“TJ,” she practically shouts. She pulls out her earbuds and tips the screen of her laptop down, angling it away from me. “What are you doing here?” she adds in a whisper.
I grin at her. “I came to thank you for the cross-stitched chicken.”
Lucy’s cheeks blush holly-berry red. “Oh, that.” She looks down. “It was silly.”
“Not to me. I love it. I didn’t know you could cross-stitch.”
“I can’t do it very well,” she downplays. “But yeah, I picked up the hobby a year or so ago. Something to do for my creativity that I don’t feel like I have to be perfect at, and … yeah …”
She works her jaw before pressing her lips together, almost like she feels like she said too much. I wish she would keep talking.
She squares her shoulders and finds her train of thought again. “How were the chickens when you got home?”
“Right as rain. Thanks for checking on them.”
“It was nothing. Happy to help.”
I nod. We stare at each other. I can’t get over how beautiful Lucy is up close. It shouldn’t still hit me like this. I’ve seen her a couple times now, but wow, she’s got this glow that steals my breath every time. Her freckles may as well be sugar crystals, and I’ve developed a sweet tooth.
I stretch my legs out in front of me, crossing them at the ankles. “So. Whatcha up to?” I motion to her computer. “Working on that novel?”
Her eyes bug out, and she darts a nervous glance around. “Shhh,” she hisses.
I arch my eyebrows, and the guilty look is back in her eyes. I sit up slowly, shifting so I’m facing her and blocking her view of the rest of the store. “Wait. I’m right, aren’t I? You’re a legit writer.”
Lucy looks almost pained. “Nobody knows. You can’t tellanyone.”
This three-minute conversation with Lucy is already three times more enjoyable than my entire lunch date with Amber.
“I’m an excellent secret keeper.” I cross my heart.
Lucy slouches into her chair and buries her face in her hands. “I can’t believe I told you.” She peeks through her fingers. “We can’t talk about this here. Come on.”
She stands and surprises me when she grabs for my hand and hoists me up. I follow her like a dog on a leash as she weaves through the store.
She pauses by the check-out desk. “Thanks for having me, Rose. I’ll be back.”
“Where are you two off to?” Anton says, and the lilt in his voice isn’t lost on me.
“TJ is having some digestion issues, and I have medicine at Daisy’s,” Lucy says without missing a beat.
“Aw, feel better soon, TJ,” Rose responds.
Anton arches his eyebrows. I shake my head at him over the top of Lucy, but he grins.
“I’m not—” I cut myself off when Lucy glares over her shoulder and levels me with a look that says,Don’t say a word. “I will,” I amend.
Chapter 23
Lucy
TJ follows me to Daisy’s. We park, and he trails me inside. My shoulders immediately relax as the warmth from the hearth room thaws my chilled bones.
“It looks like St. Nick threw up in here,” TJ mumbles from behind me.
I turn in time to catch him pulling a face like he’s got a bad taste in his mouth. I arch a brow, and his smile turns mischievous. “You were about to tell me all about your—”
“Shh.” I hush him, grabbing for his wrist and pulling him toward the grand staircase in the center of the entryway. “Come on.”
