Page 60 of The Trouble With Bad Boys

“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.”

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