By the time he’d scrambled out, she’d shut her door. Coop watched as she pulled the strap of her purse over her shoulder and headed toward the grocery store. He glanced over at the hardware store and then back at Lia.
An image of the last time he had seen her in Sacramento flashed through his mind. It’d been at what had turned out to be the last barbeque of the summer, following a rafting trip down the American River. Lia had sat to eat between him and Ezra, her hair much as it had been earlier, pulled back in a messy ponytail. The campfire had brought out the glow of her tanned skin against her bright T-shirt.
Ezra had finally left them alone to help settle a gaming disagreement. Coop had wanted to suggest that he and Lia keep in touch when he left, but he hadn’t. As always, he’d been afraid that she’d say she wasn’t interested. He’d regretted his silence all winter.
Heaving a deep breath, Coop strode to the grocery store.
Lia glanced up when he approached her in the cooking section. He felt a little flicker of what had passed between them earlier, and her cheeks flushed again. But she didn’t turn away this time. He took that as a good sign.
“You done already?” she asked.
“Haven’t gone there yet.”
She went back to studying the long row of mystery kitchen tools. To him, it seemed like a pretty good selection.
“What’s this?” Coop picked up a wide tool that reminded him of a razor. “Could I shave with this?” He held it near his upper lip and arched a brow in question, and he finally broke through her reserve.
With a little laugh, Lia reached up and pulled down his hand. “You’d cut yourself if you tried. That’s a combination vegetable and julienne peeler.”
“Julienne,” he said, his skin still warm where she had touched him. “Sounds kind of familiar.”
“You probably have heard of it. Julienne potatoes or julienne carrots are pretty common.” She hung the package back on its hook. “It’s anything cut into thin strips, usually vegetables.”
“Ah. Okay.” Coop said.
He continued to ask her about utensils unfamiliar to him, and by the time they walked to the check stand, her mood had lifted. As they headed out to the truck with her purchases, he didn’t know if she’d come with him to the hardware store. She did.
When Coop paused at the garden tool aisle, Lia kept going. Setting aside the hoe he had picked up, he followed her. He grinned. Into the garden center, one of his favorite places.
The list he had brought had most of the plants he needed, including some special orders. Since he wanted to see if they had anything new, he delayed finding the clerk and walked up and down the rows of plants with Lia.
“What are these called?” She ran her fingers lightly overly the vibrant pink blooms on a bush.
“Rhododendron macrophyllum.” He gave her the scientific name, and she scowled at him. He said, “Rhododendron is the common name. It’s our state flower.”
“This one’s pretty,” she said a little later.
“That’s a Salmonberry. It’s technically a shrub, but it can grow up to thirteen feet tall. They’re pretty hardy. We have a thicket of them on the edge of the forest.”
“Nice.”
As they walked, Coop noticed a pattern to the types and colors of the flowers Lia liked. She might not realize it, but she had a good eye for color combinations that translated well to plants. Maybe it had something to do with her training in decorating; maybe she just had a talent for it. An idea began to form in his mind.
“Do you need any help with your list?” she asked once they had made it through all the plants.
“No. I just have to give it to the clerk,” he said. “Thanks for walking with me through the garden section. I’ve added a few to my list.”
“Happy to,” she said.
When they got into the truck, Coop thought for a minute Lia might say something. He understood her expression. He felt that same way often when around her. She seemed conflicted though, as if she were faced with a tough decision. Lia finally settled on silence. While disappointed, he could hardly fault her. Besides, what if what she had to say wasn’t what he wanted to hear? And at this early stage, what did he want to hear?
They drove for a few more miles, listening to the music on the radio while Lia hummed along. Coop wanted to reinforce that she could talk to him, that he was a friend. His pulse quickened. He’d promised himself there’d be no more missed opportunities. He took a deep breath.
“I hope you know,” he said, “if something’s bothering you, you can talk to me about it.” Lia merely smiled.
Later that evening Coop went over the day’s events as he drifted off to sleep. Something had flashed in her eyes when he had said that about talking to him. What had that meant?
Lia
