For a moment she thought she saw relief in his eyes, but that couldn’t be right.
He tilted his head. “I thought you liked peonies.”
Her heart thumped. He knew her favorite flower? “I do. But there was a rude lady and Mildred looked sad, so I bought these.”
“I have no idea how that led to you being the owner of those irises, but they look good in your hands.”
“Thank you.”
“Here you go,” Mrs. Gerald said, setting pie and coffee in front of Holden and a sweet tea and almond croissant to go in front of her.
Clara grinned at the older café owner. “This is why I love you, Mrs. Gerald. You know me too well.”
“Next Monday, I’ll save you an almond croissant.”
“You are my favorite person.”
She paid and turned to see Holden still looking at her. And geez Louise, his gaze was intense.
“You look happy,” he said quietly.
Why did that little comment make heat creep up her neck? “I am. I’ve got my flowers and thanks to you, my almond croissant. Heck, Scarlett even asked me to join a running club with her. It’s a good day.”
The smile dropped from his face. Shit. She’d forgotten about his reaction to her newfound hobby. Which was ridiculous, by the way.
“A running club? Is that a smart idea?”
Her back straightened, the nerves turning into something far more defensive. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“A running club will have seasoned runners in it. You’ll feel pressured to keep up with them. You still get fatigued after being sick.”
Okay. Butterflies in the belly had officially ceased. “Iknowwhat I went through, and I know my body. I’m very capable of monitoring my limits and stopping when I need to. I’ll see you later, Holden.” She turned to go but he gently gripped her arm, stopping her.
“Clara. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just worried.”
She swallowed. “I don’t need you to worry. I can look after myself, Holden.”
His brows twitched, but he released her arm and she walked out, wondering if she would always be the girl who’d had cancer to him. Whether that would forever be the lens through which he saw her.
CHAPTER 2
Holden’s fingers were tight around the wheel of his truck.
A running club. She was joining a fucking running club. Why? She wasn’t a runner. Sure, she’d started jogging about a month ago, but that was different. That was her going at her own pace and her own distance.
He should mind his own business. But he couldn’t. Clara was his best friend’s little sister. He cared about her. And yeah, he saw it as his responsibility to make sure she was okay.
He pulled up in front of his first appointment of the day—quoting cabinetry for a new kitchen install. He needed to get his fucking head on straight.
Not that he was desperate for the job. Since moving to Amber Ridge, he’d had plenty of work. So much that he’d had to turn jobs down. He did everything from built-in cabinetry to wooden tray tables, and it seemed that stuff was in high demand in Amber Ridge.
Which was great for him. Because working with wood was what he was good at. And he fucking loved it.
He was about to get out when his phone rang, Jesse’s name flashing on the screen.
He answered on the second ring. “Hey, Jess.”
“Holden. I haven’t seen you in a few weeks. Just checking in.”
