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“I will.” Nash was known as the grumpy Winter sibling, but he was not usually rude. He was being that now, simply because the woman was beautiful, which wasn’t her fault, but he had this crazy siren that went off inside his head when he was around a woman like that. He called it his self-preservation warning.
He watched from the side of his eye as she wandered around the shop, pulling out flowers and putting them together in a hand. In minutes he saw she had an eye for what looked good. Seeing as no one had appeared at the counter yet, he decided to play nice just so he could get out of here.
“If I say sorry, will you give me those flowers, seeing as the service in this shop is nonexistent.” He said the last word loud enough for anyone out back to hear. Clearly, they hadn’t heard the bell when he’d entered.
“Are you always rude?” She smiled sweetly with total insincerity.
“Mostly.”
She laughed, and any hope that would be ugly was lost when it came out a bit gruff and sexy.
“So will you give me them?”
“Sure, but moms need a bit extra, so I’ll just add a few things.” She went around the shop, pulling out more blooms and greenery. Then came back to hand them to him. “These will make a lovely bouquet for your mother.”
“Are you sure?” Nash took them in case she changed her mind but had felt he needed to say the words.
“I can get more, and I like it in here, so it’s no hardship to stay longer.”
She had to be a tourist or visiting someone.
“Why?”
“Do I like it in here?”
He nodded.
“It reminds me of a place I loved.”
“Sorry!” A young girl appeared at the counter. Her face was painted white, with a black skull on her right cheek. “We had a leak in one of the drains.”
Nash took his flowers to the counter and handed them to her, wondering where this place was the hot woman thought a florist reminded her of. “Is it fixed?”
“Yeah, someone is out back now working on it.”
She had a sweet smile under all that paint.
Nash grunted something and was grateful he didn’t need to go back and check out the problem.
“These look good. You have an eye for this kind of thing, Nash.”
The surprise on his face had her speaking again. “You’re Maggie’s brother. She told us all about you and how you moved onto Ted’s land.”
“Which is now my land,” he said. He’d had many conversations like this one about moving onto Ted’s land. People clearly needed educating. Nash didn’t like everyone knowing his business, but knew it was inevitable in a town this size.
“Maybe you should buy my mom’s shop?”
“I didn’t do that, the woman behind me did.”
Goth Girl looked over his shoulder. “Would you like to buy my mom’s shop?”
“I wish I could, but unfortunately I don’t live here.”
“Well, come back if you change your mind. I’ll just get these made up for you, Nash.” The young girl hurried back out through the door she’d just entered, leaving him alone with the prom queen.
“Are you one of those men who think because you’re cute you can walk about being grumpy all day?”
He turned to look at her.
“Are you one of those pretty women who think because their face is nice they can say whatever the hell they want?”
They stared at each other for long, heated minutes. Those blue eyes studied him in a cool, distracted way, just as he studied her.
“Here we go.” The proprietor returned.
Nash turned back and paid Goth Girl.
“Thanks,” he said, loud enough for the entire shop to hear. “You have a good day now.” He turned and shot the woman a look, then walked out the door and hoped he never saw her again.
For some reason, he had a feeling about that woman, and it wasn’t comfortable. In fact, it spelled trouble, and he didn’t need any more of that. Twice had been enough to scar him for life.
