He did, actually. He’d promised Darrell, the general contractor, that he’d get that paint selection to Tammy today. But that could wait. There were still many hours left in the day.
Right now, this was the only place he cared to be.
CHAPTER 12
“And this one?”
Trinity eyed the small bloom in question that had snapped from its stem. They often lost a few flowers during the arranging process. It was no big deal; she always ordered ten percent more from her wholesaler than she would actually need. “That one? That’s a carnation.”
“I think it’s my favorite.” Spencer twisted the flower between his fingers.
She had to smile at that. Of the flowers, the carnation was the least fussy and the most underrated, not to mention one of the least expensive varieties on the market.
“I like them too.” She glanced over at Spencer, barely containing her laughter when he took the flower and tucked it behind his ear. “Looks good on you,” she teased as her lips pressed into a grin. “Pink is your color.”
He withdrew the flower and stepped closer to Trinity. They had been standing side by side for over an hour while they worked. He’d had his delineated prep area, and she hers. But now he was in her space and coming closer. His hand slowly lifted as he slid the flower into the barrette she’d used that morning to pin her long hair back at the nape of her neck.
“There.” Giving it a little tap on the petals, he moved back, grinning. “Looks better on you.”
She couldn’t see for herself but would take his word for it.
They’d been doing a little of that this afternoon: flirting. At least, that’s what it felt like to Trinity. It had been so long since she’d flirted with anyone, and she was far out of practice. But these playful exchanges, lingering glances, and soft smiles made her stomach feel a certain way.
As the morning progressed, they fell into a comfortable and productive rhythm. For having no experience in the floral industry, Spencer did remarkably well. He was good at taking direction and great at asking for clarity, qualities Trinity found hard to come by in the men she’d met lately. They were in sync. All Trinity had to do was reach out her hand and say the color and Spencer would supply her with the perfect flower, properly stripped and ready for the vase. It made arranging a breeze. With Rachel, they would work on their own respective bouquets, but Trinity found she was able to create double the number of finished vases with this method. For the first time in days, she no longer felt behind.
And for the first time in twenty-four hours, she felt the sudden pangs of hunger. It had taken some time to get her appetite back, and even now she didn’t want to chance it. But they had to eat something. It was past noon, and she couldn’t be sure, but she thought she’d even heard Spencer’s stomach growl a little earlier. She couldn’t expect the man to work on an empty stomach.
She wiped her palms on her apron and looked over at her bouquet making partner. “What do you say we take a break to grab some lunch?”
“I was hoping we were on the same page there,” he said with visible relief in his eyes. His hand went to his stomach to ruba slow circle. “I had breakfast, but that was a long time ago. Getting hungry.”
“Cornerstone Café good with you?”
He grinned, flashing a big smile that pressed his dimples into his cheeks. Had she noticed those before? Goodness, they were cute. “Always. Love that place.”
It wasn’t a date, just two temporary coworkers sharing lunch. But the way Spencer pulled Trinity’s coat from the hook near the door and held it by the shoulders so she could ease into it, coupled with the manner in which he beat her to the door to open it for her to travel through first, made things feel like they might be more than just casual. The true test would be if he offered to pay for her, but she already knew the answer to that. There was no way a man like Spencer would allow her to foot her own bill. He would insist.
They walked as a pair down the sidewalk which was damp from the drizzle of a storm system making its way up the summit. Snow was expected by that evening. She wondered what that would mean for the horses and Mia’s lessons. Would they have to put everything on hold for the winter months? The very thought made something wither within Trinity, the fact that she might not have a reason to see Spencer for some time. But why would that bother her? They’d only just reconnected, and it wasn’t like they were a part of any sort of budding relationship.
“What’s on your mind?” His hands were shoved into his coat pockets, his shoulders to his ears as he turned his full upper half toward her, giving her his full attention. “You’ve gotten pretty quiet.”
“There’s a storm coming through. I saw it was expected to last through the weekend,” she said as they rounded the corner to Main Street. Workers were busy stringing lights on eaves and wrapping garland around lampposts. Even though they still had Halloween and Thanksgiving to get through, the town wasalready preparing for Christmas, its favorite holiday. She looked up at Spencer. “What do you do with the horses during these storms?”
“They pretty much just stay in the barn. We get too much snow to let them out into their pastures. One good storm would swallow Doodlebug whole.”
“Oh.” She pulled her gaze and looked forward. “I’ll have to tell Mia.”
Spencer cocked his head. “Are you asking if we’ll pause lessons during snow season?”
She nodded.
“I don’t think that will be necessary, especially since Mia’s not in the saddle and won’t be for some time. We can crosstie the horses in the barn aisle, so there’s still plenty of space to groom them and also keep out of the elements. Plus, stalled horses mean more stalls that will need mucking. It’s not glamorous by any means, but it’s all part of horse ownership. Those are the things I think Mia should learn before any actual riding lessons take place, anyway.”
Trinity liked that approach, teaching responsibility before riding. She appreciated Spencer’s down-to-earth perspective and that he wasn’t like so many others (herself included) that gave her children everything they wanted simply because of what they had been through. “That girl loves horses so much that I don’t even think scooping poop would deter her from being around them.”
“I don’t think a blizzard or tornado could keep her away. She’s what Nana Jo calls a certified horse girl.”
“Nana Jo has a name for everything. She calls me Flower Girl, which I told her makes me feel much too young, to which she replied that everyone is young compared to her,” Trinity said as they approached the café and walked inside. They found acozy table near the window and were given menus even though she wouldn’t need them.
