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He climbed into his truck and started up the engine. This was a wasted trip and one that left him feeling ten times worse than when he’d shown up. He didn’t even get a chance to tell Pippa about his tree stand which was really the main reason for coming.
Maybe he deserved this feeling of loneliness. It was like Pippa had said. They were the same. They worked and worked until they didn’t see anything or anyone. And he had seen nothing wrong with it.
Until now.
Now, he wanted a connection. He wanted a connection with the one person he didn’t deserve.
CHAPTERNINE
Allie knockedon the door that led to Luke’s office. The small building was farther away from the house than she would have expected, but it made sense. From what Pippa had said a few years ago, he’d had it built just for this business and now he didn’t have to go to town to haggle over prices with potential buyers.
It was getting late and being out in the fields with the sun going down sooner made her uneasy. She should have just called him rather than visiting his house and now this office first.
Straightening her shoulders, she plastered a smile on her face. She’d offered to help him and that was what she was going to do. There was a reason she was stopping by tonight and it wasn’t just so she could make goo-goo eyes at him.
The flyer in her hand was proof of that.
At least she hoped it would be enough proof.
What was she doing? She should have called.
Allie turned away from the door just as it opened.
“Allie? What are you doing here?”
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Just hearing his voice was enough to set her nerves on fire. Slowly, she turned around, an impish grin on her face. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
His eyes were guarded. In fact the way he was looking at her was different than any way he’d stared at her before. The difference wouldn’t have been noticed by anyone but herself—and that was because she’d spent her whole life studying him.
Allie swallowed hard and lifted the flyer. “I wanted to help you with some advertising ideas. I was thinking after our meeting that you might need some tips on spreading the word. Before I changed my major—”
“You were going to go into marketing, I remember.”
She blinked. Then her smile widened. “I can’t believe you remember that.”
“Lately, I’ve been remembering a lot of things.”
“Hmm?”
Luke shook his head. “Nothing. It’s… nothing.” He gestured for her to enter his office. “I’d be happy to get any and all the help you are willing to offer.” The door shut behind her and suddenly the room shrunk to half its size.
She stood frozen, facing his desk as his footsteps clipped against the floor toward her then around her. Luke moved in front of her and leaned against his desk with his arms folded. “Okay, so what do you have for me?”
Allie handed him the mockup she’d put together but due to her shaking hands it probably looked like she shoved it at him like it was a hot potato.
By the time he got his hands on it, the paper was slightly wrinkled. Luke’s eyes swept over the information she’d put together, rubbing his jaw as he did so. He hated it. She could feel it in her bones. She should have done something different.
Heck, she shouldn’t have come at all.
Already she could feel the blush filling her face as she stood before him feeling more vulnerable than she’d had in ages.
Then he turned, put the flyer on the desk and scrawled a few things on it before handing it back. “I think it’s great. There are just a few minor changes—details that I want on there.”
She took the paper, her finger brushing against his and her breath escaped her. Allie didn’t even bother looking at what he’d written. “I’ll make the adjustments and get these printed for you.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can get them printed. I just don’t know how we’ll distribute them.” He was still too close for comfort—but that was probably due to the way his gaze seemed to be peeling back all the layers of protection she’d placed around herself. It was unnerving at best.
She had to be imagining things. Even still, she took a step backward. “I have you covered on that. I was thinking about enlisting some of the high school students. They could put them on cars in parking lots and take them around to the businesses. We just need to know how many you need. We’d coordinate with the high school teachers.” Allie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I think they’d be willing to do it for free since this is for charity. I’m sure the teachers would be happy to give extra credit to their students in exchange for volunteering.”
