“Jackie,” I call out as I walk into The Sugar Studio and feel my hips gain at least three pounds. “I’m a little early this morning.”
“No worries,” she calls out from the kitchen. “Give me two minutes. I’m just boxing up your order. These key lime cookies are to die for, if I do say so myself.”
At just the mention of the treats, my mouth starts to water.
“Are you coming to the gala on Saturday night?” I ask her as she carries the boxes to me.
“Of course,” she replies with a grin. “I’ll be in today or tomorrow to shop for a dress. I saw your post on social media that you got some things in.”
“I actually have something specific that I think you’ll love. No pressure, of course.” I pass her my credit card so I can pay my tab for the month and then wiggle my eyebrows. “Are you bringing your man?”
“This is so not his usual thing,” she says with a chuckle, “but I talked him into it. I had to promise him that he doesn’t have to wear a tie, but I am getting that man into a sport coat if it’s the last thing I do.”
“My money’s on you,” I say with a wink.
“Are you bringing Ryan?” she asks.
“He’s out of town.” I shrug a shoulder and try to shake off the disappointment that always wants to come when I think of it. “He’ll have to miss this one. Maybe next time.”
“Well, that’s a bummer. Next time for sure,” she agrees and passes me back my card.
Once I’ve signed the receipt, I lift the boxes and smile at Jackie.
“Thanks, friend. See you tomorrow morning for more cookies.”
“Have a successful day,” she says, waving me off as I push through the door and make my way down the block to my store.
It’s an overcast summer day, and I’m pretty sure we’ll have thunderstorms this afternoon, which usually brings shoppers inside, so I can’t complain about that.
“Good morning,” Jessica says as she unlocks the front door for me and steps back so I can walk through. “God, those smell good.”
“I know. Jackie is a genius with sugar.” I set the boxes on the buffet and start setting out the treats so customers can help themselves. “Did you get those new blouses hung?”
“Yes, ma’am, and the steamer’s heating up as we speak. Melissa should be in soon.”
“I wonder if I should call Katie in.” I prop my hands on my hips and check out my handiwork. “Grace is out of town, but it might be best to have four of us on hand today. I have a hunch that it’s going to get busy.”
“Probably not a bad idea,” Jessica replies as she folds some T-shirts.
With a decisive nod, I pull out my cell and call the teenager.
“’Lo?” she answers. I obviously woke her up. “Polly?”
“Hi, Katie, sorry for waking you up. I was wondering if you might be able to put in a few hours this afternoon. Maybe from noon to five?”
“Sure, I can do that. Thanks, Polly.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you this afternoon.”
I hang up, and Jessica grins. “That girl loves working here.”
“She loves the discount on the clothes,” I counter and laugh. “And I can’t blame her. I have some online orders that came in overnight, and they need to be filled today, too.”
“I can handle that,” Jessica offers. “I like filling those, and it doesn’t take me long.”
“Do you mind seeing to that first thing, before the rush starts?”
“You got it.” Jessica passes me the unfolded shirts and moves directly over to the computer to start printing invoices.
I take over the folding and then spend an hour reorganizing and straightening the clothes on the floor, making room for some new stock that should be coming in later this week. The best part about this business is the merchandise is forever changing.
By the time Katie arrives, business is picking up, and I’m helping a tourist replace a dress for a wedding she’s attending next weekend.
“Thanks for calling me in,” Katie says once I get the customer settled in a fitting room. “My plans for today got canceled, so I would have been bored.”
“And we don’t want that,” I reply with a wink. “I appreciate you coming in. I like that skirt.”
“Thanks.” With a smile, she does a little spin and then stops and clears her throat, looking at someone over my shoulder. “Oh, hi, Jake.”
I turn and smile at the teenager and then feel my eyebrows climb when I see that he’s holding a bouquet of pink roses.
“Hey, Katie.” He nods, and his cheeks darken, and I can’t help but smile. “Uh, Polly, Ryan asked me to stop in and bring you these.”
He holds the flowers out to me, and I accept them, burying my nose in the blooms, happy that Ryan thought of me.
“How sweet,” Katie says behind me.
