“Sorry.” I swiped at the tears that were now falling down my cheeks. “I don’t know what’s come over me.”
“Memories, love. That’s what happened.” She patted my hand with real affection, causing me to cry harder.
She pulled me in for a hug. Usually, I’d shy away from this kind of human contact, but I needed this. Only Aunt Doll held me like this. Maybe that was why I was grumpy and het up all the time. Perhaps I needed this form of interaction back in my life.
“I’ve forgotten my… Oh, sorry. Is everything okay?”
I broke from Sally’s sweet embrace to be greeted by Luke’s green eyes.
Shit. My nose was snotty, and my eyes were swollen. I could only imagine how red my cheeks were. Why did he have to see me like this? Broken and weak. Then my eyes connected to his, and I was surprised to see concern etched in them. My insides churned with some alien sensation. Warmth.
“We’re fine,” Sally assured him. “Just reminiscing about the good old days.”
“Oh, okay. I forgot my fertiliser. I’ll just grab it and leave you ladies in peace.”
I watched as he lifted his bag of fertiliser and headed for the door. He turned once, looking as though he was going to say something else. He shrugged and walked away.
“Luke’s lovely, isn’t he?” Sally led me over to a couple of comfy seats.
“Not so sure about that. Since we met, we’ve done nothing but snipe at each other.” I sniffled. Sally handed me a tissue, and I smiled my thanks.
“Really? Luke is usually such a sweet young man.” She seemed truly perplexed by his behaviour.
“He keeps calling me Red, even after I told him not to.” Sally tittered, and I joined in. “That sounded really childish, didn’t it?”
“Just a little, love. But you do have beautiful red hair. I’d take it as a compliment.”
“Hmm, we’ll see.”
After Sally helped me with my plants, I loaded them up in a wheelbarrow which customers could use to transport their goods. She studied me for a while, and I felt a little uneasy about it.
“What?”
She tapped her finger against her chin. “I was just thinking. There could be another reason you two have reacted like this towards each other.”
“What would that be?”
“You could be attracted to one another.” There was a wicked glint in her eyes.
“Nope. Not even if hell froze over. Nothing happening there,” I protested, holding my hands up.
“I wonder… doth the lady protest too much?” Her question ended on a high, singsong note.
“No way. Those type of things only happen in slushy romantic comedy stories.” I moved outside.
“It could be your very own enemies to lovers romance,” she suggested, her lips quirking upward as though trying to stifle laughter.
I laughed, wishing the burn in my cheeks would go away. “You read far too much romance, Sally. I’ll see you later.” I waved, heading back to the plot.
* * *