I shake my head. Same chaos. Same rhythm. My lads. My found family. And in this moment this even includes Nick.
Chapter 4
Emma
Christina is watching melike a disappointed schoolteacher. Arms crossed. Foot tapping. Full judgement face activated.
“Stop denying it, Em. An absolute hunk of a man was flirting with you and you just stood there like your vocabulary had gone on strike.” Christina has spent the entire morning replaying Alex’s visit from yesterday as if it were her new favourite hobby.
I glare at her over the stem I’m trimming. “He wasn’t flirting.”
“He absolutely was.”
“He was being polite,” I say firmly. “People here are like that.”
Christina lets out a dramatic groan and flops back against the doorway between the front and back rooms.
“Polite men do not volunteer as tribute to help you practise talking to strangers.”
My cheeks start burning all over again at the memory. Alex Harris, with his ridiculous grin and easy confidence. Me, making a noise that didn’t even qualify as a word.
“He was just teasing,” I mumble. “People tease.”
“He was not teasing. He was flirting with you.” She points at me accusingly. “And you liked it.”
I nearly drop the carnations. “I did not!”
Christina gives me a look that says try again.
Before I can defend myself further, she softens and shifts her weight. “Look… I actually popped into The Unicorn last night after we closed.”
My head snaps up. “You did what?”
“I wasn’t going to drag you twice down there,” she says simply. “So I had a peek, saw they weren’t there, and left. But they’ll be at the pub today. Saturday’s a big rugby day. Practically a village pilgrimage. So,” she claps her hands, “we’re going.”
“No, we’re not.”
“Yes, we are.”
“No, Christina.”
“Yes, Emma. Because if I don’t get you out of this shop soon, you’ll start growing roots.”
I huff. “I am not going to the pub just to watch you flirt with every man who walks past.”
She smirks. “Every man? No. A carefully curated selection? Absolutely.”
“Christina.”
She puts a hand on her hip. “Fine. How about this. If you refuse to come, I will makeyoudo the presentation at the next Chamber of Commerce meeting.”
My stomach plummets.
Standing up in front of strangers. Being stared at. My personal nightmare. And I know her too well to assume this was just an empty threat. Oh no, she would absolutely make me do it.
She sees the panic and raises an eyebrow.Checkmate.
“Well played,” I mutter. “I’ll come.”
