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“Can I help you?”
I scrunched my nose and continued to search. “Don’t suppose you have any that are ripe and ready-to-eat?”
“I’m sure I can find you something.” He gave me a hopeful wink, but it produced a small involuntary shudder inside. Squatting, he pulled out another box, setting it with ease on top of the other crate with a slight grunt.
“Heavy?” Although I wasn’t sure why I asked. I honestly didn’t care.
“Oh no. I lift things like this all the time.” The playful smirk matched the wiggle he did.
I half expected him to flex his arms, but thankfully he didn’t. Instead, he grabbed a bunch of market-ready bananas, and handed it to me, staring at my hand.
“Thanks.” I took off the three I wanted and set the rest down. When he gave me a curious look, I jumped to answer. “For baking. It was all I needed.”
“Banana bread? If so, we have riper bananas in the back I can grab you.”
“This is fine, thanks.”
He leaned on the top of the boxes, completely casual in his stance. “You sure? It’s no trouble at all for you miss.”
“Honestly, this is all I need.” I added them to my cart and whipped two Granny Smith apples off the nearby display.
“Here, let me help you pick the best ones.” Another wink.
I backed up, putting the cart between me and the produce guy.
“Oh, there you are,” Carter said to me as he roamed over and slipped a small-sized dishwashing liquid soap under the three bananas. “Hey, Patrick.”
“Carter.” Patrick’s gaze volleyed between him and me. “Are you…?”
He didn’t answer, merely raised both brows.
“Oh, well.” He paled slightly, and with a quick spin on his heels, he shuffled to the display of fresh veggies.
“Hey,” I said, playfully bumping Carter as we stepped further away from the banana display, super grateful for the interception.
Bundled up in a thick winter jacket, I was pretty sure he barely felt the nudge but the lazy smile suggested otherwise.
“What’s up with this?” I pulled the dishwashing liquid out and waved it around, tossing a quick glance back to Patrick, who was now busy talking to an older lady about carrots.
“Trust me on this. You’ll need it.”
“You make it sound like the place is a dump. It’s not that bad.”
He held on to the side of my grocery cart, looking cool, calm, and collected. Plus, he smelled like a fresh shower with a hint of spicy cologne. “Why stay there though?”
“It was all that’s available.”
“There are several vacant homes for rent and lofts above the main drag.”
Which were higher priced than I was ready to dish out for this temporary shift in living accommodations. “If things stabilize, it may be something I’ll look into, but for now, this is the best I can do and all I can afford.”
“The best you can do? I know you better than that. And all you can afford? With a little digging, you can find something slightly higher priced and far more comfortable.” The air crackled between us as he locked his gaze on me, sending my pulse absolutely atmospheric. “Tell you what, why don’t you stay at my place?”
A million scenarios sped through my head, and all the possibilities I’d dreamed of lit up in quick succession. My pulse raced as my breath held tight.
“I can move in temporarily with Bea, who has a massive place on the other side of the highway, so it’s no biggie.” He rocked on his feet, totally oblivious to my crashlanding flight of fancy.
What was wrong with me? Why did I have to jump to the far end of an idea?
