high gear.
It was the unbeli evably shy way he was looking at me. He held a fistful of wildflowers in front of him.
“Hi…?” I didn’t mean for it to sound like a question. It did, anyway.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry to just stop by.”
“No, it’s fine,” I told him as I stepped aside, allowing him entrance.
“These are for you,” he told me as he swept the bouquet my way. “I picked them myself,” he said as a teasing smile crinkled the corners of his eyes and tugged at his lips.
“No, really? I never would’ve guessed, ” I teased back. Just then his hand darted to a daisy and he flicked off a bug.
We both laughed as I took the flowers from him. “Thanks. This is really sweet.” The bouquet was a colorful mix of daisies, black-eyed Susan’s and prairie-fire. I was well-aware that the bouquet consisted mostly of weeds. Yet, it was the most beautiful bouquet I’d ever received.
Simply because it was so thoughtful.
“I know it’s kind of cheesy,” he said. He blushed. He actually blushed and I bit my lip. “But I saw them in the ditch as I was driving up. I couldn’t resist.”
“It’s not cheesy. They are completely perfect,” I told him, unable to contain my smile.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, well, anyhow…I did have a reason for stopping by.”
I waited expectantly as we stood there in the entryway.
“Is Claire around?” he asked.
It was not what I was expecting him to say, not after he’d handed me a bouquet of flowers.
“Right here!” Claire sang out before I could reply. She came around the corner, making me believe she’d been standing right inside the kitchen door, listening in. A smile danced across her lips as she took in the sight of the flowers.
“Hey , Claire,” he said. “I was just stopping by to bring you your bill.” She raised her eyebrows at him as he handed her an envelope. “I mean, I would’ve mailed it but I was out of stamps.”
Claire ’s eyebrows twitched as she tried to hide her amusement. “Yeah, okay. I bet you were.”
His blush deepened and he hung his head, grimacing, yet smiling, knowing we didn’t buy it. I tried not to laugh. I could not remember the last time I’d seen a grown man blush. It was incredibly heart-warming.
“So. Yeah,” he said as he took a step backward. “That’s all. Sorry for just stopping by without calling.”
“It’s no problem,” I said.
“We’re having Mexican night,” Claire told him as he reached the door. “You should stay.”
“Oh,” he said , “I couldn’t.”
Claire ’s lip popped out in a pronounced pout. “You have plans?”
He laughed. “No, n ot exactly. I just don’t want Zoey to think I only come by so she can feed me.”
“She likes feeding people,” Claire said. She moved up behind me and gave me a backward hug. She rested her chin on my shoulder and I could feel her grinning. “Enchiladas are in the oven. She makes this incredible Mexican pizza with a homemade cornbread crust. It’s so good. You should stay.”
He looked hesitant and Claire’s arms slid from me as she took a few steps toward Alex. “Come on. It’ll be fun. You already know Zoey’s a great cook. We even have flan for dessert.”
“Is flan Mexican?” Alex asked.
“ I have no idea. I just think it tastes good,” Claire admitted.
“I don’t want to intrude,” he insisted.
I was starting to feel uncomfortable with his protests. It was sounding as if he really didn’t want to stick around. And if that were the case, I really didn’t want Claire to push.
But the moment Claire said, “Sean is on his way,” Alex visibly became more relaxed. “You know Sean, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, not well. But we’ve met a few times. We have some mutual friends.”
“He’s bringing the chips and salsa. I’m making margaritas.” She drug out ‘margaritas’, each syllable sounding like its own word. “Stay, Alex. It’s practically a party and the more the
It was the unbeli evably shy way he was looking at me. He held a fistful of wildflowers in front of him.
“Hi…?” I didn’t mean for it to sound like a question. It did, anyway.
“Hey,” he said. “Sorry to just stop by.”
“No, it’s fine,” I told him as I stepped aside, allowing him entrance.
“These are for you,” he told me as he swept the bouquet my way. “I picked them myself,” he said as a teasing smile crinkled the corners of his eyes and tugged at his lips.
“No, really? I never would’ve guessed, ” I teased back. Just then his hand darted to a daisy and he flicked off a bug.
We both laughed as I took the flowers from him. “Thanks. This is really sweet.” The bouquet was a colorful mix of daisies, black-eyed Susan’s and prairie-fire. I was well-aware that the bouquet consisted mostly of weeds. Yet, it was the most beautiful bouquet I’d ever received.
Simply because it was so thoughtful.
“I know it’s kind of cheesy,” he said. He blushed. He actually blushed and I bit my lip. “But I saw them in the ditch as I was driving up. I couldn’t resist.”
“It’s not cheesy. They are completely perfect,” I told him, unable to contain my smile.
He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, well, anyhow…I did have a reason for stopping by.”
I waited expectantly as we stood there in the entryway.
“Is Claire around?” he asked.
It was not what I was expecting him to say, not after he’d handed me a bouquet of flowers.
“Right here!” Claire sang out before I could reply. She came around the corner, making me believe she’d been standing right inside the kitchen door, listening in. A smile danced across her lips as she took in the sight of the flowers.
“Hey , Claire,” he said. “I was just stopping by to bring you your bill.” She raised her eyebrows at him as he handed her an envelope. “I mean, I would’ve mailed it but I was out of stamps.”
Claire ’s eyebrows twitched as she tried to hide her amusement. “Yeah, okay. I bet you were.”
His blush deepened and he hung his head, grimacing, yet smiling, knowing we didn’t buy it. I tried not to laugh. I could not remember the last time I’d seen a grown man blush. It was incredibly heart-warming.
“So. Yeah,” he said as he took a step backward. “That’s all. Sorry for just stopping by without calling.”
“It’s no problem,” I said.
“We’re having Mexican night,” Claire told him as he reached the door. “You should stay.”
“Oh,” he said , “I couldn’t.”
Claire ’s lip popped out in a pronounced pout. “You have plans?”
He laughed. “No, n ot exactly. I just don’t want Zoey to think I only come by so she can feed me.”
“She likes feeding people,” Claire said. She moved up behind me and gave me a backward hug. She rested her chin on my shoulder and I could feel her grinning. “Enchiladas are in the oven. She makes this incredible Mexican pizza with a homemade cornbread crust. It’s so good. You should stay.”
He looked hesitant and Claire’s arms slid from me as she took a few steps toward Alex. “Come on. It’ll be fun. You already know Zoey’s a great cook. We even have flan for dessert.”
“Is flan Mexican?” Alex asked.
“ I have no idea. I just think it tastes good,” Claire admitted.
“I don’t want to intrude,” he insisted.
I was starting to feel uncomfortable with his protests. It was sounding as if he really didn’t want to stick around. And if that were the case, I really didn’t want Claire to push.
But the moment Claire said, “Sean is on his way,” Alex visibly became more relaxed. “You know Sean, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Yeah, not well. But we’ve met a few times. We have some mutual friends.”
“He’s bringing the chips and salsa. I’m making margaritas.” She drug out ‘margaritas’, each syllable sounding like its own word. “Stay, Alex. It’s practically a party and the more the
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