Lyndsey studied it closely. ‘It’s beautiful.’
‘Thanks . . . uh, keep it. Please.’
‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly.’
‘Why not?’ He gave a sheepish smile. ‘I’d like you to have it.’
‘Only if you let me pay for it.’
‘Okay.’ Griff’s prompt agreement caught her by surprise.
‘How much is it?’
He folded his arms and pretended to think. ‘One dinner date should cover it.’
‘A dinner date?’ Lyndsey’s voice rose. ‘With me?’
‘Yeah. Who did you think? I’m hardly goin’ to ask out your married sister, and the only other single woman around here is Tiffany, who lives across the road, and we’re good friends, nothing more.’ Griff smacked the side of his head. ‘I almost forgot Ruth Mae Grey. I could be her toy boy.’
‘Idiot.’ A peal of full-throated laughter burst out of her.
‘Right. Let’s stick to my original plan. One date with me, when it fits in with your busy schedule next door.’ Griff stuck out his hand. ‘Do we have a deal?’
* * *
Lyndsey’s heart raced and she panicked. ‘I really should go. It’s getting late, and Becca will be off to do the school run soon, so I’ll be on Nora duty.’ She saw disappointment flicker in Griff’s eyes and hoped he wouldn’t press for an answer. A long time ago, she swore never to be swept away by what people ridiculously called ‘love at first sight.’ She made sure her sensible head always overruled her heart.
‘How’re you two getting on? It can’t be easy.’
‘No, it isn’t . . . for either of us, I suppose. If we’re too honest with each other, we’ll end up arguing, and I’ll be on the next plane back home.’ She shrugged. ‘Do you have any brothers or sisters?’
‘One brother, but we’re not close. I don’t remember the last time we spoke.’ Griff’s husky drawl faded to an uneasy silence, and she sensed she’d touched a nerve.
‘Becca’s struggling, and I’m not sure how to help. She and Deke didn’t have time to adjust to being married before she got pregnant. Theo coming to live with them right away hasn’t helped.’ She hurried to make herself clear. ‘Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming Deke for everything, but my sister tends to be impulsive and doesn’t think things through.’
‘If it helps any, I know Deke’s concerned too, and guilty about goin’ away. He was pretty torn up when we spoke a day or two before he left.’
‘It does. I hope he’ll step up and try to sort it when he comes back. It’s no good sweeping these things under the carpet.’
A hint of amusement tugged at Griff’s mouth. ‘That sure wouldn’t be the “right place” for it.’
‘You can’t resist, can you?’ Against her will, Lyndsey laughed. ‘No one’s ever made so many appalling jokes about my business name as you!’
‘Glad to hear I’m best at something.’
She suspected that was merely the tip of a very dangerous iceberg of things Griff Oakes was good at. Kissing came to mind, as it always did when they were face to face and she imagined his firm, shapely mouth pressed against . . . Before she got in even deeper water, Lyndsey forced herself to stop.
‘I’m forgetting the time. I should leave you to get on with your work.’ Around him she tended to forget everything, mooning like a teenage girl overtaken by her first serious crush. This wasn’t the sensible, competent woman she’d shaped herself to be. ‘Perhaps another day you’ll talk me through the process of making one of your pieces. It’s fascinating.’ Lyndsey could hardly blame him for the frown settling between his thick tawny eyebrows. Blowing hot and cold wasn’t her usual style.
‘Yeah, I’d be happy to. It might have to wait ’til this project’s finished. I’m on a deadline.’
She wouldn’t lower herself to beg. As the old saying went, there were plenty more fish in the sea, if she was inclined to use herself as bait. ‘I understand.’ And she did. Normally she made it perfectly clear where men stood with her, but with Griff, it was like walking on sand where it shifted all the time. ‘Cheerio, then.’
Lyndsey strode away, leaving the mosaic paperweight sitting on the workbench, and closed the door quietly behind her.
The short walk back to Becca’s house allowed Lyndsey a few moments to calm down. If her sister picked up on anything going on between her and Griff she wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation to interfere. Outside the front door she took a few breaths, smoothed out a crease in her pale gray cotton trousers, plastered on a smile and stepped back into the madhouse.
Angry voices drifted out from the kitchen. Becca’s shrill tone was easy to distinguish, but she could swear the other belonged to Theo, which made no sense because he should still be at school. She debated whether to creep up to her room and leave them to it, or join them.
