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“Oh, come on. Live a little.”
The traffic had let up, and he gave a tug on her arm. She really shouldn’t. Andrew’s warm gaze met hers, melting away her resistance.
Hand in hand they dashed across the street. The ice cream shop had a long line, but now that she’d had a glimpse of the treats within, she wasn’t budging without a waffle cone. Andrew proceeded to make small talk about the party and the little details he would like added. None of his requests were outside the realm of possibilities. In fact, she really liked some of his suggestions.
“I hope your brother enjoys the party. I’m just sorry I’ll miss it.”
Andrew’s eyes widened. “You like poker?”
She shrugged. “To be honest, I never tried it. But it sounds like it might be fun.”
He chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.
She huffed. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
“You don’t think I can let loose and have some fun?”
“No. Not really. You’ve gotten so serious since…since we broke up.”
She crossed her arms and frowned at him. “I can still have fun. I just don’t have time while building my business.”
Before he could respond, the young girl behind the counter asked, “What can I get for you?”
“Salted caramel pretzel,” Clara said.
“We don’t have that flavor.”
“Oh.” This was a disappointment. “Give me a moment.”
Her gaze moved to the menu. She hemmed and hawed while Andrew placed his order. Finally, she settled on triple chocolate delight with some pecans and mini marshmallows added in for good measure. If she was going to splurge today on calories, she might as well go all out.
Once they had their ice cream in hand, Andrew guided her over to a table in the corner. Not many customers took advantage of the indoor seating. Most got their ice cream and headed out into the sunshine.
Was it wrong to admit she was enjoying this afternoon outing and most especially the company? Her gaze strayed to Andrew as he licked the ice cream cone. It was so easy to forget the business portion of their outing.
Behave, Clara. This isn’t a date. Not by a long shot.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Whoknewicecreamhad such magical powers?
As Andrew marveled at the transformation in Clara, he assured himself that her now cheerful disposition had to do with the sugary treat. Not him. His smile faltered.
She sat across the little table from him, licking her cone in between chatting and laughing. She’d really gotten excited about the plans for the bachelor party. He was happy she was so passionate about her work.
He didn’t have to say much, merely nodding at the appropriate intervals. When at last she quieted down, he said, “You’re amazing.”
“Why, thank you.” She once more smiled, and the whole room seemed to light up around her. “But you have to realize that it’s my job, so it comes naturally to me. I have reliable contacts and known resources. Once we have the theme and the setting, I was able to fill in the rest.”
“I wasn’t referring to your party planning, though what you came up with for the bachelor party is spot-on. When I said you were amazing, I meant you. You moved to the other side of the country and built your business from scratch. I noticed how everyone we spoke with today has great respect for you. That isn’t easy to do. But is this all you want in life?”
Her gaze met his. “Isn’t this enough? Do I need more?”
He shrugged. “I was just curious. You’re so far from your family, and I know how close you all used to be.”
She shook her head. “Not anymore. They couldn’t respect my decision to go off and do my own thing.”
