AllFreeNovel
Share Us
A light flicked on across the street and he knew they were being watched by a friendly neighbor. “Of course.”
He wanted to run over and pull Scarlet into his arms and hold her tight, but instead, he tried to form words to express his emotions. Not easy, but Aunt Laura had been working with him on communicating instead of grunting and waving so that he’d have a chance to secure a loan. “I called you Scar because you were tough and original and fearless. You got that mark on your temple when you saved me from falling from our tree. I thought you knew.”
She shook her head. “There are a lot of things I never understood.”
He couldn’t hold back any longer. He slid his coat off and wrapped it around her shivering frame. “Come on. I’ll get you inside, and I vow never to call you Scar again.”
“No, I like it. I hadn’t realized.” She took a long breath and eyed the library box in front of her. “I think there is a lot I hadn’t realized. Come inside with me, and I’ll make us both some hot chocolate to warm up.”
What hadn’t she realized? Her words were weighted with subtext based on the low tone of her voice. He made quick work of cleaning up so he could get inside with her to find out what she meant. He knew gossip could fly about them being alone together, but maybe Laura was right and he had to stop worrying about what people think and do what he thought would be best. And saving Scar from a bad marriage would be best.
He tossed his gear into the back of the truck and found Scarlet at the bistro table with a cup waiting in front of an empty chair with his coat slung over the back across from her. The dim under-cabinet lighting and the streetlight outside filtering into the space gave a romantic feel to the place.
Aroma of fresh hot chocolate welcomed him to sit.
“Tell me about your loan meeting today.” Scarlet tilted her head at the chair across from her.
He plopped down, grabbed his mug, and took a gulp of too-hot liquid that made him cough and his eyes water. She scooted her chair next to him and patted his back followed by slow, comforting circles.
Heat rushed through him from toes to throat, from spine to heart. “Excuse me. I should’ve realized hot chocolate would be hot.” He chuckled, but he’d burn his tongue a second time if it meant getting her to touch him again.
Her fingers abandoned his back and swiped his nose. “Dot of whip there.”
Her chest rose and fell. The space shrunk to millimeters between want and self-control. It had always been that way between them. The attraction nearly drove him mad, but he waited because he knew Scarlet could never be a high school fling, she would only ever be a forever love.
“Your loan?”
Rich chocolate lingered in his mouth but not as long as his disappointment. “Not happening,” he shrugged.
“Why? Your vegetables are amazing and inexpensive compared to the big stores. I’d pay three times what we do here for that in Atlanta and they wouldn’t be as fresh.”
He tapped the rim of his glass. “Said I didn’t have a solid business plan, but we both know my reputation’s the real reason.”
She smacked him on the shoulder. “Get over yourself already.” A sip of coco and a huff sounded before she spoke again. “You’re not your father, and the bank doesn’t care about reputation, they care about a solid business plan and numbers. Bring what you submitted to the bank tomorrow morning before we open, and I’ll take a look.”
“I can’t ask you to do that,” he argued, but he loved the idea of an excuse to spend more time with her.
“What? Don’t trust me?”
“It’s not that.” He wanted to tell her that she should leave the loser that sent her a proposal via text, but like ten years ago, he remained silent, keeping his feelings to himself. Aunt Laura would call him a shmuck.
“Terry College of Business grad not good enough? A girl who co-runs a successful tech business in Atlanta not a strong enough resume?”
“I didn’t say—”
“Relax.” She sat back giggling and raised her drink to her lips but lowered it again. “I’m only teasing. I think you forgot how to laugh.”
“No, it’s just that I hadn’t seen that beautiful smile until now to remind me how to be happy.”
She hid behind her mug for a long gulp, but he saw the way her eyes were wide and full of mischief.
They sat silent for a few minutes listening to the hum of the fridge in the back room. “Fixed the fridge already?”
Scarlet’s nose crinkled in a cuteBewitchedkind of way. “Doubt it was ever really broken.”
Soft steps overhead reminded him they weren’t completely alone. But they were good at this. The teasing, flirting, dancing around everything while having fun. “Aunt Matchmaker strikes again.”
She averted her gaze to her fingernails the way she always did when she wanted to avoid answering a question.
