Something Carter notices, as his eyes dance between us for a good beat. “Only in town for a few days?”
“Yeah, but I’ll be here more in the future.”
The testosterone of these guys is nearly overbearing.
I laugh nervously. “Well, it was great chatting with everyone, but I really need to head to The Flower Jar,” I announce.
“Sure, I can walk you there if you like,” Carter offers.
“Oh, that’s not needed. A quick power walk and I’m there, considering it’s only two blocks away.” My eyes dart between the men in front of me.
Carter smiles politely at me. “You have a great day then.”
“You too.” I nod.
“See you around, Dec.” I avoid looking at him and walk out.
But the quick stroll to The Flower Jar turns into a near sprint. As soon as I arrive, Tilly heads out on an errand, and I’m glad for the moment to breathe. I sigh, because I realize that I forgot my orange roll. I walk to Nugget’s cage and see that Tilly handled replenishing his water and food this morning.
“Handsome,” the bird chirps.
“Who is?” I ask, as if the bird understands me.
The bell rings, and the door to my store opens. “You forgot your breakfast,” Declan announces.
I look warily at the parrot. Maybe he does understand more than I realize. He must have seen Declan through the window. It’s a little too coincidental.
Ignoring the bird, I walk to Declan and take the bag. “Thanks.”
“Your sheriff wanted to deliver it, but unfortunately for him, I was already holding the bag.” He seems proud of himself. “Plus, I told him that I’m responsible for replenishing your nourishment since you had alongnight last night.”
I stop mid-bite, slightly concerned, because Declan probably would say that, but when he grins, I know he’s messing with me, so I resume my path to calorie heaven.
“He’s a good guy,” I say with my mouth full, and I’m not sure why I said that.
Declan looks down at the cup of coffee in his hands. He doesn’t want to respond to my statement, probably because we both know that I’m testing us to see if any jealousy arises. We’re human, that’s what we feel sometimes.
“This is good coffee.”
I lick the corner of my mouth. “What color jellybean did you get?”
He shrugs. “I’m not at the bottom of my coffee yet. Is there a meaning if it’s a particular color?”
“No, but rumor is that the purple ones are rare.”
“Purple is violet, right?” He pulls up his phone from his pocket when it dings.
“It is. Shouldn’t you be at the rink? I love having you here, but this is slightly jarring. I’m not used to guys delivering me carbs in my store, especially considering their tongue was inside me not even two hours ago.”
Declan appears satisfied before he looks up from his screen. “Just enjoying an easy morning in this small town, perusing along Main Street with my coffee, and doing a good deed for a local citizen.”
“Sure you are.” I bring my hand to my hip, my smirk permanent.
“I don’t need to be at the rink until ten. The real estate agent sent me an email that I can view a house later.” He begins to type on his screen.
My breath catches. “Oh yeah, you might be moving here?” Fuckity ducks, that might be a little bit of a twister to our dynamic.
Declan’s eyes lock on me when he realizes my brain is connecting dots. “More like a weekend house, when I need to be here for the team.” His attempt to justify how this might not be awkward in the future is just that, an attempt, which means it doesn’t always work.