“Yeah, he says he’s sorry that he’s been quiet and stuff,” Jake continues. “He’s just been busy. It’s nothing personal, you know?”
“I figured that was the case. Thanks, Jake.”
“They’re from Ryan,” he clarifies, and I nod.
“I get it. Still, it was nice of you to stop by with them. How are you doing out there by yourself?” I walk Jake to the front of the shop and step outside with him so we can talk without anyone else listening in.
“I’m not really alone,” he says with a laugh, immediately relaxing now that Katie’s not within earshot. “Pretty much everyone has been out to stay with me. Even Mac has.”
I blink in surprise. “Really? He didn’t mention that.”
“Yeah, so I can’t get a minute of quiet.” But the smile doesn’t slip from his face.
“You’re a popular kid, and everyone enjoys hanging out with you,” I remind him. “How is Ryan, anyway?”
“Really busy,” he says with a sigh. “He manages to call me once a day, but it’s only for a few minutes, and then he has to go into another meeting. I think he’s in Stockholm right now. Or maybe he’s in Germany. Tokyo? I’m losing track, honestly.”
“It’s a lot of travel.” I nod thoughtfully. “Would you ever want to go with him?”
“Maybe on a shorter trip, but not if he’s gone for this long. The horses need someone, and they know me. We trust each other.”
“That’s true.” I wish Ryan didn’t have two more weeks to go on this trip. I miss him, even though I just spoke with him. “Who’s bunking with you tonight?”
“Millie. She’s cool, but she wants me to, like, talk to her and stuff, and I just want to play video games with Russ in the evening, you know?”
“You poor thing.” I punch him lightly on the shoulder. “Having to have a conversation with a nice lady and everything.”
Jake laughs. “Yeah, I know. It’s not so bad. Do you need anything?”
I blink at him, surprised. This kid is the best, most thoughtful kid I know. “I think I’m good. Do you need anything? You can call me anytime, you know.”
He nods. “I know. Nah, I’m good, too. It’s weird having him gone this long, you know?”
And there it is. He may have a village around to help look after him, but Jake misses Ryan.
I can’t blame him. So do I.
“Is this the longest he’s been gone since you moved in?”
He nods and looks down at his feet. “Yeah. Back before…after all the bad shit happened, he stuck close. I know he wanted to look out for me, make sure I was okay. But now things are better, and I guess he feels more comfortable with going. He’s important and stuff.”
But he’s important to you, too.
“Hopefully, the next couple of weeks will go by fast, and he’ll be back before we know it. Do you mind if I change the subject really quick?”
“Sure.”
I look down at the roses and then back up at Jake. “You should ask Katie out, Jake. Like, on a date.”
“What? No. No way.”
“Why not? She likes you, and I think you like her, too. Why not take her to dinner or a movie or something?”
“She doesn’t want to date me,” he insists, shaking his head. “We hang out in completely different crowds.”
“So? Look, high school may be cliquey, but trust me, life isn’t always like that.”
“I’m good.” He clears his throat. “I should go.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean to run you off. Forget I said anything. I should probably just mind my own business.”
His face softens, and he nudges me with his elbow. “It’s okay. But I really do have to go. I’m meeting up with Russ.”
I like Russ. I met him at the pool party, and he seemed like a good kid.
“Okay, have fun. Call me if you need anything. And if you don’t need anything.”
Jake nods and waves as he hurries over to his truck and hops inside.
It’s time for me to get back to work, but first, I pull the card out of the roses and read it.
Miss you, babe.
It was good that I brought Katie in today. We were even busier than I expected, which is always a good thing. Of course, that means that I’m exhausted as I head home for the day, walking through the neighborhood toward my little house. It always sounds like a good idea to walk to work, given how many months are under snow, and I won’t be able to get the exercise, but I also seem to forget that I have to walk back home after work.
And then it’s not so much fun.
At least it’s not far.
Hopefully, I’m tired enough that the heat won’t keep me up half the night again. As much fun as last night was, I don’t think I can make a habit of calling Ryan and pulling him out of meetings.
I can’t resist lowering my nose to sniff one of the roses in the bouquet that Jake delivered earlier. It was thoughtful of both of them.
