Page 61 of Where She Belongs

“Take them.”

Lydia’s brows went up. “Take them where?”

“Anywhere. Take them home. Put them on your mother’s table. Give them to Christine Brickell down at Salon 406 and she’ll get a week of conversation out of them.” Rylee held out the card too, then thought better of it and closed her fist around it. “I’m not keeping flowers from a man I’ve brushed off more than once. If I keep them, he’ll think my heart has softened.”

Lydia looked at the roses. Then at Rylee. Then a grin took over her whole face, slow and delighted. “Oh, I like you.”

“Great. Thanks. But please just take them.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She put her arms back around the vase and boosted it up onto her hip. Halfway down the porch steps she turned around. “Oh, by the way… There’s been a man in town wearing a suit. Do you know him?”

Rylee’s hand tightened on the doorframe. “Why?”

“You know a man in an expensive suit gets attention around here. Christine’s had him in her chair twice, which I didn’t know a man could manage with hair that short.” Lydia adjusted her hold on the vase. “He asked her how long the Dennisons have been out on this road. He asked whether my brother had a girl. He asked what Tate does for money.”

The paint smell in the house went sharp in the back of Rylee’s throat.

“He asked Marla Dailey the same at the market,” Lydia said. “Marla thought he was a banker.”

“He’s not a banker.”

“No.” There was nothing funny left in Lydia’s face. “I didn’t think so either.”

Lydia went down the path with the roses, and Rylee stayed in the doorway until the rise took her out of sight. Then she shut the door harder than it needed shutting.

After wiping her hands on her coveralls, she grabbed her phone and called her aunt.

“Rylee, darling⁠—”

“Did you send Alexander down here to get me to come home early?”

“What?” Well, at least Roxy sounded surprised.

“Alexander King. Were you aware that he showed up in Rocky Ridge out of nowhere? He didn’t tell me he was coming. He just… poof… showed up expecting that he would sweep me off my feet with his supposedly romantic gesture.”

“Well, did it work?”

“Roxy!”

She let loose a quiet laugh. “No, dear. I didn’t send him there. He asked for your address. Said he had something he wanted to send to you. So I gave it to him.”

“Roxy!” Rylee groaned again. “Well, he’s here. And he’s causing problems.”

“Oh, I highly doubt that. He comes from good breeding. I’m sure he’s been nothing but on his best behavior.” A pause followed, half a beat too long. “Though his mother did skip the Children’s Hospital fundraiser gala at The Plaza this spring. The Kings never miss any event at The Plaza.” Before Rylee could ask what that had to do with anything, her aunt breezed on. “Never mind, dear. Best behavior. I’d stake my name on it.”

“Best behavior.” Rylee looked at the wet ring the vase had left on the drop cloth. “He sent flowers this afternoon, Roxy. An arrangement the size of a small child.”

“Well. That’s rather sweet.”

“The card said, he’s waiting for me to come home.”

Nothing came down the line for a moment, which out of Roxy was a great deal.

“He isn’t asking me for anything,” Rylee said. “He’s waiting me out. He’s decided how this ends, and he’s letting me tire myself out getting there.”

Her aunt let that sail on past, graceful as ever about the inconvenient ones. “And did you put them in water?”

“Of course not. Tate’s sister took them with her when she left.”