She clings to the front of my shirt to yank me gently in her direction. “It went out the window the moment you joined me in the shower earlier.”
“No, it went out the window the moment I saw you last night in that dress,” I reply.
A lie. I’ve been thrown upside down since I pulled her name all those weeks ago.
16
DECLAN
Not going to deny it, there is a bit of pep to my step as I walk along Lake Spark’s Main Street holding a tray of two coffees, intending to surprise Violet.
The sun is out, and my mood is great.
But since the other week after agreeing to keep seeing one another, then I’ve been in a damn good mood. We’ve been texting all week, but still, she doesn’t know that I’m swinging through Lake Spark today.
With a satisfied grin on my mouth, I balance the tray of coffees, and with my other hand, I swipe my sunglasses off my face as I use my back to push the door to The Flower Jar open, with the bell announcing my arrival.
But then I instantly stop in my tracks when I hear Ford’s voice deep in conversation about babies as he leans against the table where Violet is cutting a few stems.
Ford’s head turns in my direction, while Violet looks up and smiles, but her eyes turn slightly fearful when they bounce between her brother and me.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Ford, at least, seems happy to see me. “Didn’t know you were in town.”
“Hey.” My greeting isn’t as steady. “Yeah, I… was going to do another walkthrough with my realtor before placing an offer. A last-minute kind of thing.”
“Sounds like you’re ready to settle here, which is great.” He looks around the shop then back at me. “What brings you to The Flower Jar?”
“I…” I’m not sure how to get myself out of this one. Violet is behind Ford’s view and begins to gesture with her hands a steering wheel then points to Ford. “I… noticed your car.” I think that’s what she was going for, and she nods. “Yeah, noticed your car parked nearby and thought I would stop by to say hi.”
“Cool.” He hikes a thumb at his sister. “I was just telling Violet about the latest doctor’s appointment for Brielle. This baby is going to be huge, the biggest yet.”
“Fun,” I simply state.
Ford’s eyes turned puzzled when he notices the coffees in my hands. “What’s with the second coffee?”
“Duck it,” the parrot chirps.
We all look at the bird then awkwardly at one another, with Violet letting out a nervous laugh.
“Thought I would bring a coffee to my real estate agent,” I lie.
“Jolly Joe’s, excellent choice,” Violet adds, but her eyes tell me she appreciates the effort that I’m bringing her favorite.
Ford walks to me and places his hand on my shoulder. “See? Lake Spark is rubbing off on you. I bet you’re like the rest of us and on a mission to get a purple jellybean.”
“Yeah… I heard they’re rare,” I reply. Just like Violet.
“If you want, you should stop by the rink later,” he offers.
“Thanks, but I’m a bit short on time today, but I’ll be back soon,” I promise him.
Ford looks between Violet and me, and maybe he picks on the fact that I can’t keep my hands off his sister when he isn’t around. I’m not sure, but he seems to have a peculiar look flash across his face as we have a break in conversation.
That is until Violet disrupts the silence. “Just text me what time you and Brielle want to leave this weekend, and I’ll be there.”
Ford glances to Violet with appreciation. “Thanks.” His sight lands on me again. “She’s helping us out with babysitting. She’s special, this one.”
Okay, now I’m certain that he is trying to transmit a secret message to me.
