Page 36 of Love in Bloom

“I’m just a little nervous,” Wren admitted.

“Trust me. If I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, just say the word, and I’ll stop.”

Wren looked up and smiled. She took a deep breath and rolled her shoulders.

“I’ll step out of the room for a few minutes to give you some privacy while you slip under the sheet.”

“Would you like me on my back or face down?” Wren asked, still nervous as she looked around the dim room.

“On your back, please,” Ruthie said as she shut the door.

Just breathe,in and out, she reminded herself as she shifted under the sheets. If the quality of the sheets were any indicator, she was in for an incredible experience. She was nervous and excited. She hadn’t had a massage since she’d left Knoxville. This could be the beginning of something great.

She’d just begun to relax on the massage table when there was a soft knock at the door. “Ready?”

“Ready and willing,” Wren responded. She was getting into the spirit of this. Ruthie arranged the sheet around her slim shoulders. The air cooled her warm skin.

“If I go too deep, let me know and I’ll back off. I’ll use oil. It will be smoother and more enjoyable for you.”

“Gee, Ruthie, you’re making it sound like I need a safe word for this massage,” Wren teased with a nervous laugh. She would have said more, but Ruthie massaged her jaws.

“We can use ‘Miller’ as your safe word,” Ruthie suggested. Wren’s body might be relaxing, but her mind was still alert.Definitely not. Miller is dangerous.

Wren was quiet for a while as she absorbed the benefits of the massage. She already felt her shoulders moving away from her ears, and her neck felt much looser. As her body continued to relax, so did her brain. “How’d Miller convince you to do this on Valentine’s?” she asked as Ruthie kneaded her forearms.

“Wasn’t too tough. I’d do just about anything for him,” she said.

“So, no big date?” Wren asked. Ruthie laughed.

“Um, no. Unless you count my couch and Netflix. As a single mom with twins, I don’t have a lot of men knocking on my door.” She moved to Wren’s right hand.

“That must be tough.”

“It has its moments, but I’ve had a lot of help from friends and family.” Wren moaned. “Yeah, Miller mentioned your hands would need extra TLC.”

“Are you related to Miller?” Wren’s brain was officially working without a supervisor.

“Cousin. He’s a few years younger, but now that we’re older it doesn’t seem to matter as much. He’s more like an uncle to the kids, plus he’s free legal advice.”

Wren decided she should stop talking until she had her brain under control.Honest to goodness, the CIA doesn’t need torture, just a good massage therapist.

Her quadriceps were tight. Wren didn’t want Ruthie to back off on the pressure so she talked her way through the discomfort. “How practical is an outdoor hot tub in Minnesota in the winter?”

“I don’t know if it’s practical or not, but people sure do like it. I think it sees more action in the winter than in the summer. A lot of seniors come during the day to use it. Helps make winter more bearable. Plus, if the muscles are already warmed up, it makes giving a massage easier.”

“That makes sense,” Wren agreed as Ruthie moved to her lower leg. “Food was great, too. Where did you get it?”

“Miller dropped it off yesterday. I only had to reheat the hors d’oeuvres, toss the fruit, and set everything out. Oh, and check each of the desserts to make sure they were safe to eat.” Ruthie softly laughed at her confession.

“One person’s sampling is another person’s safety inspection,” Wren mumbled. She relaxed even further as Ruthie massaged her right foot. All it took was a slight break in the conversation, and Wren’s mind went right back to those last minutes with Miller in the hot tub.

“I hate to do this to you since you’re finally relaxing, but it’s time to turn over to your stomach.” Wren struggled to turn over. There was no graceful or delicate way to do it, but Ruthie kept her covered. She finally had her face settled in the face cradle, and Ruthie straightened out the sheet and repositioned the bolster underneath her ankles.

This was the second time that evening Ruthie had saved her. The first time was in the hot tub. Who knew how much further the almost-kiss would have gone? Wren knew that would have been the starting line, not the finish line. And, just now, with the flipping over, Ruthie had interrupted her fantasy about getting to the finish line. And the finish line wasn’t an option. Not for her and not for him.

Miller was turning out to be even more incredible than she’d feared. After all, who volunteers to spend their free day helping a friend at work? No one that Wren knew of, except Miller. He was everything she had always wanted in a man, but she wasn’t anything he needed. She’d been down the associate-to-partner road and wouldn’t make that journey again. It was filled with potholes, heartache, and so many winding turns that a person lost all sense of direction.

Plus, her focus was on growing her business. If Wallflowers stayed this busy, Wren hoped to either increase Cindy’s hours or hire someone else so she would have free time to paint each day. She’d missed painting. It was a hole in her soul, and one she needed to fill.

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