“Maybe you haven’t spent time with the right person.”
Paris sighed. “I like you more than I’ve ever liked anyone else, but I’m worried about Jack. If we start dating, he might think it will last forever. What if it doesn’t?”
“He thinks you’re special. Whether we’re dating or not, that won’t change.”
Paris bit her bottom lip, then looked up at him. “Okay.”
“You want to start dating?”
“I do. But if you suddenly realize something isn’t right, you have to tell me.”
“As long as you do the same for me, we’ll be okay.”
Paris grinned. “We’ll either be incredibly happy or drive each other insane within a week.”
He placed the candle on the windowsill and wrapped his arms around her. “I vote for the happy scenario.”
“Me, too.”
And with a kiss that made his toes curl, Paris showed him just how perfect they could be.
Chapter 17
Paris parked her truck outside Richard and Jack’s new house. She was later than she thought she’d be, but she didn’t want to rush her first meeting with a new client.
Marianne had liked the ideas Paris had shown her for her wedding. They’d even found a clever way of incorporating her fiancé’s Scottish ancestry into the floral arrangements. If Marianne still liked the ideas tomorrow, she’d call The Flower Cottage and book Paris to provide the decorations for her wedding.
The lights were still on in Richard’s living room, so she picked up the box beside her and walked toward the front door. He was so lucky to have found this house. It needed a little work, but it had a fantastic layout and gorgeous pieces of original architecture.
The front door opened before she’d set foot on the verandah. “I thought I heard a vehicle.”
She smiled at Richard. “Sorry, I’m so late. I thought I’d be here an hour ago.”
“It doesn’t matter. How was your meeting?”
“The bride-to-be liked the ideas I shared with her. I’ll know in the next few days if she wants me to make the bouquets and floral arrangements for her wedding. Is Jack still awake?”
Richard held open the door for her. “He went to bed half an hour ago. Would you like a hot drink or something cold?”
“Water will be fine.” She looked around the living room. Large, comfy sofas sat on either side of the room with a gorgeous gray rug and coffee table between them. “This looks great. I didn’t realize you had so much furniture.”
“Most of it was given to us. John was replacing two sofas in The Welcome Center, so he gave us the old ones. Mabel found the rug somewhere, and Wyatt gave us two of his prints for the walls.”
“Did you make the coffee table?”
“I made it with Jack. It wouldn’t fit into our tiny home, so I left it at the old steamboat museum.”
Paris studied the beautiful piece of furniture. “It’s such a lovely honey-gold color.”
“Jack oiled the wood to bring out its natural color. It was the first project we worked on together.” Richard walked into the kitchen and filled two glasses with water. “I was worried about how today would go. Moving here was a big deal for Jack. He doesn’t like change, but Louie made it much easier.”
“He’s a wonderful dog. How was Jack when you moved to Sapphire Bay?”
“The first week or two was difficult. After he’d met some new friends and discovered John’s cat at The Welcome Center, he was a lot happier.”
“Mr. Snuggles strikes again.”
“Something like that.”
