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Payton added another yellow rose to the vase and stood back, tilting her head to try and get a different perspective. She wanted them to be perfect for her friend when she arrived home late tonight from her honeymoon.
“They’re gorgeous,” Benny said from behind her. “Kate will love them.”
Earlier, Cruz’s sister and Kate’s new sister-in-law, had arrived on her doorstep asking for a favor. With Kate and Dominic arriving in town sometime after midnight, she’d wanted to do something special for the couple. Bring a few of Kate’s things from her old house over, buy a few groceries and other things to help make the house feel warm and inviting. Set it up for a couple just returning from a honeymoon—and wanting to leave the house as little as possible.
With assurances that it would just be the two of them, since the last thing she needed was an inopportune run-in with Cruz, Payton had agreed. Even if she was nervous that Benny would ply her with question about what happened between them. Fortunately, Benny had remained mum on the subject, instead chatting away over some funny stories involving her young patients and then how lucky Kate and Dominic were to find each other.
“Mrs. Kate Sorensen,” Payton shook her head and grabbed another long-stemmed rose, trimming the bottom before pushing it in the vase. “It’s so crazy. I can’t believe my best friend is married.”
She was happy. Ecstatically happy for her friend who deserved all the happiness in the world. But, if she were totally honest, she had to admit also feeling a little sad for herself.
Her friend was starting this new stage in her life, while Payton was trying to catch up.
“Daisy and everyone should be here any minute now,” Benny said and pulled two bottles of Champagne from a bag on the kitchen counter.
Benny had conveniently waited until after they’d arrived, arms loaded with flowers and groceries and supplies, to drop the news that the rest of the family would also be stopping by to bring some of the heavier items. She’d quickly reassured Payton that she didn’t have to worry about running into Cruz since he was busy with work and Payton managed to tamp down the panic that first seized her at the thought of seeing him.
Benny opened the fridge and placed the Champagne inside next to the rest of the groceries they’d brought. “I’m going to move my car so they can back the truck up to the porch.”
Knowing that the rest of the Sorensens were descending on the house, Payton desperately wanted to make herself scarce. It would be too painful and embarrassing seeing them now. Remembering how thrilled and happy and excited she was when she’d last seen them.
She wondered what they thought about her now, about her actions. What had Cruz told them? But she didn’t worry too much on that end. He never spoke unless he had to. Especially about his personal life. Which might be why Benny had brought her here in the first place, to pump her for information, even if she hadn’t reached the subject. Yet.
No way was she prepared to face everyone.
She glanced at her watch. Almost five. She should be going if she was going to meet Brad for dinner by six. “I think I’m done here anyway. I’ll get out of everyone’s hair.”
“Oh, really?” Benny looked crestfallen and glanced down at her cell phone. “Would you do one last favor for me, then? I bought a whole load of votive candles and little holders for them and wanted to set them up around the room. You know, help with the ambiance? Can you get me started on that? I have no sense for that kind of stuff.”
Payton glanced at her watch again and bit her lip. “Five more minutes but then I really have to go.”
“Great,” Benny said, her face slipping into a wide smile, her blue eyes suspiciously bright.
Benny traipsed up the stairs to the upper landing that led, due to the slope on the mountain where the house sat, out to the driveway. Leaving Payton alone in this little piece of heaven nestled away from the world. Kate was very lucky.
Payton grabbed the bag that Benny left and looked around the room. The vista outside the window in the main room was gorgeous. The sun was setting across the treeline before the windows, giving the room a warm, homey feeling. Finding a seat on the couch, she opened the first bag of candles and began the task of dropping them into the holders. She was on the third bag when a ruckus from the top of the stairs alerted her that Benny was back.
“I think you bought enough candles to set the whole mountainside ablaze,” she said looking in the bag at the endless amount of candles still packaged as Benny reached the bottom step. She looked up. “I didn’t know how many—”
Only, it wasn’t Benny.
Her heart felt like it was ricocheting in her chest and the only sound she could hear now was the rushing o
f blood as it pumped erratically sending a whooshing through her ears. Thank Heavens she was seated because she was certain she’d have slumped to the floor otherwise.
No, the hulking giant before her could never be mistaken for the smaller woman.
Crap. Why did he have to look so good?
His hair was shorter, even and clipped above the ears, but still long enough where she could tousle it with her fingertips. His eyes, now wide in disbelief as he caught sight of her, were that same deep chocolate brown that had looked at her like he wanted to shove her out of the car one second, and then like he wanted to kiss her senseless a second later. His jaw was dark with growth, showing it hadn’t seen a razor in at least two days, maybe longer. She wondered if it would be soft to touch, or rough, stinging her chin like it had that morning when he’d woken her up with—
Dear Lord. What am I doing?
The seconds continued to pass and the giant just stayed there unmoving. It made sense now, why Benny wanted her here. Had distracted her enough until Cruz could get here.
Had he wanted to see her? Did he know—of course he didn’t know, judging by the slack in his jaw.
Why didn’t he just say something?
