Page 11 of Ashes to Ink

“What are you thinking about, Abby?” Ryan leaned forward,his hands still in his pockets. He didn’t touch her, but she could still feelthe heat of him. “You look like you’re thinking hard. Are you okay?”

She paused. “Are you saying that thinking hard will hurt myhead?”

Ryan blinked and then threw his head back and laughed. Shereally liked that laugh. It was deep, and a little rough.

And she really needed to stop thinking about rough.

“No, that’s not what I meant. But, apparently, I ramble whenit comes to you.”

“I don’t think you rambled. But maybe that’s because I rambleeven more than you.”

“See? You think I ramble if you said ‘even more.’”

Abby put her hands over her face and let out a tiny scream.“I think we need to start over on this conversation.”

“No, I don’t mind. But I really could use some tea.”

She nodded, letting out a breath. “I have that peppermintthat you like. The one without the chocolate.”

“I love the one with the chocolate, but for some reason, Ido like the other one more.”

She quickly got to work steeping it as he looked around theshop, gazing at each of the gift baskets she had made. She kept her eyes on himrather than her hands, and was grateful she was a pro at this, or she probablywould have burned herself.

When it was done, she poured herself a cup as well, notknowing why since she’d had enough tea for the day. But she didn’t want him todrink alone.

“Here you go.” His hands brushed hers as he took the cupfrom her, his gaze meeting hers, as well.

She swallowed hard, wondering why she felt like this. Whythere was a fluttering in her stomach and in her chest.

Ryan was just her friend. They had done this countless timesbefore.

It shouldn’t feel like this.

But it did.

“Thank you.” A pause. “Would you like to go out with mesometime?”

And then his eyes grew wide, and he set down his tea. “Ididn’t mean to ask that.”

That sharp stabbing sensation in her chest hurt more thanshe thought it would at his words. At the fact he hadn’t wanted to be withher…had thought it a mistake? Just after one moment of clarity?

Ouch.

She stood there, blinking, then looked up at him.

“Oh? I see.”

Ryan cursed under his breath and then moved around the counter.He cupped her face. He’d never touched her like this before. And it made herfreeze.

He was touching her, his hands soft. He was caring. And hewas touching her.

“I didn’t mean it like that, I swear. I only meant that Ididn’t mean to ask you out like that. The thoughts were going through my head,and I didn’t realize the words had spilled out until they did.”

“So, do you want to take it back?”

He was silent for so long that she was afraid she might cry.Even with his hands still on her face. She didn’t know why she felt like thiswith rejection.

But she did.