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She tucked the phone into the back pocket of her jeans as her gaze landed on the Sealena romance book display. Her smile faded slightly. Tess was reading her books. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Not that she thought there was any content in there that the young girl shouldn’t read, but what if Tess noticed the same similarities that Skylar had? Would the little girl connect the two?
And now that things were steaming up with Oliver, how long could Carly keep the truth from him about her being the author? That moment hadn’t been the right time. She’d been caught up in the emotion of the kiss and what it meant for them, but if they were really going to do this—move forward with a deeper connection—she’d have to tell him. And Tess.
How would Tess feel about them together?
Oliver had said she’d set him up on a date and that she suddenly wanted him to fall in love, but would she be okay if that person was Carly? She and Tess loved one another, but would the little girl find the whole situation weird?
As much as Carly wanted to scream it from the rooftops, it might be better to keep the kiss with Oliver to herself for now.
Which might be hard to do since she couldn’t erase the smile from her face.
Unfortunately, the inevitable business of the season got in the way of any more kisses and Carly had to satisfy her Oliver craving with text messages for the rest of the week.
Oliver on Thursday morning:Thinking of you. In fact, haven’t thought of anything else.
Carly: Likewise. Mostly about kissing you again.
Oliver: Implied.
Carly: Confident now, huh?
Oliver: Just hopeful and desperate.
Carly: Maybe I’ll make you chase me a bit.
Oliver: To the ends of the earth and back.
The sudden switch in their interaction had her on cloud nine. Every day for years she’d started her day with a text from Oliver, almost hoping that one day he’d say the things she longed to hear. And now they’d reached that place. Her cell phone had suddenly become the most precious thing on the planet.
Oliver on Friday morning:Dreamt of you last night.
Carly: That’s intriguing. Elaborate please.
Oliver: We were sitting on the docks, holding hands and watching the sunset.
Carly: And...
Oliver: And I awoke thinking that we should do that someday...once these damn tourists leave.
Carly: Definitely...once the damn tourists leave.
Two days without seeing Oliver in the past would have been a normal occurrence and she’d have been okay with it, but now two days felt like forever. She couldn’t wait to see him, as though now he’d look different somehow. She knew the way they’d look at one another, the way they’d interact, would be different, and it filled her with so much excitement and anticipation. She no longer had to hide her feelings from him, and therefore, she couldn’t wait to show him all the things she’d been keeping to herself, say all the things she couldn’t before.
Now that there was a potential future with Oliver, she wanted that future to start right away.
CHAPTER TEN
THENEXTDAYwas the first official float building meet-up. They wouldn’t all be able to work together all the time, but by some miracle of timing, they’d all been available that day to begin the project together.
Dressed in her favorite pair of loose, comfy jean overalls and a bra top beneath, Carly stood on the float platform and addressed her crew, including Dex’s therapy dog, Shayla, who would no doubt be an adorable distraction that day. “Thank you all for volunteering your time to help with this year’s float. This is an ambitious build and I appreciate each and every one of those hands,” she said, trying to keep her gaze off Oliver. It was nearly impossible and it drove her crazy that the first time the two of them were together was with so many people around.
Maybe they could sneak away...
Oliver was positioning fans in the corner of the room to circulate the air and help the paint dry faster. When his gaze met hers, he sent her a secret look and a wink that had her pulse racing. It was such a relief to know that in the last two days, his feelings hadn’t changed, he hadn’t let fear change his mind about them. Wearing a pair of work coveralls, his bare chest visible beneath, he looked incredibly sexy. He’d shaved that day and she was fairly certain he’d put gel in his hair—it was still messy the way she liked, but more of a deliberate, controlled mess.
What she wouldn’t give to run her hands through it...
“Carly...you okay?” Tess asked when she’d obviously drifted off into fantasy territory of thoughts of Oliver. The little girl was in a full hazmat suit, ready to get to work.
