"Oh, I plan to kiss you alright. A lot." He reached out and caressed her bottom lip with his thumb, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Her mouth moistened in anticipation of his kiss, and she leaned toward her open window.
Then he gave her a wink and a wicked grin before standing. "Drive safe now, ma'am. Don't drive distracted." He turned and walked back to his car.
Wait! What?
She couldn't possibly be more distracted.
"You'd better watch out, Officer Wheeler! I'll beat you home, and I'll be hiding where you least expect it with the biggest pillow from the downstairs sectional."
He slowed his walk and grinned over his shoulder. "Looking forward to it!"
She shook her head to clear it after shooting a scowl at Rudy's backside. She had more important things to worry about anyway. She needed to get her life in order before starting the next chapter with the handsome, teasing sheriff's deputy.
Ten minutes later, Eden's breathing sped up as she walked through the back door of Hattie's shop. She paused to control her excited breathing and sent up a little prayer for success.
When she stepped into the shop, Hattie was waving to customers who walked out the front door. Eden's gaze darted around the showroom.
No customers. Perfect.
Slow moments on Saturdays were rare nowadays.
"Eden? I didn't know you were back in town."
"I just got back."
Hattie walked over to the center of the store where the arrangement of furniture now sat. She sighed as she sank down onto the armchair. "Phew! It's been busy today. Lots of out-of-towners bringing in those coupons you asked Amy to give out at the diner."
Eden perched on the edge of the settee as though she feared it might collapse under her. She bit her lip and stared at Hattie.
"Is something wrong, sweetie?"
"Yes! No! Maybe." Eden shook her head to clear it of the dozens of ideas and plans that had filled it over the past week; a craft cottage as well as a gym and dance or gymnastics studio or maybe a spa or a tech shop, the possibilities were endless.
Still staring at Hattie, Eden leaned forward. "Everything in my life is either about to fall into place or fall apart. It all depends on you, Hattie."
The older woman's eyes grew wide as she pressed a hand to her chest. "What do you mean?"
"I want to buy your shop and the vacant space next to it." Eden held her breath for a split second before rushing on. "Or if you want to sell the whole row of buildings, I'm interested in buying it all."
* * *
Breathe.
All day long, Rudy repeatedly caught himself holding his breath, waiting for something bad to happen.
But it didn't.
He and Eden had ridden horses at the Double Diamond, where they'd eaten a picnic lunch that his mom had been all too eager to fix. Then they hiked hand in hand, talking about anything and everything until the trail became too narrow to walk side by side. No one tripped and sprained an ankle. Nothing disastrous happened even though they shared several lingering kisses at the summit.
They skipped rocks on the lake without incident and even went wading and got in a water fight. They laughed and kissed some more. Neither of them fell into the water and got soaked or cut a foot on sharp rocks.
Rudy took extra care with the fire, using caution and practicing every fire safety skill he learned in Boy Scouts. No one tripped and fell into the flames. No errant ash landed on them. They didn't even burn their hot dogs.
Eden did burn her marshmallows, but only because she liked it that way.
They now sat curled up together in his dad's extra-large camp chair staring at the dancing flames, his fingers laced with hers. Again, they talked. This time about Eden's visions for Hattie's store that she planned to rename The Craft Cottage.
