Page 26 of Wildflowers and Wide Receivers

This guy always looks so good.

The memory again of him busting me with his number has heat climbing up the back of my neck. Just my luck. The only explanation I really have is that I wanted it because in an intangible way, it made me feel a little bit closer to him.

Vivi getting attention from Camille has the puppy beelining for me. She jumps on my leg with her tongue flopping out, and I can’t help but to bend down and pet her. Izzy shoves her way in as well.

“Hey, Jonah,” Camille says, but his gaze is locked on me and my stomach dips.

He’s wearing his typical attire of nice athletic wear. Navy joggers, a white T-shirt, and white running shoes. His hair looks disorderly, windblown, perfect, and everything about him somehow feels familiar and inviting, but completely foreign at the same time.

“Hey, Camille,” he eventually says back, his voice rolling over me like white noise. Comforting, perfect for my ears, and something I’d like to listen to every night before bed. “Hey, Sophie,” he says, acknowledging me too. My breath catches at the sound of my name on his lips. His full lips that I know better than I should.

“What are you two up to today?” Camille asks, as the puppy has moved over to her now and is now jumping for more affection.

“We’re selling candy bars,” Vivi announces, as she holds up a box in her free hand that has her dance studio logo on it.

“Is that so?” Camille grins at Jonah like she knows how painful this is for him.

“It’s for the recital costumes,” he grumbles. “Apparently, it doesn’t matter that I offered to pay for all of them, Kelli, the studio owner, thinks it’s important for them to learn the art of fundraising at an early age.”

I roll my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing.

“If I get ten people to buy all my candy, I’ll get a special colored flower for my hair,” Vivi says.

“Yep,” he says, popping the p. “Ten.”

I don’t even think I know ten people, and definitely not if I exclude work colleagues.

“All right, let me get my purse,” Camille tells her, and we move into the kitchen. “How many do you think I should buy for Mr. Reid?” she asks her.

“All of them,” Jonah chimes in. “All under ten different names.”

“Uncle Jonah, you know that’s not how this works!” she chastises him.

My heart squeezes at the look that passes between the two of them. It’s the first time I’ve heard her call him uncle and I think about how amazing it is that he fully stepped up to take care of and raise his brother’s daughter.

Camille buys four. I grin because I don’t know if she’s buying them for herself or to actually share with Reid.

Vivi turns to me. “Would you like to buy one, Ms. Sophie?”

“Of course I would. Us girls have to stick together when it comes to beautiful hair accessories.”

Vivi beams and Jonah gives me a look so full of appreciation and thankfulness that butterfly wings flutter inside my stomach.

“Which one should I get?” I ask her, pulling my phone from my back pocket. Apparently, it’s no longer cash or check, it’s pay and donate by QR code.

“I like the ones with the rice krispies in them, but Uncle Jonah likes the peanut butter.”

“Peanut butter.” My eyes flash to his and find warmth and fondness staring back at me. “I love peanut butter, too. I think I’ll take two of those.”

“You’ve made a great choice,” she tells me, as she walks me through the purchase.

“Wildflower, what do you say?”

“Thank you,” she says, smiling at Camille and me both.

Wildflower. What an interesting nickname.

Chapter 11