Before I have it out, Lester’s hand is in front of him.
My eyes drop to the twenty dollar bill I’m holding.
Dammit.I paste on a smile as I hand the ransom for my flowers over to him.
“Thank you very much,” he says, half-bowing in appreciation. “Enjoy the coffee and the flowers.”
With a kick of my foot, I close the door once he’s on the other side.
I place the coffee on the foyer table before I furiously rip open the envelope attached to the wrapping paper on the flowers.
With my heart pounding in anticipation, I read the card aloud. “Em. Consider these a thank you for keeping our secret. We can’t wait to tell the folks we’re married. Love, Drake and Jane.”
Disappointment mars my excitement over the floral gift.
I shouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion that Case sent the flowers. I can’t wish something into existence regardless of how badly my heart wants it.
I head to the kitchen with the flowers in hand, in search of a vase.
I rifle through the cabinets until I find a tall silver beaded trumpet vase. I had no idea my brother had such excellent taste.
After cutting the tips off the stems with a pair of scissors I find in a drawer, I arrange the flowers in the vase.
Standing back, I admire their beauty.
This calls for a picture.
I race to my room to grab my phone, stopping to scoop up the coffee cup off the foyer table on my way back to the kitchen.
After I take the bouquet photo, I type out a text message to my brother thanking him for the flowers.
Emma: I got the flowers, Drake. Thanks to you and Jane. xo
Just as I’m about to drop my phone on the counter, it buzzes.
I pick it up and scan the screen, but the message isn’t from Drake. It’s from Case.
Case: Emma, how are you? How did you sleep?
There’s just enough concern in the message to suggest he cares, but not enough to indicate that the kiss has lingered with him the way it has with me.
I respond without putting any thought into it.
Emma: I’m good. I slept okay. How are you? Did you sleep at all?
I wait as he types out a reply.
Case: I’m fine. I squeezed in a couple of hours. It looks like I’ll be stuck at work for the day.
If he wasn’t facing an issue with the release of the new game app, I might think he’s avoiding me after the kiss.
But, Case is honest. I know he lives his life that way, so I need to accept that he’s actually focusing on work.
Emma: I’m going to hang out here.
When a reply doesn’t come, I tuck my phone in my pocket and head back to the guestroom with my coffee and the vase, debating whether to surprise Case at his office.
By the time the coffee cup is empty an hour later, I’m settled on the bed with my laptop, watching a movie.
