He frowns, clearly not happy about it. “I was getting too invested anyway,” he grumbles.
Clay has seemed as conflicted about selling the building as I feel. But I know there’s a lot involved in the process, so I try not to read into that. He likes carpentry, and his goal is to run his own crew far away from here.
Even if he fell in love with the building, that doesn’t mean he wants to be my partner. Unlike me, Clay is probably emotionally fine with this ending. I could even imagine him feeling relieved.
He turns his eyes back up to me. “That was my morning project. Wish I could think of something to do outside, it’s perfect weather today. What are you doing?”
“Harvesting roses,” I tell him. “Want to join me?”
Clay shrugs. “If you could use some help. Sure. As long as there’s lunch on the other end.”
I wince as my brain catches up to all the implications. “Oh. I should clarify. I’m harvesting roses at my parents’ house. I planted as many bushes as I could reasonably fit in the backyard. They enjoy free landscaping, and I harvest for the shop.” I tilt my head to the side. “I believe they’re both gone, but there’s a definite possibility of meeting involved.”
Clay frowns. “What? Am I supposed to be scared of your parents or something? Why are you warning me?”
I laugh. “No. The opposite. They’re great. It’s just got flavors of meeting the family, you know?”
He deepens his frown. “It is meeting your family. That’s exactly what it would be.”
A flush goes over my cheeks. Does he not see the romantic dimensions, or does he not care?
Instead of pushing it, I shrug. We need to talk today anyway, and I’m grateful to have time with him. “Okay. Let’s do it. I’ll just take care of a couple quick things in the shop. Meet you out front in fifteen?”
Clay brushes concrete dust off his shirt. “Cool. I’ll go change.” He half-smiles, teasing me. “For your mom.”
I nearly melt.
