AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He hopped out of the truck, took a deep breath, and marched ahead to face his fear of rejection. He didn’t even make it across the parking lot before Scarlet stood with the door open for him to enter the kitchen. “Good morning.”
She smiled, the kind that warmed a man coming in from a long, cold day working on the farm.
“Good morning.” The muscles in his mouth twisted at the sight of her uncaffeinated expression. “Waited for me to have your first cup?” He was honored. Scarlet never waited for anyone before her coffee, not even when she was twelve.
“Why do you think that?” she asked.
“Because your eyes aren’t wide and full of mischief.”
Scarlet slammed the old metal door behind him and ushered him to the café. “That’s observant of you… or am I that easy to read?”
“No, not at all. I just know you.” He set his stuff on a bistro table and dared to toss a comment to home plate. “I’m sure your fiancé notices things like that all the time.”
She turned on the espresso machine causing a squeal that ended their conversation. A foul ball, obviously. Once she placed two cups on the table and sat down across from him, he knew she’d try to hide behind business.
“You’re doing it now, aren’t you?” She raised her armor of warm beverage to her lips and peered over the mug.
“Doing what?”
She took a sip then set the mug down, leaned back in her chair, and folded her hands on the table. “You’re so good at reading me. What’s your observation?”
He lifted his chin, his nerves jolting like he’d had twenty espressos already. “I’m not sure you want to know what I have to say.”
She rested her hands by her sides as if she was relaxed and didn’t care, but the way her right eye twitched told him it was a forced posture. “Try me.”
“I would, but I need your help, and I don’t want to send you running from this table.” He leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of him, daring her to run.
She matched his position with hands only inches from his. “I promise not to run away until after I help you with your proposal. Now tell me.”
He captured her gaze and hoped never to let it go. “You’re going to remain professional with a rigid stance and distance between us to avoid any type of friendliness.”
She lowered one shoulder, then the other, and he had to fight his knowing grin from showing.
“Okay, Sherlock. Let me deduce your actions.” She sat further forward, leaning on the table, daring to edge her hands closer. “You’re nervous that I won’t be impressed by your report and that I’ll judge you for your work.”
He leaned in, matching her distance, yet still not daring to cross the line by touching her. “I guess we both can read each other.”
“We’re both good readers,” she snickered.
This is the opening. Go for it, man.
His muscles tightened, but he forced his arm to move to his side. He retrieved the book and handed it to her. “Then maybe you’d like to read this again.”
A blizzard of emotions caused a white-out expression on her face. It took several seconds of her eyes doing an elf jig around the cover then snapping to him then back to the book before her face animated into a childlike grin. “You still have this?” She turned the book, brushed her delicate fingers across the title, and sucked in her bottom lip.
“Of course. It was our favorite. Out of all the books we bickered about, this one we always agreed on.”
She shook her head. Tears shining in her eyes. “Wow, I didn’t think…”
“Didn’t think what?” He dared to push.
She cleared her throat and opened the book, but he covered her hand to shut it. “Don’t. You’re not ready.”
“Ready for what?”
His heart thu-thumped with apprehension. “I wrote a note inside to you.”
She curled her fingers around his, sending heat up his arms.
