Page 58 of A Whole New Game

“I’m glad.” The soft glow of the patio lights shines over the hair hanging over her shoulders in soft waves. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Really?” She bites her bottom lip. “I didn’t know if this would be an inconvenience.”

“You could never be an inconvenience.”

She frees her lip. “You’re sweet.”

“Only for you.” That’s the truth. No woman has ever seen this side of me, and I suspect no one but Carlee ever will.

She shuffles her feet. “I know it’s late, but I thought we could catch up for a bit. Then I’ll head back down to my apartment if you want.” She says the last part quietly as she averts her gaze.

“I’d prefer if you stay the night.”

Her eyes fly back to mine. “Yeah?”

Her nervousness is adorable. It helps alleviate the fear I have about moving too fast. I don’t want to scare her away. “Absolutely.”

She blushes prettily. “Okay.”

“Okay.” I grin. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

“I can make us a sandwich.” My cooking skills aren’t the best.

“Let me look around. Maybe I can make something better.”

Not one to turn down a cooked meal, I agree.

Carlee walks back to the kitchen. When she opens the fridge, I tell her I’ll be back in a minute and duck into my bedroom tostraighten up. I’m not a slob, but I wasn’t expecting company, and I can’t remember the state I left my room in before leaving for Vegas.

Nervous energy I haven’t felt since I was a fourteen-year-old about to kiss a girl for the first time makes me jittery. My hands shake as I gather dirty laundry from the floor and toss it in the hamper in my closet. I’m about to enter my ensuite to evaluate if I should instruct Carlee to use the guest bathroom that hasn’t been touched since I moved in when I hear soft footsteps approaching the bedroom door.

“Um, Corey?” She appears in the doorway holding up a small business card. “What’s this?”

I move closer to see what it is, stiffening when I recognize it. “Oh.” I clear my throat. “That. It’s a business card… for a flower shop.”

She blinks. I can’t read her expression. “For a flower shop in Rose Hill.”

“Yes.”

“The same shop where my birthday flowers come from when I’m in town.”

I don’t want to lie, but I’m hesitant to out myself if Carlee hasn’t put two and two together. I watch her with sealed lips, waiting for her next words.

She doesn’t hold back. “You send me flowers on my birthday every year.”

I release the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Seeing no other option, again, I say, “Yes.”

Her lips part as she allows her disbelief to cover her features. “Why in the world would you keep it a secret?”

Why, indeed…

How do I confess to Carlee that even though I was a coward who ran away after prom and left for college withoutsaying goodbye, I couldn’t stomach the thought of allowing her eighteenth birthday to pass without doing something?

Even if it was a secret, I needed to show her I cared.

“Corey,” Carlee murmurs my name with patience I don’t deserve. She takes a step closer. “Why did you send the flowers anonymously?”

---