He chalked up his nerves to being out of practice with women and anything that had to do with romance. Which was why he had chosen this particular woman for his return to the dating scene. He wouldn’t be too bent out of shape if she turned him down. If she didn’t, he figured that going out for coffee would be their first and last date. But at least he would have had a date.
“Fine. I see you want to keep it to yourself.” Travis grabbed the bill off the table. “I’ve got to run and get Layla from ball practice. Plus, there’s a stack of English essays waiting to be graded.” He let out a long-suffering sigh as he got up from the table. “Hopefully this time at least half of my students remembered to write a topic sentence.”
“You’re not fooling me. You love your job. Even the grading essays part.”
Travis grinned, his white teeth contrasting with his mahogany skin. “I definitely do. Catch you tomorrow.”
As Travis left, Joe polished off his milkshake, now more milk than shake, and glanced at the clock again. He had about twenty minutes to kill, and when he spied one of his former students and her mother walking into the diner, he decided to visit with them a little bit. By four o’clock, he knew he couldn’t wait any longer. His nerves wouldn’t allow him to.
He put a tip on the table, then walked out of the diner . . . and headed for Petals and Posies.
Chapter 2
At 4:00 p.m., Sophie told Hayley and MacKenzie they could clock out. Normally the two women would stay until closing, five or five thirty depending on how busy the store was. They weren’t busy now, and Sophie knew the college students had finals at the end of the spring semester, which was next week. She wanted them to do well, and when she said they could leave, neither protested.
After the girls left, Sophie straightened up the store, then started sweeping the stray leaves, broken stems, and ribbon threads on the floor into a small pile behind the counter. When the front door chime sounded, she looked up, then forced herself not to stare as Landon strolled through the door, looking surprisingly casual in a light blue short-sleeved polo, khaki pants, and tan leather slip-on shoes. He also looked unsurprisingly handsome.
Not staring at Landon was an impossibility, especially when he flashed his charming grin at her. She leaned the broom against the wall but missed, and it clattered to the floor. She kicked it to the side and walked to the counter, hoping her smile matched his. She also hoped she didn’t look like an idiot.
“Hi,” she said, her voice catching. She cleared her throat. “Uh, what can I help you with today?”
Landon slipped his hands into his pockets and looked around the store. “I think this is the first time I’ve been in your shop when it’s been empty.” He turned to her and smiled again.
“It happens.” Oh, that smile. It could melt a glacier. She found herself leaning forward, her waist pressed against the glass counter.
He stepped toward her until they were as close as they could be, considering the counter between them. “I’m not complaining.”
A ripple ran down her spine. Had he lowered his voice? Made it husky on purpose? Or was she imagining—more like wishing—he had? Or hoping that the way his piercing gray eyes held hers meant something?
More likely, her thoughts about the possibility of romance in her future had made her lose her mind, because a man like Landon would never be interested in a woman like her. He seemed the type to want a trophy girlfriend or wife. One who looked as impeccably perfect as he did. I’m not even in the ballpark. She didn’t think she was unattractive, but she wasn’t high fashion either. More like serviceable. Ugh. That didn’t sound appealing at all.
“Er, we have our spring bouquets on sale,” she said, focusing on her job instead of her inane thoughts. “Do you like daffodils?”
He put his palms on the counter, leaning even closer. “I’m not here to talk about daffodils.”
Sophie gulped. “Oh.”
Landon reached over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You look pretty today.”
She didn’t know how to respond. She didn’t look any different today than she did any other workday. She was wearing her pale blue denim work shirt over a red T-shirt, navy blue shorts, and comfortable shoes any granny would be proud to sport. That was her typical uniform. The only thing different was that she had a pink scrunchy holding back her long, curly hair instead of a blue one. Maybe she’d been mistaken about his preferences.
“Ah, thanks?” Why couldn’t she stop sounding like an idiot?
“Then again, you look pretty every day.”
Now she really didn’t know what to say. When was the last time anyone had said she was pretty? Probably April, and probably on Easter when she splurged and bought a new dress for church. Flattered and unnerved, she started straightening her business cards, which were already neatly displayed in a clear acrylic holder.
“I wondered if you’d like to have dinner with me tonight?”
The cards flipped out of her hands just as the chime sounded over the door. Joe Johnson walked inside, then paused as Landon turned around.
“Hey, Soph.” Joe waved as he strolled to the counter.
Sophie grimaced and grabbed at the cards littering the counter. No one called her Soph anymore, not even April. She wasn’t sure why some of the kids in high school had started calling her that in the first place, including Joe. Of course, he wouldn’t call her anything else, since they had rarely spoken to each other in the last fifteen years. “Joe.”
Landon frowned as Joe walked up next to him. “We’re kind of busy here.”
“Oh.” He took two steps to the side. “I’ll wait, then.”
Landon gave him a pointed look, then turned to Sophie. “Are we on for dinner tonight?”
For some reason, she was a bit embarrassed about being asked out in front of Joe. Which didn’t make sense. Why should she care what he thought? But she couldn’t help glancing at him and was surprised when she saw his easygoing expression turn dark.
“Sophie?”
She turned to Landon, then inexplicably to Joe again, struck by the contrast between them, and wondering why Joe was here. And why was he so upset?
“She can’t go out with you tonight,” Joe said.
“What?” both Sophie and Landon exclaimed.
“And why not?” Landon added.
“Because . . . she’s going out with me.”
* * *
To say his foray back into the dating world was going badly would be the world’s biggest understatement. Joe couldn’t believe the words that had flown out of his mouth. But he couldn’t help it. When he heard Landon asking Sophie out, he lost all sense. Not because he’d missed his chance to ask her himself, but because of all the men in Maple Falls—or the greater central Arkansas area, for that matter—Landon Ferry was the last one she should ever consider dating. Or talking to. In fact, she’d be better off ignoring him altogether.
Now that Joe was starting to corral his brain cells and think clearly, he realized he had stepped into a pile of . . . Oh boy. Sophie did not look happy.
“Well, I guess I missed my chance tonight.” Landon’s fake smile remained plastered in place, but Joe could see the annoyance in his eyes as he shifted his gaze to Sophie’s. “Another time, then.” Giving her a wink, he turned on his heel and quickly headed to the door.