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A stolen glance at Mayson confirmed what she knew deep down, no spark. But again, maybe she needed to give herself time to get to know him in a romantic sense and not simply as a friend.
That had to be it. She'd give the man next to her a fair shot at winning her heart.
Mayson stood with the rest of the congregation, turning her attention to the front, where the worship pastor took the place of where the pastor stood moments before. How had she missed his entire welcome?
Cinnamon forced her eyes to the front. No more looking on each side of her. She attended church to replenish her soul, learn more about the Bible, spend time with other like-minded people, and worship the Lord. Not to compare handsome men.
Worship ended, drawing Cinnamon into a better head space than when she sat down. Sometimes all she needed was to sit at the Lord's feet and give Him the glory He deserves.
By the time the pastor finished his sermon, Cinnamon's shoulders relaxed, and her stomach stopped aching. Whatever Scarlet was going through the last week wasn't for her to fix. And if her friend was upset with her, she'd have to trust Scarlet to make it known.
"What would you like me to order?" Mayson's hand dropped to her lower back, guiding her out of the building.
"How about a salad with ranch dressing?"
Mayson pulled the sunglasses off of his head and covered his eyes. "That's all?"
"Come on, now, Mayson Ingram. You know me better than that." Cinnamon shaded her hand over her forehead as she glanced up at him. "Fried chicken on the salad and a side of onion rings."
Mayson's laugh boomed, causing a few people to cast curious looks their way. "You're right. I should've known better. I'll see you in about thirty minutes."
"Sounds good. I should have sodas in my fridge. But if you want something else, let me know." Cinnamon dug in her purse and pulled out some money, offering it to him before he left.
"It's on me." Mayson backed away without taking it.
"What about tonight? You can't pay for both."
If his glasses weren't covering his eyes, Cinnamon would've sworn he tossed her a wink. "I can, and I will." He strolled away without a backwards glance.
Cinnamon grinned and headed toward her car. She didn't need to drive to the church, but since she hadn't stayed the night at her home, she opted to.
"Cinnamon!"
She pivoted, waiting for Scarlet to catch up with her. "Morning. Sorry I didn't wait for you guys before I left this morning."
Scarlet waved away her comment. "We didn't expect you to."
"Oh, good. It was a good service today, wasn't it?" Cinnamon moved in the direction her car sat.
Scarlet kept in time with her steps. "It was. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry for the way I've acted this week."
"You're forgiven." Cinnamon stopped in front of her car.
"That's it? You don't want to know why I treated you coldly?" Scarlet shifted her weight from foot to foot.
"Only if you want to tell me. I'm not going to force you to do something you don't wish to do." Cinnamon leaned back, her palms lying flat against the hood.
"I heard you had a date tonight, and I was offended," Scarlet mumbled the words.
"Why were you offended?" Cinnamon couldn't have been more shocked.
A sheepish grin crossed her friend's face. "Deep down, I hoped while working at Linden Farms, you'd fall back in love with Kaleb."
"Ah." Cinnamon drew out the word. Everything made sense now. "Did I give you that impression?"
Scarlet shook her head, her hair flowing with the movement. "Not at all. Wishful thinking on my part. I'd love for you and Kaleb to rekindle what you had."
"That time is long gone, Scar. We're both different people now." An ache settled in the pit of Cinnamon's stomach. Because truth be told, she wished they could begin a relationship, too.
