“Lily, I know that look on your face. You overthink, then you freak out.” I was in the kitchen with Rose. We were scrambling eggs and assembling various breakfast sandwiches. Violet, Nick, and Finn were up front handling customers. I looked up at Rose, who was brandishing a dripping whisk at me and accusing me of the truth. I did overthink. I was doing it just now.
“I’m just worried. This is happening too fast. This is crazy, right? Tell me it’s crazy, Rose. Tell me we’re moving too fast.That’s how I feel, and no one seems to understand. I don’t even understand.”
“It is fast.” She put the whisk back in the bowl of eggs, then smiled softly at me. “But it’s fate, Lily. I remember you two together. Don’t you? You could have it all back. You and Luke light each other up. I believe in soul mates and true love and destiny and all that stupid crap because of you. I had a front row seat to your love story. Sure, you two were sometimes so sappy I thought I was going to puke, but it was beautiful too. Get out of your head. Listen to your heart a little bit.”
Tears filled my eyes. I was so tired of crying. “I’m scared to trust him. Why do you trust him so much, Rose? Why can’t I?”
“Well, duh, you have the most to lose. We would lose a childhood friend, a sort-of brother. You would lose everything—again. But think of it this way, if you don’t try, you’ve already lost.”
When did she get so much better at this emotional stuff than me? Rose was the least sentimental person I knew. She started whisking eggs again. “Suck it up, Lily. Don’t be such a wuss.”
Okay, that sounded more like Rose. I’d been worried for a second. “I’ll talk to him today. We need to sort some things out.”
Rose looked up at me and shook her head slightly. “Don’t jerk him around, Lily. Be in or be out, okay?”
I wasn’t trying to jerk him around. Was I doing that? I sighed and pulled out my phone to check my texts, and it reminded me that I’d had two hang-up calls last night on the landline at Gram’s. I needed to make time to talk to my dad about that.
“I won’t jerk him around.” I looked up from the sandwich I was wrapping. “Was Luke planning to come by? Did he talk to you?”
Rose avoided my eyes and shrugged.
At that exact moment I heard Luke ask from out front, “Is Lily here today?”
“Yeah, she’s in back. Lily!” Finn shouted my name, and I jumped.
“You’ll be okay, Lily. I got it back here. Go talk to him. I wouldn’t keep pushing you toward him if I didn’t believe in this from the bottom of my heart. I love you. I love him too. He’s the extra brother I never wanted but I’m glad I have. Remember what I told you before.”
She’d told me a lot before. “Remember what?”
“Get out of your head and don’t be a wuss. Go get your man back.”
“He’s not my man. Right now, he’s my friend. And I always want to be his friend.”
“Good. That’s how you started anyway. But you know there will always be more than that between you.”
I rolled my eyes and crossed to the kitchen door. Peeking through the window I could see Luke leaning on the end of the counter, waiting for me. I stepped back quickly. He looked different—again. I sighed and tried not to stare. His face was visible, the angle of his strong square jaw, his cheekbones high, and his lips luscious.
Opening the door, I stepped out. His hair was still long but swept back neatly, giving me the desire to sink my fingers into it.He was looking hot in a white button-down shirt tucked into his dark-wash jeans. The way it stretched across his broad chest when he turned and waved to me made my jaw drop a little bit as my eyes moved up and down his body, blatantly checking him out and liking what I saw.Friends. Yeah, right.
I took a step toward him, then one more. I managed to smile. “Hi, Luke.” I looked past him, out the window, trying to get up the courage to break our date. We should talk more first. Or have coffee, or go for a walk, or do something with less pressure. Starting with a date was stupid. Or maybe it was just theword “date” that was tripping me up. I let out a sigh as I closed the distance between us.
“Lily, we need to talk,” he said.
Huh?That was my line. “We do?” Of course we did. That was my plan. I felt thwarted. Foiled. And a little confused. Did he come over here looking all hot and handsome to throw me off?
“Come to my office with me.” He took my hand and led me quickly through the shop and out the door.
I followed at his side, clutching his hand. I had to jog to keep up. “Slow down, Luke. I have short legs, dang it,” I managed to say.
He slowed as we approached the door to his building. He held it open, and I crossed through. The log cabin mountain theme was in full effect in the lobby. It was all about wood paneling and dark green accents, leather furniture and heavy wooden tables. We headed to a set of double doors with McCabe Contracting engraved on a large plaque next to them. We passed through a small reception area with a dark brown leather couch, some wooden chairs around a low table, and a desk set up for a secretary or receptionist. But no one was here. He unlocked a door that had a small sign with his name on it, and I followed him into the spacious office.
“I like your desk. Oh, and your couch. Did you decorate your office?” I asked inanely, trying to keep things casual so I didn’t freak out.
“What? No. It was like this. I guess Dad did, or he hired a decorator.”
He closed the door behind us and turned to face me. He looked me up and down with a smile on his face. Kind of like I had done to him a few minutes ago.
I blushed. Yes, I’d dressed up. I had on my best skinny jeans. They sucked in the little pooch that wouldn’t go away no matter how many walks I went on with my kids or how many crunches I did not do. I was wearing Rose’s heels and mybest bra. I had borrowed a cute blouse from Rose; it was red, Luke’s favorite color, and flowy with spaghetti straps. I had hoped that if I gave good boob, it would distract him from getting upset when I postponed our date. I knew now that was foolish. Luke wasn’t a simple guy.
