Chloe looks to Zuri though. “Thank you so much for setting this space up for me. I just love it. It’s perfect for my business, and I can’t wait to decorate it,” she says.
“I’ll help,” Zuri offers.
“You’re the best,” she says pointedly to Zuri. Not to me. Definitely not to me.
Chloe sweeps into her training room without another word, and I tear my gaze away from her as the guilt creeps in, digging deeper roots inside me.
I focus on Ripley as she hands over some bouquets of lavender—exactly what I ordered from her farm last week to help create a soothing scent for guests when they enter.
“Do you have a couple vases?” she asks.
“I do,” I say, since she told me I’d need some and I am nothing if not prepared. I reach under the counter and grab them.
“Perfect. Just a small amount of water is all you need,” she says, then offers a few more tips. “And I bet you’ll find the lavender works on the doggies too. It has a calming effect on animals and people.”
A loud scoff comes from the training room.
Zuri arches a curious brow.
Ripley fights off a smile.
Shit. Does Ripley know about…us?
I sure as hell hope not.
Dandelion trots past me, stopping to rub her big head against my leg. People really don’t deserve dogs. I pet her head. “I’ll take care of these right away,” I say to Ripley, nodding to the flowers.
“And thank you again for the order. It means a lot to me that you remembered our conversation,” she says.
When I met her last year, I promised I’d order lavender if the deal came through, and I aim to be a man of my word. Bet Chloe would disagree. My gut churns as I say, “I’m happy to support another local business.”
Ripley excuses herself, then waves to Chloe, who waves back and keeps setting up in the room, which I have a perfect view of through the window on one interior wall.
Zuri hums under her breath, like she’s caught me doing something interesting.Staring.I jerk my gaze away. Best to focus on…the new client walking through the door.
It’s a busy first day as a young girl—maybe thirteen or fourteen—walks up to the counter. “I’m Molly. I’m Linus’s sister. I have Gunnar here for a nail trim and ear cleaning,” she says with all sorts of confidence, then hands off a Maltipoo.
“What a handsome devil,” I say, but inside I’m thinking I barely have a second to chat with Chloe.
When Zuri steps in to say she’ll handle Gunnar, I seize the chance, moving behind the desk and heading straight to her area. I rap on the open door.
Chloe barely glances up from the organizing she’s doing—sorting toys and training targets and a bag of treats. They look homemade.
“Do you…want to sell those here?” I ask, since maybe this will smooth the way to the harder convo.
She knits her brow. “Excuse me?”
“Do you make those? They look homemade. The treats. Want to sell them?”
She’s quiet for a beat. Her eyes are suspicious though. “Is this your way of…” But she seems to bite her tongue, muttering, “Behave” to herself. “Sure, Sawyer,” she says to me.
And I fumbled that one big time. I glance at the counter. Zuri’s off with the dogs and Molly’s gone. I try again. “Chloe, I’m really sorry about earlier. The coconut bread was…great.”
“Oh, you tried it?” she asks, curious, but mostly challenging.
I grimace. I didn’t. I felt too frustrated, too mad at myself, too annoyed with the way I was botching my first day to even sample a slice. “Not yet,” I admit.
“Good call. It might be poisoned,” she says with a stony face.