When I walk up my sidewalk, I frown at the white piece of paper taped to the outside of my screen door. Peeling it off, I unlock the door and step inside, eyebrows lifting when it’s not a hundred degrees in my house.
In fact, it’s…cold.
I turn on a light and read the note from the door. Skimming to the bottom, I see that it’s a note from Ryan, printed off of an email to an HVAC company.
P-
Don’t be mad at me, okay? You were uncomfortable last night, and I could remedy that situation. Hopefully, now you can sleep peacefully. Bundle up until I’m with you to keep you warm myself.
-R
“He had air conditioning installed in my house in one day?” I shake my head, and, without giving it too much thought, I call him. This time, it does go to voicemail. “Hey, I just got home to your note and a chilly house on this hot summer day. Seriously, Ryan, you didn’t have to do that. I appreciate it more than I can say, and honestly, I’m kind of stunned, but you didn’t have to. That’s not why I called last night. Thanks. Thank you. Okay, I hope you’re having a good day, or morning, or whatever time it is there, and I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”
I slip the phone into my pocket and then walk over to the new thermostat on the wall. It’s set to sixty-seven degrees, which feels cold. So, I up it to seventy and then call my brother.
“Yo,” he says into my ear.
“Did you know about this?” I pace down the hallway.
“Which this are we talking about?”
“The new AC unit attached to my house that Ryan had put in. Someone let them into my house.”
“Yeah, I knew. No, I’m not getting in the middle of it. I just do what I’m told. You needed it anyway. It’s an oven in that house.”
“Should I feel guilty about this?”
“Did you ask him to do it for you?”
“No.” I roll my eyes and walk back down the hallway. “I didn’t mention it. I did tell him that it was hot in here, but I didn’t ask him for anything.”
“Then no, you shouldn’t feel guilty. Ry likes to do things like this. Just enjoy it.”
“I will.” I sigh and return to the kitchen and then frown as I sniff. “Uh, Mac?”
“Yeah?”
“It smells like gas in my kitchen.”
“What? Jesus, get out of that house, Poll. I’m calling the gas company now, and I’m on my way over.”
“Okay. It’s always something in this place, I swear.”
I hang up, grab my purse, and walk out to the sidewalk. When I get there, my phone rings.
“Hello?”
“This is Matt from the gas company. I hear you have an issue in the kitchen?”
“Yeah, I smell gas in there. My stove is gas, but it’s been broken, and I haven’t used it in a long time.”
“Okay, I have someone on their way to you. Are you outside?”
“I am.”
“Good, stay out there until my tech gets to you, just to be on the safe side. He should be there in about ten minutes.”
“Okay, thanks a lot.”
I hang up and sigh. Leave it to me to get a brand-new air-conditioning unit, and on the same day, my house blows up from a gas leak.
That would be my luck.
I turn at the sound of a vehicle approaching and see my brother pull up to the curb and walk over to me, his face grim.
“I’ll go in and double-check,” he says.
“Smart. I’ll be damn embarrassed if the smell was all in my head.”
Mac walks inside and, just a few seconds later, comes right back out. “It’s there for sure. I wonder what happened.”
I shrug just as another truck approaches, and I’m relieved to see that it’s the tech with the gas company.
“Hey, folks.” He reaches into the truck and comes out with a black box. “I’ll go in and measure for gas first, and we’ll go from there.”
“Thank you.”
A few seconds after going into the house, he comes back out, nodding. “Oh, yeah, there’s a leak in the kitchen. Looks like the hose behind the stove is leaking. I can cap it off, but then you’ll be without a stove.”
“It doesn’t work anyway,” I inform him. “So go ahead and cap it off.”
With a nod, he gets to work, and Mac turns to me with a scowl.
“What?”
“I didn’t know that the stove didn’t work.”
“I wasn’t ready to replace it,” I reply with a shrug. “You already do so much for me; there’s no need to rope you into more things that aren’t a priority. I rarely eat at home anyway.”
“A broken gas stove is dangerous, Polly.”
“And now it’s being taken care of.”
He sighs and digs his fingers into his eye sockets, the way he always does when I irritate the hell out of him.
“You can probably go,” I add. “Now that he’s here, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“I’ll stay.”
