“I got most of what was in my head out of it.”
“Good. Because we’ve got an hour before we have to get to work, and I’ve got a much better idea for how to spend it.”
Chapter 9
“I have a surprise for you.” Cecily could barely contain herself as she cornered Reed in his office.
“Does it involve those two lips meeting these two lips?”
“Totally not the surprise. Though I suspect we’ll get there.”
“Then lay it on me.”
She pulled the copy of the contract out of her purse and laid it on the desk.
He pulled out his horn rims—swoon—and proceeded to scan it before his gaze snapped to hers. “This is a offer to purchase real estate. Here.”
“It is. Mitch was right. The old train station would make an amazing office. My grandfather has a saying: Start as you mean to continue. If I’m going to make a business here, I might as well start out looking like a real—” But he’d skirted the desk and scooped her up with a whoop before she could finish.
“This is amazing!”
His unfettered enthusiasm curbed the ner
ves that’d been simmering beneath her excitement. He’d been so reserved the other morning, she hadn’t been entirely sure how he’d react.
“The offer hasn’t been accepted yet. I low-balled it. The place has been vacant for years, so I figure there’s room for negotiation.”
“You’re so sexy when you talk business. This calls for celebration.”
Cecily blocked his mouth with a hand. “Later. I don’t have long, I need to get back to the office pretty soon. If you kiss me, you’ll just destroy my focus for the rest of the day. I just wanted to drop by and share the news. I need to call Verdant and cancel my interview.”
Reed sobered. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
She gazed up at him, waiting for the uncertainty, the second guessing. But it never came. Crazy as it was, the decision felt right. “Sometimes you have to take a leap. This is mine.”
His eyes warmed. “Okay then. Celebration after work. Whatever you want.”
Oh the possibilities. “I’ll text you the details.”
“Ah. Then I’d best get on over to pick up my replacement phone, post haste.” He pulled the cell out of his pocket to show the spiderweb cracks across the screen.
“What happened?”
“Dropped it. Naturally it hit the sidewalk at the exact angle needed to totally destroy it. They’re holding a replacement for me at the AT&T store in Lawley.” He checked his watch. “Which I need to be leaving to go pick up, now that Brenda is back from her lunch break.”
“Go ahead. I’ll see you tonight. Do you mind if I just use your MacBook to put in some final tweaks to the book signing campaign?”
“Knock yourself out.” Reed leaned over and typed in the unlock password. He waited until she took his vacated chair before dropping a quick kiss to her cheek. “Tonight.”
As he walked out front to give Brenda instructions, Cecily loosed a dreamy sigh. Tonight.
But for a few hours more, she had to bend her brain to work-related tasks. Shoving up her sleeves, she got to work.
Brenda came in as she was loading the remaining newsletter blasts. “I can’t believe you’re okay with him staying friends with his ex.”
Cecily looked up. “Huh?”
“His ex. The one he texts with all the time.”