I slam my elbow into her ribs. “Keep your eyes to yourself.”
“Why?” she questions, raising a brow. “Is he spoken for?”
“No.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
I clench down on my jaw. It seems this is just the way things are going to go around here now that Rivers is back. Everybody wants to know my business and everybody thinks they’re entitled to know what’s going on inside my heart. “Why don’t you put this order through,” I suggest.
She does what she’s told like a good little employee and I finish off the arrangement before handing it over and sending the big guy on his way.
The bell jingles as he exits the store and I curse the little fucker as the sound has Rivers’ head whipping around. He scans over the store with disinterest as he chats to the mechanic, but it takes all of two seconds for him to realize what he’s looking at and even less time for me to realize that no one has told him about this.
His jaw drops just a touch and he turns directly to face my store while he looks it over. I don’t doubt he’s currently taking in the store name which is flashing in lights reading ‘Read My Tulips’ and is quickly coming to the realization that this is my store.
Rivers waves off the mechanic and starts walking across the road and I swallow back fear. I’m not ready for this.
He left the ball in my court on Monday and there’s no way in hell I’m prepared to face him again, not after he told me everything that I’ve been needing to hear. I’m not strong enough to push him away again.
He walks right up to the front of my store while I stare on with bated breath. I watch as his eyes scan over the flowers and takes in the way I’ve done up the entrance of my store. He looks over the decorations in the front window and then finally his eyes find mine. They shine with unbelievable pride and for the first time since he’s been back, I feel absolutely elated.
Electricity pulses through me just as it does every time he’s near.
Please don’t come in here. Please don’t come in here.
His fingers brush over the bucket of lilies I keep at the very front of my store for my little sister and he scoops one up, letting the stem dangle low. I doubt he knows what kind of flower he’s holding, but the meaning isn’t lost on me.
His eyes bore into mine and I see the desperation within him to run in here and pull me into his arms and I don’t doubt that he sees that reflected in my eyes. But if he can see that, then he can also see that I’m not ready, that now’s not the time, and it’s certainly not the place.
Being the silent brooding hero that I’ve always known him to be, he lowers his chin and takes a step back. That one tiny movement allows me to catch a breath and a wave of relief crashes down over me. As if reading my mind, a sexy as fuck smirk cuts across his face and he sends me a wink before walking away with my lily.
I‘m left panting and it takes me way too long to remember that Candice has been standing right beside me the whole time, witness to the effect Samuel Rivers has on me.
My eyes slowly scan across to her to find her smirking and shaking her head. She grabs the finished arrangement of roses and begins wrapping them as a chuckle pulls from within her. “Tell yourself whatever helps you sleep at night, but just know, that no matter how much you lie to yourself; you’re fucked.”
Chapter 8
Rivers
I gather all the papers that I’ve been preparing with my lawyer over the past week. I don’t know what convinced me to do this but I had to keep myself busy while Henley and Noah are away otherwise, I would have been barging down Tully’s door day in and day out.
I haven’t bothered her since I saw her a few days ago and knowing that she’s so damn close and not being able to be near her is killing me. I hate being away from her, but I need to respect the fact that she needs space to sort through her emotions.
Everyone keeps telling me how much she’s changed since I went away, but when I look at her, I still see a fighter and that means that she can still deliver one hell of an ass whopping if need be. I’m not here to barge into her life and screw it all around, despite the fact that I sort of am. I want to make her happy, but I want to do it respectfully.