Okay, two weeks without Ryan is starting to grate on my nerves, and I still have a week to go until he’s home.
“I’m just feeling sorry for myself because he’s not coming with me tonight.” I shimmy into the white formal dress that I bought just for this occasion. It’s short, hitting me just above the knee, has a high neck but is sleeveless, and is complete with a pretty, silver belt that manages to make my waist look small.
I love clothes.
Slipping into strappy silver heels that match the belt, I turn to grab my clutch. It’s orange, the only pop of color in my outfit, and I love it. It’s my splurge for the month.
Of course, my splurges always have to do with fashion.
My hair is up in a French twist, and as I fasten my silver earrings, the doorbell rings.
“Must be Zach from next door,” I mutter as I fasten the second earring and then walk through the house. “I have to pay him for trimming the bushes the other day. Hey, Zach,” I begin as I open the door, and then stop short and stare in disbelief.
“Who the fuck is Zach?” Ryan’s voice is calm, but his hazel eyes are hard with the question. And oh, my God, he looks amazing.
“Ryan.” I grab his hand and yank him inside, slam the door, and move in to wrap my arms around him, but he takes one tiny step back, stopping me, the muscle in his jaw ticking with agitation.
“Who’s Zach, Polly?”
I frown up at him, and then it dawns on me. He thought I was expecting someone else.
“The neighbor kid,” I reply, and can’t help but grin when his face relaxes. “I thought he was coming to collect his twenty bucks for trimming the bushes. Instead, I found a super sexy man on my doorstep who appears to be dressed for a party.”
He’s sexier than sin in a blue sport coat over a white dress shirt open at the collar and darker blue slacks. He has a pink handkerchief in the breast pocket, and he’s just…delicious.
“Jesus, I missed you,” he says and lowers his lips to mine, kissing me like he hasn’t seen me in years and missed me every single one of those days.
“You came,” I manage, and am mortified to feel tears want to threaten, so I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him, loving the way he simply lifts me off my feet. “You didn’t have to, you know.”
“Yes, I did. I needed to come home. Do we have a second, or do we need to go right away?”
“We can take a second,” I reply, not wanting to let go of him, and definitely not ready to share him with a whole bunch of people. “You were a busy man, Ryan. I think you texted me twice after our fun phone call.”
“I packed three weeks’ worth of meetings and flights into two weeks,” he informs me and sits on the couch, setting me in his lap. “I worked pretty much nonstop so I could come home sooner. I missed Jake, the ranch, and you.”
“Did you piss everyone off by doing that?”
“I don’t give a shit if I did,” he says, dragging his fingertips down my jawline. “They work for me, not the other way around, and I made it clear to Arthur that he’s not to schedule me out of town for more than three days at a time from now on. That’s all I’ll do.”
I blink at him, surprised. “Wow. Well, I know Jake will appreciate that. The kid really missed you.”
“I know. I’ve already been home, and he told me every single thing that happened since I left. It was a long conversation.” He grins and leans in to kiss my forehead. “I’ll want to hear the same from you, you know.”
“Likewise. Do you feel how nice and cool it is in here?”
He kisses my forehead again, and I melt inside. “It’s much better. Were you very mad at me?”
“Not mad. Confused, and maybe a little guilty, but not mad. Thank you for it. Did you buy Argentina?”
“Not this time.” He smiles at me. “Can I still join you at this party tonight?”
“Are you kidding? Looking the way you do, you’d better want to go with me. You’ll be my arm candy.”
“It’s a tough job,” he says with a mournful sigh. “But someone has to do it.”
“Were you really jealous when I opened the door?”
“I thought I was going to have to kill someone named Zach and call my brothers to help me dispose of the body.” His lips firm as his eyes drop to my mouth. “Just because I’m gone for two weeks doesn’t mean you get to move on to the next guy.”
“You’re all I think about.” My words are soft, but I see they pack a punch when his eyes flare. “Just you, Ryan. I’m so glad you’re home. I really missed you. Now, let’s go to the party so I can show you off. You look damn hot in that coat. Is it Gucci?”
“How did you know?”
“Fashion is my job. Of course, I know.”
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