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“Well,” Taryn said, waffling for a minute, “She mentioned her stitch and bitch group. So maybe a gift certificate to Yarn Barn.”
He nodded and said, “She’d probably like that.”
“Also, I wonder if you could help me set it up. I noticed you didn’t have any recent family group photos hanging up. I’ve got a photographer friend whose husband works with me at the zoo. Could you get everyone together in one place, do you think?”
A pang in his chest, he smiled and said, “I’m sure I could work that out. That’s fantastic. She’d love it.”
She’d nailed the present for his mother. He could imagine the expression on his mom’s face when she opened it. She would probably get a little bit watery.
They both drifted along, the sound of the radio low in the background as they made their way back home. He needed to find a way to tell her what he was feeling that wouldn’t freak her out. Seeing her with his family though…
He knew she was pragmatic to a fault. He just wished there was some way that she could see herself through his eyes. She was beautiful, both inside and out, funny, and smart. She was everything he hadn’t even known he was looking for and more.
He also knew that if he told her an
y of that, she’d flush and then find some way to change the subject. Maybe, he decided, she wasn’t ready to hear it yet. He’d be patient. After all, she was more than worth the wait.
* * * *
When he woke up the next morning, she was already gone. She’d griped about an early meeting with her boss about San Diego. She’d been unable to contain her grin as she talked about it though.
He was absolutely thrilled for her. At the same time, he knew it would be a long, lonely week. He glanced at the clock and then slid a T-shirt on.
There was more than enough time to see to the plants, have a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast before he headed down to the shop. There were no deliveries today. Thank god.
Scratching his chest idly, he wandered into the kitchen and saw that she’d brewed a pot of coffee and left him a note. He picked it up and read:
Evan,
I brewed a pot of coffee. God, I hate early meetings. I made you something better than dried out PBJ for lunch. Check in the fridge. Hope your day is fantastic.
XOXOX,
Taryn
He set the note down and opened the fridge. He found two Tupperware containers with turkey and gravy along with another sticky note that said, “Just add bread.”
He let the refrigerator door close with a thud. He leaned back against it. She owned him. She really did. There was no other way to put it. And she had no idea.
By the end of the day he had received email, texts, and calls from everyone in his family. They had all really liked Taryn, which was great. He’d been surprised to hear from Maureen, too. She was usually a little standoffish, but even she had loved her.
He was cleaning up the shop, and very deeply considering closing up early for the day when he saw someone at the curb helping Taryn out of a car. She had a pair of crutches and was making her way toward the door of the shop as she waved to a middle-aged woman. He dropped the clippings and hurried to the door to meet her.
As he opened the door, he said, “Baby. What happened!”
She gave him a wry smile and said, “Sprained my ankle. No big deal. I’m on crutches for a couple days.”
He took in the bandage wrapped around her ankle and said, “Come in. Sit down, sit down.”
He held the door as she hobbled in on the crutches. He waited until she sat down and he asked again, “What happened?”
“Remember my baby elephant? We were giving him his first shots today. Well, mama didn’t like it. She knocked at me with her trunk and I stumbled back, hit a puddle. Now, here we are.”
He wrapped his arms around her and said, “I’m sorry. Do you want me to help you upstairs so you can put your foot up?”
“Nah,” she said. “I’ll make my way up there. I need to shower anyway. I ended up in a mud puddle. I was able to get most of it off, but I still feel dirty.”
“Wait for me,” he said. “I’ll help.”
