AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Heather glanced around the parking lot. “Oh, look at that!” On the northern end of the lot, a huge tent covered an array of antique cars and trucks. “Those look amazing.” She jumped out of the truck and looked at him. “Come on, time’s a-wasting. Maybe we can look at cars later if we finish inside fast enough.” She grinned, shut the door, and sprinted toward the building.
Zander jogged to catch up. She would have beat him inside except she paused to hold the door open for a mother with a baby in a stroller and two other kids in tow.
“You’re fast,” he said once they were inside. He blinked to help his eyes adjust to the interior lighting. It was like a tomb after the morning’s bright sunshine.
“Maybe you’re just slow.” She nudged him with her elbow.
She’d done that a few times the day they shared coffee on the overlook. It left him feeling like a co-conspirator. Warmth surged through him. He slung his arm over her shoulder.
“Well, friend, where shall we start?” He pointed left. “Vendors with smaller items, China, jewelry, and such, are over there. Furniture is that way.” He pointed right. “Everything else is in between”
“Why don’t we look at what we’re here for and get that out of the way first? Then we can snoop to our heart’s content.”
“Good plan.” He urged her forward without removing his arm from around her. She was tall but short enough next to him that she fit well against his side and her sweet cookie scent was soothing. Yesterday, when he walked past the bakery, on the way to the post office, the scent of lemon and sugar brought her instantly to his mind.
“Eric’s place is at the very back. He specializes in furniture.” Several times on the way to Eric’s Heather paused to admire something. Once it was a plush chaise lounge, the next it was a smoking table. A solicitor’s bookcase and a Formica table with matching chrome chairs also caught her eyes. She had a wide eclectic taste. After every stop, he managed to find a way to get his arm around her again. Surprisingly, she allowed it.
“Eric, this is my friend, Heather. Heather, Eric.” He made the introductions, and they shared some small talk for a moment. “Okay, show me this bed.”
The bed had a tall curving frame with wrought iron spindles. It was in pristine condition. It looked almost new, but not reconditioned. It was mint and it was exactly what he envisioned for his master bedroom. His current bed was a double box spring and mattress. He wanted something larger and nicer. Something that felt more adult, instead of college student moving into his first place.
“It’s lovely.” Heather stroked the curved wooden headboard. Her approval was enough to convince him that he wanted it at any price. He almost recoiled from the thought. Why was her opinion of the bed enough to sway him into purchasing it?
“What are you asking for it?” Zander asked. They dickered for a few minutes and finally struck a mutually agreeable deal that included a complete bedroom suite.
“I’m just going to look at that shop,” Heather said. “You guys go ahead and catch up.” She wandered away before he could answer.
When she was out of earshot Eric said, “She’s cute. Is she your girlfriend?”
“We’re just friends. She works for Derrick.”
“You had your arm around her when you walked up. That doesn’t spell friend to me.” Eric gave him a penetrating look that demanded answers.
“Seriously,” Zander said. “We’re just friends.”
“But you’d like to be more. Dude, I’ve known you for decades. Maybe you can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to me.”
“I don’t know what I want. She’s great company but I have responsibilities. My business, my family, my rescue animals. If we dated and things went bad, it might cause issues between her and Derrick. I don’t want to be responsible for that. He’s already threatened to castrate me.” He paused. “Truthfully, we’re fake dating, just to keep all the matchmakers off my back.” He twitched at the thought of more blind dates.
“Dude, you are so done for.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Zander demanded.
“You like her. You want her, and you have no idea how to fit her into your life. Something’s going to have to change. Mark my words.”
“I told you, we’re fake dating. She’s nice, but I don’t have time for a real relationship. She’s getting over a tough breakup. It’s convenient for both of us.”
“Is it?” Eric raised one eyebrow.
Zander ignored the implied question and the smirk that followed it. He was not falling for Heather. Was he?
Chapter 12
Zander flexed his fingers. They were always stiff after a difficult surgery and today’s was anything but normal. The last few days had been crazy. Cats with kidney disease, a horse with a broken leg, way too many animals hit by cars, all on top of a full regular workload. He was exhausted.
He sat at his desk filling out post-surgical paperwork on the neutering of a golden retriever which had nearly died twice during the procedure due to unexpected complications. He stretched and wiggled his aching feet. They brushed against King who was curled up under his desk snoring. The crazy mutt had a way of knowing when Zander needed comforting.
Now that his patient was safely in recovery, under his new assistant’s careful watch, his mind was jumping from topic to topic. It kept flipping to the fact that three days had gone by without texting Heather. Keeping his distance was surprisingly difficult.
