“I called the robot vacuum people today,” I say to change the topic as I lean closer to the mirror to attach my hoop earrings. After he placed the order for the Kings’ rocking chair, Noah showed me how to contact our vendors and gave me free rein as long as I follow the tracking process he has in place. There’s no chance in hell I’m placing real orders anytime soon, but this one company I saw on his online POS tickled me.
“Uh-huh?” Shirt buttoned, he leans against the bathroom door and looks at my reflection, rolling his sleeves up while he listens to me. I try not to look at his corded forearms, at the way his veins bulge along the side of his wrists, at the glimmer of the wedding band I slipped on his finger.
“They’re gonna send us some samples so we can try them.”
“Samples?”
Ready, I turn around and find him pushing his glasses up his nose as if he needs to examine me closer. “Yeah.”
His gaze flicks ever so slightly to my lips. “How do you getsamplesof vacuum cleaners?”
“Oh no. We’re getting actual vacuum cleaners. So we can sample them.”
He’s half-blocking my exit from the bathroom, so I brush past him to go into the bedroom, trying not to be obvious as I inhale his subtle scent.
“They’re sending us robot vacuum cleaners,” he repeats.
“Three of them,” I confirm as I pull my platform shoes from the closet. “One for each floor. They think it’s to let people try them at home. Which is sorta what we’re doing.”
“Uh-huh,” he says, this time with admiration in his tone.
“You can say it, you know,” I tease him.
“Say what?”
I sit on the edge of the bed to buckle my platforms. “That you’re proud of your wife.” I give him an exaggerated wink that’s meant to say I’m joking.
“I’m very proud of my wife,” he answers seriously. If I didn’t know better, I’d think his vibe is more smoulder than playful, but that’s just my wishful thinking.
I zip around to the nightstand so he can’t catch how good those words make me feel.
“Hey,” I tell him as I slide my wedding band on. “It’ll be fine. Just treat me as your girlfriend or something.” I glance at him, catching him with his hands on his hips, looking at me top to bottom as if he’s not sure what to do with me.
“You mean as mywife.”
The sharpness of hopeless longing carves its way to my heart.Don’t be silly, Willow. He’s just practicing. It’s just this whole getting-ready-together-in-the-bedroom that’s getting to your head.I force a laugh. “Right—good point.” I take my leathercross-body bag and turn on my heels, eager to leave the bedroom and join Beck and Lane downstairs. Away from Noah for a minute while I collect myself.
“You’re not taking this?” he asks, and I turn around. He’s spreading my shawl open.
“Oh, thanks.”
I extend my hand, but he wraps it around my shoulders instead and lifts my hair out from under it. “Just getting the hang of this wife thing,” he murmurs.
Someone please make him stop.
“Course,” I answer, my voice stranded.
But he doesn’t stop.
Because he understands the assignment perfectly.
When the four of us get to Lazy’s, he leads me inside with a hand on the small of my back. The din of conversation dips a bit as we make our entrance, all of Emerald Creek taking in our presence. Then the noise level increases again, confirming we’re the hot new topic of gossip.
“Let’s get this over with,” Noah says, teeth clenched, his hand going from my lower back to my shoulders.
Beck and Lane set the Callaway mac’n cheese on the bar counter while Noah and I make our way to the booth occupied by our friends. We’re stopped on our way by Owen. He was a few grades above me in school, but his reputation as a bully was known to all. Now he’s a lawyer and still gives me the ick, so I leave Noah’s side and latch onto Cassandra who just came in.
She takes me in a warm hug and pulls a small bundle wrapped in a purple muslin out of her bag. “Sage,” she says. “You know how to use it, right?” Cassandra’s witchy reputation is well-deserved.
