Page 60 of Scorched

“What are we getting here?” He looked up at the sign above the door. It read Genevieve’s Antiques.

“We need vases.” Tara wanted to cluster vases on each table with wildflowers and fairy lights. They found a few in Silver Gap—enough for three tables—but they needed many more.

“How many?”

“A lot.” She reached for the door, opening it and stepping inside. An older woman looked up as they entered and smiled.

“Hello.”

Maggie smiled back. “Hi. So, we need vases. They’re for a wedding. Various sizes. Color doesn’t matter too much, but we need quite a few.”

The woman motioned around them. “I have them scattered all over, so you’ll have to look around. I’ll clear some space on the counter and you can set them all up here.”

“That sounds great, thank you.” Maggie looked up at Declan. “Let’s start looking.”

She walked over to a display near the window. Several small vases sat on a shelf. Maggie snagged them all. Declan pointed to some larger ones to their left.

“What about those?”

“They work. No bigger than that, though.”

For the next twenty minutes, they combed through the store, picking dozens of vases. Maggie eyed what they had on the counter and started arranging them into clusters. The proprietor caught on to what she was doing and helped her group them until she had enough for nine tables. The woman found some boxes and they packed them up.

Declan reached for a box, but Maggie swatted him away. “You can get the door.”

“Oh, come on, Maggie. It’s a box of vases.”

“That weighs over twenty pounds. You can’t lift that much.” She squinted up at him. “And don’t tell me you aren’t still sore. Especially after pulling my ass out of the barn.”

His mouth turned down. “Just so you know, it chafes something awful to watch you carry all these boxes while I hold the door open.”

“Don’t worry.” She picked up the first box. “You’re still macho in my eyes.”

Declan chuckled and walked toward the door. “Good to know.”

She breezed past him with a sunny smile.

Once they were loaded up, Maggie suggested lunch. It was after one.

“Food sounds good. Do you just want to leave the car parked here and walk? There are several good little cafes downtown.”

“Sure.” It was chilly, but the sun was shining, so it felt warmer than it had in several days. She locked the car and they started down the sidewalk. Declan offered her his arm and she took it.

“What are you in the mood for?” he asked.

“Hmm. A good soup?”

He nodded. “I know just the place.” He led her to the corner, and they crossed the street. A block later, he stopped in front of a small bistro.

“How did you find out about this place?” she asked, stepping inside as he held the door for her.

“My ex, Lilah, liked to eat here.”

Maggie cast a rueful smile over her shoulder at him as he walked in behind her. “Okay. I guess I can see why you might equate me with her. This looks just like my kind of place.” She glanced around. “We’re not going to run into her here, are we?”

“We shouldn’t. Her lunch hour is over.”

“What does she do, anyway?”

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