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Chapter 9

The bell over the door jingled again almost immediately, and I leaned around John's wide shoulders to greet the newest customer. My shop hadn't been this busy in months.

A genuine smile pulled at my lips when John's fiancée, Joey, barreled through the door. He shot me an exasperated look before turning and pulling the pretty brunette to his side. "Hey, beautiful. I thought you'd be opening the shop."

"I am." She waved a hand. "But I saw you come down here and I figured I'd pop in. Besides"—she turned her dark gaze on me—"I wanted to see if you still had that pretty aquamarine necklace in stock."

Though the Clothing Emporium carried clothes and accessories, John told me she'd been eyeing a particular piece of my jewelry. I'd pulled it from the floor just seconds before Joey had waltzed through the front door, and it was currently waiting to be boxed up.

John's gaze moved to the ceiling, and I smothered a smile. His surprise was going to have to wait a bit longer.

"I'm sorry," I replied, hating having to lie. "Someone from the resort stopped in and picked it up the other day."

Her face fell. "Oh."

My heart twisted at her expression of disappointment, and I rushed on, "I'll see if I can get another made up for you."

"That would be great." She smiled, then turned to John, suspicion heavy in her eyes. "What brought you down here?"

"I told Mia and Jules I'd pick up the flowers for the festival."

I turned my attention to him. "Oh, you didn't have to do that. I was going to bring them up during my lunch break."

"It's no problem," he assured me. "Jules wanted to get a head start decorating, and it's a slow day, so I offered to come."

"Sounds good. I hope you have room in your car," I spoke as I led the way to the back. My assistant?—"

My words trailed off as my gaze flitted around the room, looking for Smith. It was empty.

Assistant, my ass, I silently fumed. I knew he wasn't in the showroom, and I hadn't even heard the back door. Where the hell did he go? It was as if he'd vanished into thin air.

John sent me a questioning look, and I quickly recovered, pasting on a smile. "We have everything ready to go. Give me just a second to box them up for you."

I glanced around once more, half-expecting to find Smith hovering off to the side, watchful and silent as always. But the work room was empty, and I was momentarily baffled at the fact that the man had just vanished into thin air.

Where the hell could he have gone? Had he run away already? Nothing in his actions this morning had indicated he was ready to flee. I didn't know him that well, but I'd hoped he was learning to trust me.

I'd noticed he'd stayed in the back while Mrs. Garber had come in to order a bouquet for her ailing sister. Maybe he was just wary of other people. Not that I blamed him after what he'd endured. But to just disappear? What the hell was with that?

Between the three of us, it only took two trips to get all the bouquets loaded into John's SUV. Once we were done, I turned to Joey. "Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it."

"No problem." She smiled. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

"I will, thanks."

John kissed Joey goodbye, then climbed behind the wheel as she headed off to the Emporium with a little wave. "I'll be back for that necklace," he said, his voice low and tinged with exasperation.

"I'll box it up for you. But she did look pretty sad when I told her it was gone. You might want to pick up some flowers, too."

I winked and he laughed. "Put something together for me and I'll be back after my shift."

I stepped back with a grin and waved as he pulled away, then headed back into the shop. I'd just passed the counter when a huge figure materialized in the doorway to the back room. "Jesus, Smith! You scared the hell out of me."

I pressed one hand to my chest to slow my racing heart. "Where the hell were you, and what?—?"

My gaze dropped to the shears clutched in his hand. My brows drew together. "What are you doing?"

His grip was odd. Not like he was going to cut with them, but...

Shock rolled through my chest as a dozen questions sprang to the tip of my tongue. He looked so defensive, so ready to fight. What had happened to make him feel this way, like he had to constantly be on guard? It was going to be a hell of a lot harder to gain his trust than I'd thought.

I swallowed down the words battering my throat and met his gaze. "They're gone," I said softly. "No one knows you're here. You can relax."

One dark brow shot upward, silently conveying his disagreement. Well, I couldn't argue with him. All I could do was remain calm and allow him to work it out for himself. I gestured to the shears. "If that's your weapon of choice today, I'm at least going to put them to good use."

His expression didn't change, but I swore I saw a hint of mirth dancing in his eyes. I breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad the tense moment had passed. The rest of the day went quickly as I showed Smith how to cut and arrange several different bouquets. He was quick and efficient, and it gave me the opportunity to observe him more closely.

"I don't know if you heard me talking earlier," I said as I placed a spring of baby's breath into a bouquet. "That was John who stopped in, and his fiancée, Joey. She inherited the Clothing Emporium down the street."

I gestured toward him. "That's where I got your clothes. And John works for Briarleigh."

