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“Yes, I want it,” I said, trying to ignore my cock as it throbbed again from under the table. “Any help you can give would be appreciated.”
Joanne’s features smoothed back into an easy smile as she stepped closer to me, her bare arm brushing against mine as she reached for the basket of flowers.
Yep, just as soft as it looks.
I felt a little frisson of excitement, an electric tingle rush through my body, and no matter how many times I told myself—especially my hands and my traitorous cock—that what we were doing was strictly business, it was impossible not to let my mind wander just a little with Joanne standing so close.
Hell, I could evensmellher, floral and earthy, with a hint of sweetness. It was so perfectlyJoanne, and it was intoxicating.
But okay.
O-kay.
Okay.
I really had to get it together.
“So, do you know all the customers as well as you know Mrs…”
“Linley?” Joanne laughed, then shrugged. “Sort of. I mean, obviously we get a few new faces in every week, but more often than not they come back again. After a while, you start to learn what they like, what they don’t like, and the occasions they’re buying for give you little windows into their lives. Maybe they’re graduating, or getting married, just had a baby, or just got out of the hospital—you know, stuff like that. In a town the size of Castle Falls, it doesn’t take long to figure people out.”
I nodded, sort of amazed. Living in Castle Falls before had always felt like more of a curse than a blessing, and the thought of everyone knowing my business had been the exact reason I’d wanted to leave in the first place.
But now, it was at least a little easier to start to wonder how things could be if Ididwant to settle down in Castle Falls again.
“I’m sure it helps that you’re pretty easy to talk to,” I said, grinning a little when my statement was rewarded with a slight flush in Joanne’s cheeks. “I think you probably put people at ease pretty quickly.”
“I hope so. I mean, it was really important to your—to Henry—that we make those kinds of personal connections with people, to make them feel like we know them, and they know us. Sort of like family.”
I turned my head to keep from wincing at the words.
Why had it been so important for Dad to make those kinds of connections with strangers, when he’d never been able to do it at home? The only time I had felt like I’d been heard or understood or even listened to when I was growing up had been back when my mom had still been alive. After we’d lost her, though, everything had just… stopped.
And while I’d eventually found a different kind of acceptance and understanding and connection in the NFL, it had still ended up a poor substitute to what I’d been missing.
But whatever.
Joanne didn’t know that. And she didn’t need to, either.
“Okay, so,” I said, turning my attention back to the flowers. “If we’re going to do this, we should do it right. I need to learn, and I need you to teach me.”
“I can do that,” she said, resting her hand lightly on my arm for a moment as she spoke. “I’m actually really surprised—and really happy—that you’ve decided to do this.”
My heart did a little somersault at the touch, but I made the mistake of looking down at Joanne’s hand, and she pulled it away so quickly it was as if she’d been burned.
“Sorry, I—”
“No, it’s okay,” I said.
I opened my mouth to say something else—anythingelse—to let Joanne know that I didn’t mind, that I actuallylikedit, but nothing came out.
We simply looked into each other’s eyes for several long, silent, uncertain seconds.
It had been a nice moment—another reminder that Joanne’s good attitude wasn’t just for show. She truly enjoyed every minute she spent at the shop, and her enthusiasm for the work had been slowly rubbing off on me.
Well, that and the fact that no matter how hard I tried to think of other things when we were together, I couldn’t ever seem to focus on anything but Joanne. And even though it was a new feeling to feel so drawn to another person in every way—to her heart and her mind just as much as to her cute face and sexy body—I had to admit that I liked the feeling.
I likedallthe feelings that being around Joanne brought out in me.
