Richard smiled. “That’s Superman, not me.”
“Have you looked in the mirror lately? You’re ten times cuter than he is and much nicer.”
His shoulders relaxed. “You’re not worried about seeing my leg?”
“We all have things we don’t want other people to know about. Your leg is important, but it’s not the most important part of who you are.” She placed her hand above his heart. “This is. And even if there are a few advantages to having a bionic leg, I’ll love you anyway.”
“You’ll love me?”
Paris grinned. “That’s what you get for being adorable. Now, show me your leg. Jack will be wondering where you are.”
Before he thought too hard about what he was doing, Richard peeled back the sock. “What do you think?” He watched Paris’ face, looking for any sign that she was disgusted by what she saw.
“It’s amazing.”
His eyes widened. That was the last thing he’d expected her to say. “You don’t think I look like Frankenstein?”
“You’re nothing like him. You’ve been cared for by doctors who are incredibly skilled.” Her fingertips touched the jagged scars crisscrossing his leg. “Every stitch they made saved your life. And you’ve got a bionic leg. Not many people can say that.”
Reaching out, he traced the shape of her jaw, the lips that were almost always smiling. “Why didn’t we spend more time together when we first met?”
“We had a habit of bringing out the worst in each other. But, maybe, on some deep and meaningful level, we weren’t ready for what would happen next.”
“Are you ready now?”
Paris’ eyes filled with tears. “I am.”
Slowly, as if the world would shatter if he moved too fast, he kissed her. “So am I.”
Chapter 18
Paris added another flower to the arrangement she was making for the Christmas tree farm. Although the festive season was still months away, Ben and Kylie’s Christmas shop was always busy.
As soon as you walked through the big, red doors, it was easy to see why everyone loved going there. Christmas ornaments, festive decorations, and local arts and crafts filled the shelves. Paris was happy she was still making the decorations for the Christmas shop. Between the events she was decorating, and the special one-off commissions, it gave her more income.
She’d looked up when the front doorbell jingled. Her heart plummeted when she saw the beautifully dressed woman who’d walked into The Flower Cottage.
“Mom? What are you doing here?”
Donna Haynes walked across the store in high heels made for a fashion runway, not a flower shop in rural Montana. “Don’t be annoyed, darling. I had to come and see your little store for myself.”
“I thought you had to go back to work after your vacation in Las Vegas?”
The dismissive sound coming from her mother’s mouth didn’t bode well for her job. “I can’t work for a company who don’t appreciate the skills I bring to my job.”
Paris sighed. “They fired you, didn’t they?”
“I chose to leave. They had no respect for their employees.”
Which meant she’d been fired.
“Aren’t you going to give me a hug?” Donna opened her arms wide. “I’ve come a long way to see my little girl.”
Reluctantly, Paris walked toward her. “It’s good to see you.”
Donna’s arms gripped her like a vice. “I knew you would appreciate a visit. The last few days have been so hard. Jerry doesn’t understand why I left my job. He has no appreciation for the little things that make a career so much more enjoyable.”
Paris wiggled free of her mom’s arms. “What little things?”
