I sat back on my heels as I watched Rhodes linger near the entrance, doing his visual sweep as if he were making sure there weren’t any threats. Pushing to my feet, I brushed the dirt from my palms onto my jeans, catching Lila’s eye across the counter. Her eyes were already sparkling in what I knew was mischief.
She cleared the counter and headed toward the children’s section, her voice warm and friendly as she approached Opal. “You know, sweetie, there are a couple of unicorn books on the bottom shelf right there.” She guided the girl toward the colorful spines.
Opal smiled up at her, giving her a toothy grin, already talking about how she'd finished a book last night with her daddy. Lila shot me a quick, knowing glance over her shoulder before disappearing into the stacks with her.
That left Rhodes standing there, hands shoved into the pockets of his dark jacket, the faint scent of sweat clinging to him from whatever work he'd been doing at Castleton all day—he met my eyes for a beat too long. Something low in my stomach twisted,not unpleasant but definitely unwelcome because I refused to let this man unsettle me in my best friend's shop.
“Hey. Glad you didn’t hit your head on the way through the door.”
He scowled at me in an impressive fashion, but it just made it funnier.
“I’m not that tall.” His hand ran over the back of his neck even as I chuckled at him.
“I don’t know.” I winked. “You’re pretty tall to me.” That was probably enough teasing, although his lips tipped up in a smile. “So, how are you settling into town?” I asked, keeping my tone light even as his eyes flicked back and forth between his daughter and me (probably just to be polite).
“Busy. There’s a lot to do out on a property that size. Not sure what the hell I was thinking.” He shoved a hand into one of his back pockets, making the muscles in his shoulder stand out, and I tried not to stare. “East did a great job on the inside, but there is so much that needs to be done outside. Right now, I’m focusing on the fencing. The perimeter needs to be fixed so I can make sure all the security functions.”
He was talking as if I wasn’t really there, zoning out. Suddenly, I felt a bit sorry for him and a little worried. He looked tired, and I wondered if being alone with Opal was new for him. Perimeter? This wasn’t the military. What did he think was going to happen here in our sleepy little town? Although we did have the whole thing with Hattie just a few months ago. A fence was a good idea, especially with a little girl who was going to be exploring all the fun things that the grounds out there had to offer.
“Daddy! Daddy! Look.” Opal was dancing over to him with a handful of books, showing them to him one by one. “Can I get these?”
“These look great. A unicorn … and you found a cat series for us to start. I can’t wait.” He tugged at her hair.
“Can I have a cookie now, Daddy? Or one of those cupcakes that I like.” Opal pointed at the case. “You promised. With whipped cream frosting.”
“You’re right.” Rhodes gave the case a considering look as he hoisted her up onto his hip. “I promised you a treat. You remember Sage. Say hello.”
“Hi.” She nodded at me noncommittally, but I couldn’t blame her lack of interest when there were cupcakes on offer. Dessert was the most important decision of the day.
Opal chose a confetti cupcake topped with a mound of frosting that could cover two cupcakes. Phiny had come from the back, where she was making a batch of dough, to introduce herself, breaking into smiles for them.
"She talked about it the whole drive over, and this morning. Begged, actually.” He gave her nose a little tap and then brushed a kiss on both cheeks. “She said the frosting here tastes like clouds."
“Kipp thinks so, too.” Lila set the plate on the counter and added a tiny glass dish of the cream, swirling it with a spoon before she showered it with sprinkles. "You must have been very good on your first day of school to get a cupcake.” She winked at the little girl.
“I was.” Opal flashed another bright grin. “School is so fun here. We get to play tag at recess and swing on the swings. Mrs. Maverick is really nice, and I made friends.”
“That’s awesome,” Lila answered easily as she rang them up.
Phiny leaned forward on her elbows, chin in her hand, eyes dancing. "Speaking of friends … Sage seems to have a new friend. Sage, tell us, did your secret admirer send anything else to the shop today? Or was last week’s bouquet a one-hit wonder?"
Heat crawled up my neck, and I shot her a warning look that she ignored completely. "Phiny." The last thing I wanted to talk about in front of Rhodes was me getting flowers. “Be quiet,” I hissed.
"What? I'm just asking." She turned her attention to Rhodes, all innocence. "You hear about the flowers that showed up at Sage’s place? Gorgeous."
Rhodes's gaze flicked to me, sharp and assessing, but he didn't smile. His jaw twitched, and I’d say he looked irritated, but that was his perpetual state, so it was hard to tell. Maybe I annoyed him, or it was just Phiny. "Sounds like someone doesn’t know you own a flower shop.”
"Or someone has too much time on their hands," I muttered, pushing the bag of books further across the counter toward him. Our fingers brushed when he reached for it, just the barest graze of callused skin against my knuckles, and I jerked my hand back faster than necessary, cursing the way my pulse jumped in response.
His eyes darkened fractionally, lingering on my face before dropping to where my hand now curled against the edge of the counter. "You okay?"
"Fine." The word came out sharper than I intended. I cleared my throat and forced a lighter tone. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Delphina snorted softly. "You should tell Rhodes about the Castleton greenhouses while he's here. He's got all that space going to waste, and you know more about plants than anyone in three counties."
Rhodes tilted his head, curiosity flickering across his features. "You mentioned them the first day. Said something about rare plants."
I hesitated—the memory of standing inside that first greenhouse with Opal, showing her how to scrape the bark and find green beneath the brown, surfaced unbidden, warming my cheeks all over again. There was a moment when it felt like my life was just the way I had always imagined it. Right now, he was distracting me with the way he filled up the space, taking up the whole counter like frickin’ Lurch from the Addams Family.
