyes.
Uneasiness flooded him. They were so awkward with each other. They’d been comfortable until he dragged her into the kitchen. She must have sensed he had something on his mind besides food. He could have sworn she was going to kiss him. If he hadn’t been scared of frightening her off, he’d have lowered his head that last inch and tasted her. He reminded himself that she was Ophelia’s niece and not dating material.
Now what? How did he court her without scaring her off?
Would she be interested if he pursued her? He didn’t want to upset his boss and friend, but he was falling for Amaryllis. Would Ophelia approve? Somehow, he thought she might; at least he hoped she would.
