Page 48 of Sweet Southern Heat

His earnest expression cracked something open in my chest. My lips quivered, and my eyes misted. My voice was shaky when I asked, “What did you have in mind?”

His smile grew, and he glanced down at his boots shyly. The gesture was so adorably endearing, I wanted to reach out and hug him. Instead, I stayed rooted in place and waited for him to train that piercing blue gaze on me again.

“I’d like to take you to the Magnolia Festival this weekend.” He looked so hopeful, like his very happiness hinged on my answer.

“Say yes,” Roxi whisper-shouted, and a few chuckles rang out over the crowded shop. I nodded as my eyes misted with unshed tears.

“Yes,” I said, and he extended his arm, holding the flowers out to me. I took the bouquet and brought it to my nose, inhaling the fragrant blooms.

“What are you waiting for?” Roxi said out the side of her mouth. “Go kiss your man.” She nodded toward Landon, and I followed her line of sight. He watched me, a soft smile playing on his lips and his eyes full of hope and anticipation. I came around the bakery case and stopped directly in front of him. He didn’t give me a chance to speak before his hands cupped my face, and he brought his lips down on mine. The kiss was gentle, little more than a peck, but I felt it all the way down to my toes. They curled in my shoes as his thumb caressed my cheek. His tongue brushed over my bottom lip briefly, but it wasn’t enough.

Applause erupted behind us, and Landon smiled into our kiss. He pulled away and pressed his lips to my forehead before releasing me.

“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said as he turned to leave.

“Make it six,” I replied, and the biggest grin split his face.

“Six it is,” he agreed before walking out the door.

Nervous butterflies tookflight in my stomach. What was I doing? Landon had the ability to crush my heart all over again, and all he had to do was walk into my bakery, place a few orders, and smile at me, and suddenly I was putty in his hands again. What if he changed his mind? What if something happened to Lyle, and he decided once and for all, he couldn’t be with me?

Enough, Olivia. You promised yourself you would fight for him. You can’t give up out of fear.

Be brave, sweet girl.

Nan’s words echoed in my head. It was what she’d always told me when I wanted to do something risky but was too afraid of failure. Like when she encouraged me to go to culinary school, even though everyone said it was a waste of time. Or when she'd threatened to cut me out of her will if I didn’t accept the apprenticeship in Paris because I was too afraid to go alone. I’d lived by those words my whole life, and they had never steered me wrong before.

“So he just strolled up in there with a bouquet of flowers and asked you to the Magnolia Festival in front of all those people?” Honey asked, shaking me from my thoughts.

“Yep,” I replied, unable to stifle my grin as I met her gaze in the mirror. I had to admit, it was quite romantic the way he came in with flowers in his hands and a nervous yet hopeful smile on his face.

“Swoon,” she said dramatically and brought her hands together in front of her chest. Then she remembered she was holding a hot curling iron and pulled them away before she burned herself.

“It was pretty swoony,” I agreed.

She was helping me get ready for my date with Landon after listening with rapt attention as I filled her in on everything that happened this week. I explained how Landon came into the bakery every morning and ordered the items I’d given him during his time working on the renovations. By the time I got to the cinnamon rolls and explained how he’d originally tossed them in the dumpster, she was both infuriated and entranced. When I recounted what he’d said when he ordered them the other day, her face softened, and a dreamy look fell over her expression. In her eyes, he was redeemed.

“Why do you think he changed his mind?” she asked, wrapping a strand of hair around the iron. I shrugged.

“Not sure,” I answered honestly. I still couldn’t figure out his sudden change of heart, but I supposed I’d find out by the end of the night. “When he came in the other day, he was surprised to see me. He thought I’d sold the bakery and moved away. The last thing I expected was for him to show up the next day. And the next. And then the next.”

“He just couldn’t stay away,” she said with a wink and a playful smirk. She added the finishing touches to my hair and placed her hands on my shoulders, leaning forward to admire her work in the mirror. Our reflections stared back at us, and a wave of nostalgia washed over me. She and I had gotten ready together in this very room so many times over the years. This time was different, though. It felt like a pivotal moment that would determine my future and happiness.

“Are you ready?” My throat was suddenly tight, and I couldn’t find my voice, so I simply nodded. I slipped on my sundress—it was too hot to wear anything else—and Honey zipped me up.

“You look gorgeous. If that man doesn’t hold onto you this time, he’s a damn fool.”

A giggle broke loose, and it was the perfect way to release some of the tension coiled tightly in my belly. I smoothed my hands down the front of my dress and drew in a deep breath. I could do this. It was just a date. But it was the first time Landon and I would be seen together in our hometown. Some of the residents had speculated about us, but we never confirmed we were in a relationship. That was all about to change, and in a very public way. Everybody in Magnolia Grove would be at the festival, and it felt significant that this was what he chose for our first date after coming back together. It was like he was claiming me, and he wanted everybody to know it.

Honey scurried out of my room, and I followed her downstairs to bid her goodbye. Landon would be here soonand despite wanting to warn him not to hurt me again like an overprotective sibling, she finally relented and agreed to go back to her grandparents’ house next door. I had no doubt she would be watching from the window, though.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I jumped, even though I was expecting it, and crossed the foyer on shaky legs. Landon stood on the other side, his granite jaw covered with a dark, neatly trimmed beard. His blue eyes shone brightly beneath the dark slashes of his brows. He wore stylish khaki shorts and a sapphire blue tee shirt that made his eyes pop.

He stood back and took me in, his gaze roving over me from head to toe. I felt his stare on my skin like a brush of his fingers over every square inch of my body. A tingle started at the base of my spine and worked its way up to my neck.

“You look…” he began, struggling to find the right words. “Fuck, Olivia,” he groaned, and heat unfurled in my belly. The deep timbre of his voice hit me square between the legs, and I pressed my thighs together. “How do you expect me to focus on anything other than you in that dress?”

I grabbed my clutch from the entry table and stepped onto the porch, pulling the door shut behind me. Emboldened by his obvious appreciation for my attire, I stopped right next to him, pressed a hand to his chest, and whispered, “I don’t,” before walking to his truck.

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