Page 158 of Finding Our Reality

He’s holding me.

While his girlfriend is sitting in the other room.

Lifting my chin, I clear my throat, trying to regain our professional boundaries. “I’ll be out with the shoes in just amoment. You should head back out to your girlfriend, Bonnie.” I say her name, reminding him of his responsibilities.

One corner of his mouth tilts up. “Her name isn’t Bonnie. You heard wrong.” He inches closer. His breath whispers across my face, tickling the back of my throat. “It’s Bunny.”

My brow furrows and I frown. “Like a rabbit?”

His laugh surprises me. It almost seems genuine. Almost seems real. “Yeah.”

“Merit?” The second I hear Kyra’s voice, I push away.

His arms fall to his side and an inexplicable shot of emptiness pierces my heart. In stunned silence, he looks down at his hands, like he honestly can’t believe he was wrapped in an embrace with me for that long.

I try not to let that hurt my feelings.

Kyra peers around the corner of the shelving rack. “Y’all okay back here? I thought I heard something.”

“Everything is fine. Kyra, can you please show Mr. Hill back to the front? Mr. Hill, I believe these shoes are for Anna’s birthday, correct? I’ll be happy wrap them for you.”

His face grows solemn and he bites his lip. “Yeah, that’s right.”

Nodding, I smile brightly. It’s the same smile I always used at the work parties I had to attend with Edward. “Lovely. I’ll be out momentarily.”

Running his hand through his hair, he follows Kyra back out to the front of the store.

I can’t believe she let him come back here in the first place. She may be my friend—the best one I’ve got—but she’s also my employee; and we will definitely be having a conversation about this later. We only let customers back here in the event of an emergency. A parent with a four-year-old who is about to pee his pants kind of emergency.

Call me stupid, but I definitely think Holt Hill can hold his pee until he gets home.

I wrap the shoebox with purple tie-dye paper and decorate it with yellow and purple bows. When I make it back out front, Bunny is playing on her cell phone and Kyra is showing some of the new sleeveless tops to Holt. I pretend not to notice him watching me. His gaze is different now than it was. It’s softer, gentler. Not as… reckless.

I suppose he feels bad for… well, for doing whatever he was doing with me in the back.

And he should feel bad. It’s pretty brazen to have your arms wrapped around a stranger while your girlfriend is patiently waiting on you to buy a birthday present for your niece.

I pull Anna’s card from our database and write down the shoe information. “Will there be anything else, sir?”

His squints his eyes. I don’t think he likes me calling him sir. “I was thinking of getting her something else too. Something to go with the shoes. This shirt, maybe?”

“When is her birthday?”

“Tomorrow. I’m leaving from here to go to her party. We’re having it a day early.”

“Tomorrow?” I glance down at the card, searching for the information. We keep track of all the kids’ birthdays. “You’re right.”

That makes him laugh. “I should hope I’m right. Or else, I had a three-layer pink velvet cake delivered to my house for no reason.”

Kyra folds her arms across her chest. “The party is at your house?”

He shrugs, “We always do family get-togethers at my house or my cousin’s house. We have the most room.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket. “I can call Raylee to see what size she wears.”

“There’s no need to do that.” I wave the card in his direction. “I keep track of the kids’ sizes.”

“You do?”

I nod, telling Kyra the size. She searches the rack and pulls one down. I come around the counter and quickly grab it from her. Not wanting to be left alone with Holt and Bunny, I don’t give her the option of offering to wrap the new present herself. Plus, I want to add something special of my own to it, a little present from me to Anna. I keep a plethora of gifts for just such an occasion.

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