“How long have you been knitting?”
“For as long as I can remember. When I was little, one of my mom’s neighbors taught me how to knit. My first project was a scarf and I continued on from there.”
Aidan placed the boxes on the counter. “Whatever’s in these boxes doesn’t feel like scarves. They’re as light as a feather.”
“That’s because they’re babies’ clothes. It’s much quicker and easier to knit bonnets, jackets, and booties than bulkier adult sweaters or scarves. And they sell a lot faster, too.”
A woman with red hair walked out of a room at the back of the store. “I thought I heard voices. Hi, Jackie. Who have you brought with you?”
“Hi, Shona. This is Aidan. He’s giving me a hand to bring my knitting inside.”
Aidan held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You, too, Aidan. I’ve been looking forward to seeing Jackie’s latest creations. I have a lot of customers waiting to buy her baby clothes.”
A soft blush appeared on Jackie’s cheeks. “Shona says that to me each time I deliver new stock. I think it’s her way of encouraging me to knit faster.”
Shona sent Jackie a look that was laden with unspoken words. “It isn’t possible at the moment but, if you were knitting full time, who knows where it might lead.”
Jackie’s blush deepened.
Aidan didn’t know what had caused her to look uncomfortable, but he was now even more curious about what was inside the boxes. “After Shona’s glowing report, can I look at your knitting?”
Jackie’s eyebrows rose. “Are you sure you have the time? The morning’s too good to be stuck inside with us.”
“If you’re trying to change my mind, it won’t work. Besides, it won’t take long to look at the baby clothes.”
Shona sent him an amused glance. “Just remember, if you want to buy anything, you’ll have to wait for the next delivery. Otherwise, I’ll have a lot of unhappy customers calling me. See me when you’re done, Jackie, and we’ll decide where we’ll display everything.”
Jackie’s gaze followed Shona as she walked out of the room. Reluctantly, she opened a box. “I’ll make this quick so you don’t cool down.”
“I’ve got plenty of time.” He grinned at her soft sigh. When he saw the pale yellow jacket she pulled out of the box, he couldn’t understand why she didn’t want to show him what she’d made. “I’m not an expert, but that looks pretty amazing to me.”
Jackie pulled out a pair of the smallest booties he’d ever seen. “I don’t have a lot of time to knit, not like I used to, but I do as much as I can. This set is one of my most popular designs.”
“I can see why.” He made a mental note to remember about her knitting. Most of his friends’ partners were having babies. Sending them something handmade in Montana would be a bigger surprise than shopping at a boutique in Manhattan.
He handed the jacket back to her. “Thanks for showing them to me.”
“That’s all right. Now you know what I do when I’m not working in The Flower Cottage.”
Aidan was sure there was more to Jackie’s life than knitting and flower arranging, and he was oddly intrigued to discover more. “How was the wedding on Saturday?”
“I saw the bride’s mom on Sunday. She said it was beautiful. Jan and Cliff loved the flamingos and the extra flower arrangements we made. They’re flying to Orlando for their honeymoon this morning.”
“To see more pink flamingos?”
“Something like that.”
Aidan’s watch beeped, telling him his heart rate had fallen.
Jackie glanced at the blinking light on his wrist. “Is someone calling you or is your phone telling you something else?”
“It’s telling me I should keep running. Thanks for showing me your knitting.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy the rest of your run.”
“I’ll do that.” He turned to leave, then stopped. Most of the time he enjoyed running on his own, but sometimes it was good to share the experience with someone else. He enjoyed talking to Jackie. If she was looking for a running buddy, he could be it.
