Page 36 of From Rivals to I Do

“For my wild little Texas rose. . . though I suppose I should say Texas Lily, huh? Hopefully now you won’t need to be throwing pies my way anymore. Sincerely, Eli.”

“They’re from the cowboy?” Doreen asks.

“Looks like it!” I nod as I go to lift the vase.

“It’s alright, you can leave them there until your shift’s over,” Doreen says. “This Eli guy seems like a real keeper.”

“Yeah, I guess maybe he is,” I say, and I pull my phone out of my pocket. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be just a minute.”

“Take your time,” Doreen replies with a smirk as Nala and her begin to talk amongst each other, and I head out toward the hallway overlooking the pond outside.

I’m nervous, but I decide to call him. I want to thank him for the flowers, and if we are ever going to be more than just chat and coffee friends—which, it seems like it’s headed that way—I need to stop being so scared.

I let it ring a few times, and I go to hang up, thinking he’s busy, only to hear a click on the other line.

“Hello?” Eli says, and I can’t help but grin from ear to ear.

“Hey!” I say sweetly, my cheeks blooming a bright red, which I can see in my faint reflection in the glass of the window. “I got your flowers.”

“You did?”

“Sure did,” I say as I find myself pacing the hall like a teenager, all aglow, messing with a loose lock of hair.

“Do you like them?”

“They’re beautiful, Eli,” I reply. “I love them.”

“I’m glad,” Eli replied. “They’re your favorite, right?”

“They sure are,” I say as I beam brightly. This seems like a dream. Me, seeing a guy who is handsome and sends me flowers? Somebody pinch me. Joseph would never. Not unless he was trying to make amends of some sort.

“Guess my brain’s still good for something,” Eli jokes. “Darla, I want to ask you something.”

“Sure, what’s up?” I ask, feeling a bit jittery.

“I don’t want to sound too forward but. . . is it weird that I miss you?” Eli asks, and my heart zooms through my rib cage and into my throat. Things seem to be moving so fast.

It feels like being on The Zipper at the state fair, the ride with the cages that flip and turn as you go around in a circle up high in the air. You don’t know which way you’re going to flip or turn. . . but all you know is the ride is fun. And I certainly don’t want to hop off.

It’s mighty dangerous but thrilling.

“Not at all,” I reply. “I miss you too.”

“Listen, I know we are supposed to have a date on Valentine’s, but. . . I want to see you sooner,” Eli says, and I can’t believe my ears.

“Really? When?”

“Well, actually, I was hoping you’d have some time tonight,” Eli says. “I want to take you to that nice country bar I was telling you about. Do you like to dance?”

“Well, depends on what kind of dancing,” I reply, anxiously curling a piece of hair around my finger. Loving to dance and being able to dance are two very different things. And if I’m going to be completely honest, I have two left feet.

“Line dancing,” Eli says, and I breathe a little sigh of relief.

“Well shoot, I haven’t done that in years,” I reply. I can probably swing line dancing, I think to myself. I mean, it’s just following along with the crowd. Though the last time I’d done it was. . . I don’t know. . . when Sparrow was a baby?

“Me either,” Eli says with a bit of what sounds like a nervous chuckle. “So, want to go out tonight? We can do something different on Valentine’s Day.”

“That sounds lovely,” I say, barely able to contain the squeal of happiness that threatens to escape my throat.

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