AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Must be time for the big getting-to-know-you talk.” He crossed his arms over his barrel chest and grinned. “I’m twenty-nine, single, standard set of parents. I own my own home, a Harley, a dented old boat, and a Silverado.”
“Any siblings?”
He frowned. “One. A brother.” Before she could question him further, he pressed on. “No kids. My hobbies are fishing, painting, and riding my bike.” He scratched his scruffy chin. “Oh, and I’m a Leo.”
“My psychic told me I was going to marry a Leo.”
“Huh. I don’t think we need to get fitted for matching wedding bands quite yet.” He cocked his head. “You have a psychic?”
“She’s my best friend Nellie’s cousin.” She shrugged. “Her specialty’s the tarot.”
“Interesting.” But his expression said it clearly wasn’t.
“You paint?” She tried to imagine this big, strapping, tattooed man’s man holding a dainty paintbrush. Though she’d already seen him with the watering can. In his hands, daisies were sexy. “Really?”
“Really.” He hesitated as if he was about to divulge a painful secret. “Watercolors. Not often anymore. I don’t have the time.”
“That’s cool.”
He only lifted a brow as if to say “yeah, right.”
“I’m serious. I’d like to see some of your work sometime.” She had to laugh at his dubious expression. “C’mon. Let’s go.”
It felt odd to follow him downstairs, and odder still to clasp his hand when he held it out. She should be rushing into the store to get her morning routine started, not taking the time to stroll in the sunshine as if her day were entirely her own.
Your only responsibility is to make yourself happy.
Pfft to that one. She couldn’t just forget the promises she’d made to herself—and to Roz—even if Roz hadn’t been around to hear them. For once she wanted to do something on her own, just to prove to herself that she could. This time, she was sinking or swimming all on her own.
“Penny for your frown.” Dillon swung their hands between them as they made their way to the end of the street.
“Was I frowning?”
“Yes. You get the cutest wrinkle right here.” He rubbed his finger between his eyes. “What has you worried on such a beautiful day?”
She glanced up at the deep-blue, cloudless sky. The bright sunshine made her squint, but she loved the warmth on her back and shoulders. Flowers bloomed all around them. Dandelions and wildflowers competed with clumps of pink mountain laurel and looked almost as beautiful.
And everything was so green. The vibrancy of the colors around her took her breath away, as if she were seeing the place for the first time. Even her own building, the one she’d decried as below her station, somehow looked tall and regal when she glanced back to ascertain her world hadn’t changed overnight.
So if the world hadn’t changed, what had? Her?
He squeezed her hand and she inhaled deeply. Hard to be depressed or anxious when a gorgeous guy with hair as gold as the day spinning out in front of them sauntered at her side. He hadn’t allowed her to be alone when she’d been at the bottom of her own personal well.
No, for once, she didn’t feel worried. All she felt at that very moment was grateful.
“It is a beautiful day. You’re right.”
“I often am. Remember that the next time you’re tempted to argue with me.” He pulled her against his side at the corner to wait for the stoplight to change. “So what’s on the agenda today in flowerland?”
“Flowerland?” She smiled while they hurried across the street. Or rather, she hurried. Dillon’s long legs ate up ground at their own lazy pace, as if he expected the world to simply wait for him to catch up. Looking as beachcomber-sexy as he did effortlessly, it just might. “A friend of a friend’s getting married next year and she wanted to discuss Divine handling the arrangements. But I don’t think it’s going to work out.”
They walked past Value Hardware, which already seemed to be moving at full-steam. One of the workers watered a hanging arrangement next to the door. Alexa frowned while the kid splashed water on the drooping red flowers. With some good soil, she could help that ailing geranium. It certainly wouldn’t do well out in today’s hot sun when the kid likely wasn’t even soaking the roots.
Actually, he seemed much more interested in looking over his shoulder at Alexa and Dillon. A wide smile crossed his freckled face, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Dillon lengthened his stride, suddenly speeding up.
She smiled again. How sweet. He knew how she felt about that place and he didn’t want her to have to see it for any longer than necessary.
He really was a nice guy. She didn’t meet nearly enough of those. How strange that she’d stumbled upon him when she’d been at her lowest point.
