Page 45 of Ardently Yours

Her kitten heels click softly against the sidewalk as she walks beside me, and I realize I don’t get to see her dressed up very often. She dresses up for church, of course, but most days we’re both in our work clothes, wearing all black with aprons tied around our waists. She looks beautiful then too.

But seeing her like this...seeing her happy, smiling up at the sky, lost in her own little world, enjoying the sunshine and the good news we’d gotten about the cafe and becoming partners. It makes me notice her beauty even more.

Then she looks over at me. We stop at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, and I realize I’ve been staring at her. Thinking about her.

Which is exactly what I shouldn’t be doing. I try to play it off by slipping one hand into the pocket of my dress pants while adjusting the cardigan draped over my arm.

I look ahead, pretending to check whether the light has changed. My phone buzzes in my pocket. I tense instantly.

I don’t even want to reach for it because I already know who it could be. My sister telling me she misses me and that I need to talk to our parents. My mom telling me I need to forgive my dad and come back home. Or my dad telling me he’s cutting me off and wants nothing to do with me.

It’s always something with my family.

The crazy part is that being away from them, standing here with Lizzie in the sunshine, and walking back to the cafe make everything back home feel like it happened in another life.

And I like this new life. One where I feel free and happy here in Selah Falls.

One where Lizzie is right next to me.

Wait. What am I thinking?

My heart starts to beat a little faster, and now I’m looking down at the ground as we walk because these thoughts are coming a little more often than I’d like to admit.

And I can’t think about Lizzie like that. I can’t have real feelings for her. I’m not sure how to go about all of this.

“What?” Lizzie asks because apparently I took another sneak peek at her without realizing it. “Do I have a stain on my shirt or something?”

“No. You look perfect,” I say, then instantly regret it.

But I can tell by the look on her face that she thinks I’m just poking fun at her. I smile because that’s what we do. It’s easier to slip back into our usual bickering than let myself think dangerous thoughts.

Thoughts like, maybe I should tell her she’s beautiful without joking or taking it back. But I can’t do that.

So instead I say, “You already knew that. You were just waiting for me to tell you. No, scratch that. You weren’t waiting for me to tell you because you don’t listen to anything I say anyway.”

“All of those things are correct, and no lies were told.” Lizzie laughs. “So tell me, how does it feel to actually be business partners now? I know technically we’re doing a trial period, but I think we’re going to be okay. I mean, how could they not see that this is a good fit?”

A good fit. Those words echo in my mind. It’s funny because when I first came to town, becoming somebody’s business partner was never something I was looking for.

I’d left a family business behind. And a proposed arranged marriage. I wasn’t looking for any kind of partnership besides one that benefited me. Then I met Lizzie. And all of that changed.

“I feel...” I trail off, lost in my thoughts again.

Why am I thinking so much? I usually know what to say. I always do. But somehow I’m starting to get tongue-tied because all of my thoughts keep leading back to her.

“I feel... like our plan is going to work.”

We pass by a group of townspeople. Mixed into the crowd are Nic’s mom and dad along with a few other familiar, friendly faces. They stop to greet us. Nic’s parents excitedly hug Lizzie and chat with us for a minute before continuing their walk with what looks like their senior walking group.

As they head farther down the sidewalk, I realize the way Nic’s parents kept glancing between Lizzie and me. And how close we were standing. Close enough that my hand almost brushed hers.

They didn’t say anything about it. But I’m pretty sure Nic’s mom gave Lizzie a look. As we cross another street, getting closer to the town square where all the shops and the cafe are, I glance over at her.

“So... what was that look?”

“Oh, you mean Mrs. Caraway?” she asks. “She definitely thinks she’s a matchmaker. Do you remember how that whole thing went down in the fall with Nic and Jay? Well, I know you know most of the details, but she definitely had a hand in it. If I let her, she’d probably try to push us together too. But I think seeing us together like this outside of work may have gotten her thinking.”

“Which is good, right?” I ask. “I mean, technically we’re still working, so does this really count as a couple outing? Shouldn’t we plan an official date or something?”