Not a second too soon.
She slammed into the door like a creature out of a horror movie, pressing her face to the glass. We all ducked out of sight like we were hiding for our lives.
I broke first, giggling into my hands.
Damon smirked. “Just another day in the life of small-town gossip.”
Linc slumped against the wall beside the door. “The sun must have fried my brain. I can’t believe I let it slip. Darren is going to be so pissed.”
“I’m sure he’ll understand,” Damon said. “You couldn’t keep it a secret forever.”
My heart fluttered. I tried not to read anything into his words, but Iwantedto believe he meant that about us, not just Linc.
“Damon’s right,” I said softly. “You’re gettingmarried.Soon, everyone will know.”
Linc waved his phone. “We’ll see. I just texted him about it.”
“Well, in the meantime, let me get you that water.”
I rounded the check-out counter and went into my back room, where I did a lot of my arrangement work. I had a refrigerator back there stocked with bottles of water, soft drinks, and a few makings for lunch in case I forgot to bring something better.
Damon followed me back.
I opened the refrigerator. “Do you want some water, too?”
“Oh, um. Sure. It’s hot out there.”
I grabbed three bottles and handed one off to him. His fingers brushed over mine as he took it from me. “Thanks, Mav.”
“Of course.”
He took a swallow of the water, then licked the moisture from his lips. I moved in to sneak a kiss. Just as I did, he pulled back. “You left your flower cart out there unattended? Is that?—”
“It’s fine,” I said, stepping back, heart sinking.
Was he avoiding kissing me because Linc was in the shop? Or because the reality was setting in for him that we couldn’t keep this a secret forever, just like Linc couldn’t keep his engagement a secret?
“What’s wrong?” Damon asked. “You look upset.”
I shook my head. “Nothing. You play with fire, you get burned. That’s how it works.”
“I don’tknow what that means.”
There was a rapping on the door, and Linc called out. “It’s Darren! I’m going to let him in.”
I stepped around Damon and headed back to the front of the store with the bottles of water in hand. We arrived just as Darren swept Linc into a kiss.
It wasn’t one of those polite long-time couple kisses either. He’d wrapped one hand around the back of Linc’s head, fingers sinking into his hair, while his other held Linc’s hip. The force of his kiss bent Linc back, but his arms supported his weight.
It was a Hollywood-worthy kiss.
“Damn,” Damon murmured beside me.
I cast a sidelong look at him. “Taking notes?”
He chuckled. “Maybe I should be. They’re hot together.”
Damon wasn’t wrong, but I was a little surprised he was acknowledging it. If he was retreating into the closet, openly admiring dudes kissing was the wrong way to go.
