Then she unexpectedly said, “You know, there’s this legendary nursery not too far from Richland Tile. Small family-run place that sells the most stunning blooms. I bet we could snag some eye-catching shrubbery for your winery. You interested in checking it out afterward?”
“Of course,” Raffi said, sounding overeager. Ani nodded, seemingly pleased.
Soon after, they reached the tile store. When they entered, a statuesque brunette woman greeted them.
“Hello, welcome to Richland Tile. Happy to help you with anything.”
“Great,” Ani said, taking the lead. “We’re looking for poetry stones for outdoor landscaping.”
The woman clasped her hands. “Wonderful! Are you two remodeling your home? Newlyweds?”
“Oh, no,” Ani said, with way too much horror in her voice.
“Oldlyweds,” Raffi joked, clapping Ani on the shoulder. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into him, but it may have been that look from earlier, the look in Ani’s eyes when he opened the van door for her. The way she’d riffed off him in the van, the thought of their little selves dancing the night away to Harout so many years ago.
“Wow, you two must have gotten married young,” the sales rep said.
“Sure did,” Raffi said. “High school sweethearts.”
Ani stared at him, a naughty smirk picking up. “I hated him at first. He was such a spoiled jerk.”
The sublime curve of her neck. That smile.
Raffi decided to take a chance and put his arm around Ani. If he felt any signs that she wasn’t enjoying it, he’d remove it, apologize, and stop flirting with her. He shouldn’t be anyway. He and Ani were going to spend alotof time together. What the hell was his endgame here? If they hooked up, it would be awkward for months. He filed away that thought for later, because then something wonderful happened.
Ani melted into him, getting closer, softer. And her enjoying it made him enjoy it even more. This was…interesting.
“Things changed, though,” Raffi said, “when she got to know the real me.”
He dared to look down at Ani, and she glanced up at him, an expression of curiosity coloring her face. God, those eyes.
The rep cleared her throat. “Well, if you wanted poetry stones, they’re right this way.”
Raffi removed his arm, sensing the moment was over. Ani smoothed down her dress, which was already quite smooth. They followed the sales rep outside.
After the two of them had checked out several types of stones, they agreed upon a style they both liked, which was a happy surprise.
“As for color,” the rep was saying, “we have this sandy color, a terra-cotta, a blue-gray, and white with gray veining.” She pointed to samples of the various options.
“White,” Raffi said, at the same time Ani said, “Sand.”
“Kami would want white,” Raffi said. “White and green? Can’t find a better bridal combination.”
Raffi thought this was a salient point that was airtight, inarguable. He would not be convinced to choosesandwhen there was an option for white stone. It’d be so striking, like an outdoor Versailles.
“I know Kami would want white,” Ani said. The way she said Kami’s name reminded Raffi that he wanted, at some opportune time, to ask her what went down with her and Kami. Why had she shrunk like that in Kami’s presence? And why the hell—if their relationship ended badly, which was his guess—was she planning her wedding? But right now, he had white stones to defend.
“Then what’s the issue?”
“Have you considered the scale at which we’re going to be covering your garden in this? White is going to be blinding.”
The rep stepped backward. “I’ll give y’all a moment.”
Ani whipped out her tablet from that giant tote bag of hers, took a photo of the white stone, and began tapping furiously.
“What’re you doing?” Raffi asked, hoping to catch a glimpse of her screen, but she shielded it from him.
“Give me a second,” Ani muttered, eyes narrowed in concentration. Raffi watched her hands fly over the glass in quick, precise motions, and before he realized it, he’d leaned in slightly, as if proximity might help him understand her better.
