He blinked. “Unemployed.”
I nodded toward the hallway. “Walk with me.”
Without a protest, he fell into step at my side as I led him through the hotel, stopping by the locker room for my coat, then out an employee exit. Then we hoofed it in the chilly weather to the greenhouse.
Like yesterday, it was empty, most of the staff on vacation for the upcoming holiday. The ones working were at the hotel. We strolled past the long tables and into the area with the seedlings I’d planted yesterday. Someone had watered them this morning.
I pulled out a wooden stool and shrugged off my coat. Then I gestured for Brody to sit in the other stool. “I thought about what you had to say.”
“And you quit your job.”
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I confessed. “I’m winging it and picking the option that feels right. This, moving to Arizona, seems less scary than raising a baby here alone. And I’m tired of feeling lonely.”
That was the second time I’d admitted it today. Now that the word lonely was out there, I was having a hard time hiding from it.
“I don’t want this baby to be lonely,” I said. “Family is important and living close to Clara and August has been something on my mind for a while now. I’d hoped to convince her to move here but . . . we’ll try Arizona.”
Brody’s entire face changed. Gone was the fear and worry. Gone was the stoic, stony gaze. Everything melted. His eyes. The hold of those soft lips. His shoulders dropped from his ears. He almost looked . . . happy. He looked like the man who’d charmed me at a wedding.
“Thank you.”
“I can’t promise it’s forever. But I can give you the year.”
He took one of my hands in both of his, his palms warming my skin. He pressed it, my hand sandwiched between his, and he dropped his chin. “Thank you.”
“What did you expect me to say?”
“No. I thought you’d say no.”
“I almost did,” I admitted. “Last night, I thought about what you said. And I thought about what I wanted. Arizona is not what I want.”
I wanted to live here in my cozy condo. I wanted to keep my job at The Gallaway because it was dependable. I wanted to avoid turning my life upside down. But if I’d wanted all that, then I shouldn’t have had sex with Brody.
If only he’d been resistible.
“But it’s not about me. And it’s not about you,” I said, splaying my free hand over my belly. “It’s about this baby. I don’t want our child to feel torn between two worlds.”
Brody had the right to be included in this baby’s life. He was as much a part of this as I was.
“I promised my boss two months. I’d like to give them a chance for a smooth transition, and I need to pack up my life here.”
Brody stared at me, my hand still tight between his. The shock on his face was much like Mark’s. Apparently, I was surprising the men in my life today.
“Is that okay?”
He dropped my hand and, in a flash, those warm palms were on my face, pulling me off my stool. Brody’s lips crushed mine, sending a zing down my spine. God, his lips were soft. The texture from his beard tickled my chin, and when his tongue darted out to lick the seam of my mouth, a whole new flutter rocked my stomach. This one the good kind.
A gasp escaped when he licked my lips again. His eyes opened.
And we stared at one another, our lips still locked. His hands still firm on my face.
As quickly as it happened, Brody must have realized what he’d done. He let me go and backed away, clearing his throat. “I, uh . . . Thank you.”
Disappointment rolled over me in a wave, sending me back to my seat.
There was no reason to be upset, right? It was just a grateful kiss. Nothing romantic. The two of us would be lucky to survive parenthood together. A romantic relationship? Never. We really shouldn’t be kissing.
“You’re welcome. Maybe we shouldn’t make a habit of kissing one another.”
He chuckled. “Sorry. I was excited. But you’re right. Let’s think of this as business.”
“Business.” I truly hated that word. People tossed it out there as an excuse to be cold and impersonal. “This is not a business arrangement.”
“Of course it is.”
My mouth dropped. “Seriously?”
“You’ll be running my new flower shop. That’s business. I mean, it’s not like we’re friends.”
My jaw dropped. “So you think of me like an employee?” Oh, hell. Maybe I’d quit The Gallaway too soon. Mark and Andy would hire me back, right?
Brody frowned. “You say that like being an employee of mine is a nightmare. I doubt your sister would agree.”
“I am not your employee.”
“I know that but—”
“No buts. We are equals, Brody. You’re the father. I’m the mother. I don’t need your goddamn flower shop. I can find another job. Any other job.” My temperature began to rise and I slid off my stool, pacing beside the table.
“Aria, I’m just being pragmatic. Please don’t take offense. I have a flower shop that needs a manager. You’re qualified.”
“Qualified. I’m qualified.” My molars ground together. When had this become a job interview? “I won’t work for you.”
“Why not?”
“Because that makes this entire thing weird.” I threw up my hands. Couldn’t he imagine payday? Here’s your check, Aria. Thanks for your hard work. And thanks for growing my baby in your uterus.
“If you don’t like the term ‘employee,’ then fine. I’ll deed the place over to you.”
“A gift. You’d give me a flower shop.” My hands dove into my hair. “Who does that?”
We weren’t even friends. We’d slept together once and were having a kid. Normal people didn’t gift flower shops.
He lifted a shoulder. “You’re moving. Consider it a relocation present. And it’s not like I can’t afford it.”
“There.” I pointed to the arrogant jerk’s face. “That, right there.”
“What, right there?” He rubbed the tip of his nose, checking his fingers to see if there was something on them.
“That, right there, is the reason I hate you. You throw money around like it’s meaningless. Don’t try to buy me.”
“I’m not trying to buy you.” He frowned. “I’m trying to make this easy on you. On both of us. If you want the flower shop, it’s yours.”
“What if . . .” I snapped my fingers. “What if I bought it from you?”
“It’s unnecessary.”
“How much did you pay for it?”
His jaw ticked, the hold on his patience slipping. “Why does it matter?”
“How. Much?”
“One hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.”
Well, shit. I didn’t have anywhere near that much in savings. But maybe I had enough for a down payment.
I held out my hand. “Deal.”
“What deal?”
“The flower shop. I’ll buy it from you. If you will accept monthly payments.”
Brody shook his head. “That’s not the point of this. I came here to ask you to move. I’m not going to put you in debt because of it.”