I went on to explain about the large resort situated high on the mountain, sharing details about the town and the people who lived here.

I was surprised at how quickly time passed with another person to keep me company and help out. It made me think I should hire someone, at least part time. Wishful thinking, my bank account disagreed with me. For now, I would have to deal with the loneliness.

As promised, John stopped by just before closing time to pick up the necklace and flowers. I'd put together the prettiest blooms I had on hand, hoping she would eventually forgive my little white lie.

Smith helped me clean up, and I was aware of him watching everything around us as we climbed into the car and headed back to my place. Inside, I tossed a quick look his way. "I'm going to change. Make yourself at home."

By the time I'd washed up and returned to the kitchen, I found him in front of the stove, skillet in hand. I blinked at the sight. "I was just joking about you cooking to earn your keep," I ventured. "You don't have to do this."

As usual, he just shrugged. I peered around him, taking in the array of veggies on the counter. "Can I help?"

He tipped his head toward them, and I slid a cutting board over, then reached for a knife. "Oh, right," I said, my voice thick with sarcasm. "Someone still has my favorite knife."

Smith met my mock glare. Reaching behind him, he pulled the knife from his back pocket and twirled it between his fingers until the hilt faced me. I grasped it, but he held on a second longer. The corners of his mouth twitched, and he finally relinquished it.

"Thank you, sir."

He dipped his chin, then turned back to the pork chops searing in the pan. A comfortable silence stretched between us as we worked, then sat down to eat. It was far better than anything I could make, and I felt a zing of jealousy as I speared it onto my fork and took a huge bite. "This is good. Thank you."

He gave a customary nod before shoveling a giant bite into his mouth. Once we'd finished dinner, I eyed Smith. "Would you like to take a shower?"

He nodded gratefully, and I couldn't help but smile. "Why don't you go do that while I clean up here?"

His brows drew together in silent protest, and I waved him away. "You cooked, I'll clean. Let me know when you're done and I'll change your bandages. There's shampoo and soap, but if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

He lifted his hand to his face and made a scraping motion over his beard. It took my mind a moment to make the connection. "Oh! A razor. Of course."

I set the plates in the sink, then led the way to the bathroom. I found new razor beneath the sink and passed it his way. "Sorry, all I have is pink. I'd have bought a different color had I known you were coming."

His mouth twitched again, though his expression never changed. He bowed his head, and I left the room, closing the door behind me. A smile tugged at my lips as I made the short walk back to the kitchen. How strange that I could interpret his response just by reading his expression.

As odd as it was, it felt entirely normal to communicate with him like this. I wondered if he knew sign language. Not that I would be any help in that arena. My knowledge of ASL extended to a few letters of the alphabet and phrases I'd learned in school. Though I'd asked multiple times, he refused each offer to communicate using my phone. I mentally shrugged. If it didn't bother him, it shouldn't bother me.

I took my time washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen, a million thoughts parading through my mind. Where had Smith come from? And was there a woman waiting on him somewhere? Not that it was any of my business. Shaking my head, I ruthlessly tamped down down the strange surge of jealousy that lanced through me, sending my stomach tumbling.

A soft noise from behind me drew my attention, and I glanced over my shoulder. My heart flipped and my mouth immediately went dry at the sight before me. Smith stood in the doorway of the kitchen, a towel wrapped around his lean waist. Droplets of water glistened on his broad chest and in his inky black hair, shining like diamonds.

Though I'd seen him nude, this was somehow different. And as glorious as his torso was, that wasn't what caused my pulse to thrum wildly in my veins. He'd shaved away his beard, revealing the most gorgeous face I'd ever seen.

His jaw was strong and angular, and a tiny dimple dotted his chin. My legs went rubbery, and I felt dangerously close to swooning. I swallowed hard and forced my brain to focus. "Are you ready for me?"

One dark brow lifted ever so slightly, and heat raced up my neck and into my cheeks. "To take care of you, I mean."

Oh, God. That didn't sound any better. "Not take care of you. You're not a toddler. I just meant, to... to clean your wounds."

I pressed my hands together, flustered. What the hell was wrong with me? I never got this tongue tied. "Why don't you sit while I'll get everything ready?"

Spinning toward the sink, I retrieved the medicine kit and took a moment to collect myself. This was out of control. Clearly I'd been single far too long if I was losing my mind over a half-naked man.

Granted, Smith was an incredibly gorgeous half-naked man, but still. He'd given no indication that he was interested in me at all. For all I knew, he had a girlfriend or a wife back home. Wherever that was.

Drawing in a deep breath, I pushed to my feet. Smith had been through enough. He didn't need me fawning over him. I would help him just as I'd promised, because he deserved it.

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