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“Tell you what,” she started around a second mouthful of pastry. “Help me set up the shop and some of the platforms I need for this afternoon’s contests then we can talk about plans.”
Whiskey considered her in silence for a long minute. “I do this, I get my plans back? Hundreds of thousands of dollars are invested in those.”
She nearly choked but schooled her expression. She wished she’d known that little detail before using tape on them. “Sure. You bet. I really don’t need them anyway, but they do serve as great window posters.”
He turned following her line of sight, and she had to swallow her laugh at the fear in his eyes. “Oh my God, Genevieve.” Whiskey’s voice cracked and now she wondered if she’d gone too far.
He pointed to the shop entrance a few feet away. “What is Stacey doing?”
Stacey stood talking with a group of people and beside her Venus handed out pens and sticky notes like Halloween candy.
Genevieve squinted and sucked air in so fast she choked on her third mouthful of pastry. She coughed and gasped until Whiskey had to pat her on the back. “Thanks.” She coughed again. “Umm, it looks like she’s gathering protests about your plans for this building and sticking them to the glass and color coding them on the front window.” She leaned into him. “Don’t worry. Theotherplans are tucked away. For now, but don’t push your luck buster.”
“I see.” His tone hit a flat note just like his expression.
“Ready to get started?” Brushing off the crumbs Genevieve hooked her arm in Whiskey’s and he led them inside the shop and past the quickly growing group wanting to leave their own note. A blast of cool air fought back the mid-morning heat that settled over the town. Today was going to be a scorcher and she loved it. Sunshine, people… and a very sexy, mouthwateringhunk, yet moderately angry man to deal with. Hmm, maybe she should expect a thunderstorm.
For the next couple of hours they moved a variety of flowers to create big walking pathways for visitors and locals alike to peruse through their collection of herbs, bouquets, and potted plants they could take home.
“Thank you, I’m so happy you could join us this year. If you’re looking for a place to stay, check out Pinegrove Dreams.” Genevieve pulled out a town brochure her parents kept in stock under the counter. “It’s located only a few miles outside of town and they run a shuttle from there to here twice a day. Come back any time, okay.” Genevieve rang up the hundredth sale while she watched Whiskey talk with a group of locals. Every once in a while, she caught him looking her way. More often than that she felt the caress of his gaze.
She’d smile, and with each one she shot his way, he grew warmer, more relaxed as though the mingling with the people softened his boardroom-hardened heart.
She missed this. Surrounded by so much happiness. The whole feeling of belonging and connection. In a big city like New York you could shop at the same grocery store for years and no one would be invested enough to learn anyone’s name. Here, you knew everyone from the librarian to the trash collectors and they knew the townspeople.
Whiskey broke away from the crowd and turned in her direction. He leaned an elbow on the counter and she mirrored his movement. Cupping her chin, he brought her lips a whisper away from his. Was he going to kiss her right here in front of the whole town?
“Baby, I don’t know how to say this, but I think a reindeer is eating your mom’s plate of cookies.”
He pointed by the door and sure enough, there was the reindeer she’d seen yesterday morning making a feast out of star-and-moon-shaped cookies with little red sprinkles.
Beside her, Venus jumped up from where she cut bouquet wrapping paper. “You guys haven’t met Sally, the town’s new mascot. Long story short, your mom saved her and now she wants to be in the middle of everything. I got this—she’ll follow anyone with cookies.”
Venus was across the shop in three steps, guiding the big animal who made herself at home in the middle of the crowd. No one seemed to mind either. Like it was a common occurrence here.
She shook her head.
Whiskey laughed, “Only here, I swear. Remember that time our classmate found a ‘puppy’ on his way to school and the teacher nearly had a heart attack during show and tell?”
Genevieve bumped his shoulder with her own. “We all did when that puppy growled and tried to climb the coat rack.”
“The second we all realized it was a bear cub it was every kid for himself.”
Genevieve doubled over and clutched at her side from how hard she laughed. “You shoved me in the closet and locked the door and wouldn’t let me out. I’ve never looked at a closet the same way since.”
“I had to save my girl. Hero material in the making and all.”
Genevieve’s tears of laughter dried up. “Your girl?”
He took her hand in his and opened his mouth to say something but she neither of them had a chance.
“Genevieve? Genevieve dear, where are you?”
She noted the second Whiskey pulled away and dropped her hand back to the counter.
Pugly yipped and barked by her feet. She’d slipped him into his cage in fear he could get hurt or lost in the crowd. Until that second, he’d slept through all the commotion.
Genevieve turned at the sound of her name. A mass of deep brown curls piled high in an elegant coif appeared over the heads of the people that filled the shop before her editor popped out from behind two men discussing the intricate details of caring for azaleas, her signature smile in place.
