“No need,” Allie said. “I’ll do it. I’m happy to.”
He was so surprised that he froze for a moment. He’d come here ready to wheel and deal.
Instead, Allie was eager to help.
She really wants that greenhouse,he reminded himself.
But this had still been too easy. Shouldn’t she be asking for something for herself, not just for the school? Shouldn’t she at least be asking about the pay?
He wanted to ask this amazing woman out more than ever, but couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger. If she said no, it would make things awkward for Maya. The best thing he could do right now was get up and head home.
“Can I add one more term?” he heard himself ask instead.
“I’m listening,” she said, her eyes twinkling like she thought this whole thing was funny.
Somehow, it made it even easier to open up to her a little.
“My ex has made things more stressful for me than they have to be,” he said carefully. “But I respect her place as Maya’s mother. Anyway, Maya invited her to the school festival tomorrow, and she’s coming with her boyfriend. I just... Well, I don’t really want to be there alone.”
“No problem,” Allie said right away. “I’ll go with you.”
Ash wanted to play it cool, but he couldn’t seem to wipe the smile off his face. He shouldn’t be this happy.
Get it together, Tailor,he told himself.It’s just a school function. It’s not even a real date.
Not yet.
“I’m sure it’s hard being new in town,” Allie continued. “But you and Maya won’t be there alone. And I can introduce you all around.”
“Thank you,” he told her, not worried that this wasn’t the real date he wanted with Allie.
It was a way to spend some time with her, and that was a start.
And after all, he was Ashwin Tailor, he’d never met a challenge he couldn’t crush.
5
ALLIE
Allie ran a brush through her hair again, even though it was already smooth and glossy. She was wearing jeans and a pale blue sweater along with a pair of pearl stud earrings she had always liked.
Normally, Allie didn’t give this much thought to her appearance. Most mornings she dressed and put up her hair with the sole intention of surviving a day in a classroom full of children where she was likely to wind up chasing after someone, having her clothes tugged at, and maybe even splashed with finger paints, snack items, or worse.
But today was a special day. The Fun Festival at the elementary school still left her outfit vulnerable to being pulled at or covered in sticky sweets, but mostly she would be there to enjoy herself.
And to hang out with Ash and Maya Tailor…
She reached for her favorite lipstick.
It’s not a date,a stern little voice in the back of her head reminded her.
She grabbed a lip gloss instead, and smoothed it on as she gazed into her own eyes in the mirror.
Don’t make a fool of yourself today,she advised her reflection.Just be a good friend. Ash needs a friend right now. And Maya needs you to be a good teacher.
Maybe if she went on actual dates more often, she wouldn’t be so thrown off by a simple outing like this.
But she’d lived in Sugarville Grove her whole life, and there were only so many single men who weren’t family. While she dedicated herself to her career, it seemed like all the other young women her age in town had focused on getting married and starting families, leaving Allie to wonder if all the best and kindest men might have already been taken.
