Read Online Willow in Bloom by Victoria Pade - Free Book Online

delivered to him the following day.
    Closing time had come and gone when they finally finished, and Tyler left it to Willow to choose where to have dinner, too. But that wasn’t because he didn’t know anything about food. It was because, being new to town, he didn’t know what their options were.
    They ended up at the Pizza Parlor, a small restaurant complete with checkered tablecloths, candles in Chianti bottles and a jukebox that kept the noise level too high to talk about much more than what other restaurants and take-out places Tyler might want to try in the future.
    It was dark when they’d polished off their pizza and stepped back out onto Main Street.
    Streetlamps had come on to keep the town’s primary thoroughfare brightly lit, and already there was a sleepy quality to Black Arrow.
    Willow was glad that she and Tyler were nearly the only people on the street as they strolled along, so thatshe could point out where Tyler would need to go to renew his driver’s license or to mail a package, where to get the best deal on new tires for his truck or to have his dry cleaning done.
    She also peppered her advice with little details about the owners and operators of the businesses around town, including some tidbits of gossip.
    And then they’d come full circle, back to the Feed and Grain, and she discovered in herself a full-blown disappointment that it brought the evening to a natural conclusion.
    â€œI’ll take you home if you tell me where home is,” Tyler offered when they approached the store.
    Willow took a few more steps to the side of the old wooden building and nodded in the direction of the long stretch of stairs that ran up its side to the second floor. “This is home, too. I live in the apartment upstairs,” she informed him. Then, surprising herself, she said, “Would you like to see it?”
    The minute the words were out she doubted their wisdom. But Tyler didn’t hesitate to take her up on it.
    â€œI probably should have checked it out before I hired you on as my decorator,” he teased. “But better late than never.”
    Willow still wasn’t sure this had been the best idea as she led Tyler up the stairs, but she was so happy he’d accepted the invitation that it didn’t seem to make any difference. She just kept thinking that maybe he’d wanted the evening to go on a little longer, too, and that that was a good sign.
    Passing through the door from the outside landing put them in her kitchen—a big, warm country kitchen painted white, but accented in the colors of autumn, with a round pedestal table at its heart and four cane-back chairs pushed in around it.
    â€œWould you like some coffee or tea or a drink or a soda?” she offered as Tyler came in behind her and closed the door.
    â€œNo, thanks. Just your company will be enough.”
    Willow wondered if simple, flirtatious statements like that gave other women the same warm rush they gave her. But one way or another his comment did give her a warm rush.
    She just didn’t know what to say in response, and that left her stammering slightly. “Oh. Okay. Well. As you can tell, this is the kitchen,” she said, hating that she sounded so nervous. “And on the other side of that half counter is the living room. We can sit in there if you want.”
    â€œThat’d be nice,” he said, an edge of amusement in his tone.
    He waited for her to lead the way into the other large, open room, and Willow did just that.
    â€œThere isn’t much to see from here,” she continued. “Two bedrooms and a bath are through that archway. Well, two baths, actually. There’s a tiny bathroom in my bedroom, but the main one is there in the hall. In case…” Was she actually suggesting he go to the bathroom? Tension had taken her too far.
    But Tyler didn’t seem to think anything of it. Heonly glanced in that direction before taking in her