Page 74 of Special Delivery

“Come,” she says as we enter the shop, wrapping her hand around mine to pull me in the right direction.

Her hand is soft and warm, and I love the feel of it. What the hell is happening to me? I was so certain I didn’t want a relationship, and here I am, thinking about holding hands, my heart beating faster because of her smile.

The store is a jungle. It’s half-covered and half-not, adapting to the needs of various plants. Unlike what I expected, it’s not filled with neat shelves adorned with potted houseplants. Instead, it houses what must be a million different plants, bushes, and trees. A small selection of them are potted but the vast majority are planted in the ground. It’s more of a botanical garden than a store.

“If you choose a plant that isn’t potted, they will dig it up for you. But the babies prefer this over small pots,” Paige says, as if reading my mind. “The plants are sectioned by their natural habitat’s climates, and they try to make them feel as close to home as possible.”

Our hands still linked, she leads me to the part where there’s a thick fog of humidity present in the air, with sounds of birds and other animals blasting through the speakers.

“This is my favorite section.” Her eyes travel the space with wonder. “The plants here are thick and deep green, which is my favorite color.”

“It looks like the Amazon,” I comment, taking in the sight.

“Well, it’s the closest thing to Amazon here in California.”

She explains all the different vegetation species, sharing fun facts about them. I listen closely, entranced by her obvious passion for the subject. We exit the jungle section, and she turns her head toward me, a sheepish expression on her face.

“I kind of hijacked the conversation, didn’t I?”

I let out a chuckle. “You did, but I kind of love it.”

The corners of her eyes crease with a warm, honest smile, expanding my chest. She slows her steps so that she walks beside me and slips her hands into her pockets.

“How’s your head been? Since we got back?”

“Honestly? It wasn’t too bad, even had a few headache-free days.” I don’t mention the fact that those days coincided with the days when I saw her or heard from her.

“I’m glad to hear that.” She flashes me a grin, her gaze dropping to the front. “I’ve been doing some research. I know there are plants that help with different ailments, and I wanted to check if there were some that could help with your problem.”

“Yeah?” My throat constricts at the thoughtfulness of her words. She put in effort to see if she could help me. That has to mean she cares about me, right?

“Yeah. Most of what I found isn’t directly connected to headaches, unfortunately, but some suggest it could help indirectly by affecting the air quality.”

“Sounds like it couldn’t hurt to try. Maybe I should buy a few.”

My hands are full as we exit The Forest after buying two plants for me and one for her. She insisted she didn’t need any, but I convinced her I’d feel better if I thanked her for helping me today. We secure the plants in her car and get into our seats. It’s been over an hour since we got here, but I’m not ready for the day to be done yet.

“Are you hungry?” I ask as she starts the car.

She glances at me, hesitating for a second, before responding, “I could eat.”

“Good. We should get something to eat. I’m starving.”

“Where do you want to eat?”

“Oh, I know just the place.”

Ten minutes later, she parks the car in front of The Rusty Anchor. The broken neon sign hangs loosely above the entrance, the paint chipping off the weathered façade.

“What is this place?” she asks, unbuckling her seatbelt.

“You’ve never been to The Rusty Anchor?” I gasp, stepping out of the car.

“Should I?”

“Well, you’re a citizen of Fig Bay, aren’t you? You definitely should have.” I put out my elbow, and she wraps her arm around it. “But I’m honored to be the one to introduce you to the best bar in the area.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN