I dump my lunch in the trash. “Stop it.”
Charlie opens the fridge. “My turn for lunch.”
“I know,” I say. “I’m heading back out front.”
Vivian follows me, talking the entire way, each sentence stacking neatly on top of the last. By the time we reach the front counter, she’s clearly decided she’s right. I cross my arms and turn, putting my back to the door like I’m bracing for impact.
“Viv. You missed your calling to be a lawyer. Sawyer could use you on his side.”
“No, seriously,” she says. “He offers you a box. He clocks that you’re—let’s be generous—quirky. We both know you’re actually a grumpy human being. And he says,please come to a game I’m playing. He sets it up so your son can be front and center, and you don’t even have to watch. He literally says you can ignore him while also being in his world.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say too quickly. The words tumble out before I’ve fully decided to say them. I busy myself straightening a stack of flyers that were already straight, suddenly very interested in the counter. “Sawyer’s just being nice. He’s good at that. Friendly. It’s part of the whole ‘I’m handsome, and relatable, and funny, and hot’ thing.” I gesture vaguely, as if that explains anything.
I don’t look at her when I add, “Besides, guys like him don’t look at people like me and think anything beyondconvenient.”
The sentence lands heavier than I intend. I feel it the second it’s out there, but I had to say it. I clear my throat and tack on,lighter this time, “He probably does that kind of stuff all the time.” Which is exactly what I need to believe.
I realize that Vivian, who is usually right on top of me with comebacks and opinions, is quiet. Too quiet.
I squint at her. “Why are you not responding or at least trying to convince me of anything but what I’m thinking?”
Her mouth has fallen open. Fully. Her jaw might actually be detached. I can tell she’s stunned into this silence, her gaze stuck on something just beyond me that I cannot see.
Slowly, I turn.
Sawyer stands just outside the door, hand raised in a wave, and behind him is a small army of very large men following him inside, trying to fit through the entrance at the same time.
I stare at Sawyer, back to Vivian, then at the wall of men behind him. “You brought theteam?”
He shrugs, easy and unapologetic. “We were nearby having lunch, so I figured we’d come in and”—he makes air quotes, glancing at Charlie—“support local business.”
Charlie, who has somehow appeared at my elbow, nods solemnly.
I turn on him. “What are you two doing? I feel like you’re actively working against me right now.”
Charlie clasps his hands behind his back. “I may or may not have texted Sawyer that anytime he’s in the vicinity, popping in is very good for business. For the business. Which makes you happy.”
I shoot Sawyer a look.
He grins. “So I brought friends. If one hockey player makes people take photos, a few hockey players make people lose their minds.”
We all laugh, the sound overlapping and easy, and before I can stop myself, I’m smiling right along with them.
“Okay,” he says, stepping aside and motioning behind him. “This is Liam. Ty. Owen, too.”
Introductions happen quickly, names and handshakesblurring together. Vivian gets pulled into a hug by Liam since they’ve known each other forever. Charlie shakes hands with each of them in turn, posture straight, expression solemn, like he’s greeting visiting dignitaries instead of hockey players who just wandered into a plant shop.
Then, the bell over the door rings and four women step inside, mid-conversation, laughter still hanging between them. One of them looks up, takes in the scene, and stops cold as her line of sight lands on the guys.
“Oh my?—”
Another gasps. Phones appear like reflexes, screens already glowing.
Within seconds, the mood in the store shifts. The quiet, cozy bubble pops. Voices rise. Someone outside presses closer to the window, peering in. Another joins her. Then another.
And suddenly there’s a line forming outside my door, curiosity and excitement spilling down the sidewalk, all because the boys from the Dominion just walked into Leaf & Letter.
I step back, stunned and laughing, as my little plant shop turns into a celebrity meet-and-greet. Charlie is in his element, guiding people, smiling, keeping the energy moving. Vivian hangs out for a bit, but then slips away to head back to her store, shaking her head like she absolutely knew this would happen.
