Page 10 of Searching for Sadie
"Just a welcome to the neighborhood," he said before handing her the bouquet.
A warm heat started in her chest and tracked up her chest, culminating in her cheeks. She was sure she was bright red. Stupid blushing. She took the flowers from him and smelled them, trying to hide the telling redness in her cheeks.
"Come in," she said as she turned to move to the kitchen to get a vase.
He followed her into the kitchen and reached up to the top cabinet with ease getting down a vase for her.
"Thank you. How did you know where they were?"
"I've had to get them down a time or two."
"Did you bring my aunt flowers?"
"Not regularly, but sometimes. She was nice," he said, seeming bashful.
"That's really sweet. She loved flowers."
Looking around at the sheer magnitude of floral decor in this house she couldn't help the little chuckle that bubbled up inside of her. Then she set the vase of flowers on the counter... next to a vase of fake flowers and that giggle turned into a full out laugh.
As she turned the puzzled expression on his face showed through his own smile. "What's so funny?"
"I'm sorry. The flowers," she said, calming down.
His face dropped. Crap, that was not what she meant.
"No," she said quickly as placed her hand on his forearm. His strong muscular forearm, which she did not just squeeze, because that would be weird. Damn it, now she was blushing again. Nothing to do about it now.
"I love them. I guess just saying she loved flowers in this place made me laugh. I mean..." She gestured around her.
A warm smile covered his face as he understood and seemed to look around the space taking it in. "Yeah, Ms. Maple did love flowers."
"She did."
Only then did her gaze find his. His eyes were hazel, green with little flecks of brown. Something about them made her feel at ease. He had kind eyes. She'd always been a sucker for a guy with kind eyes. He cleared his throat pulling her out of the moment.
"Do you want to get going?" he asked.
"Yeah, just let me get my shoes."
She sat on the steps putting them on. She would not fall for her next door neighbor while she was still trying to get over what happened during filming. She would not.
But then she looked up into his eyes again... and her heart fluttered.
Damn it.
CHAPTER 7
LUCAS
Lucas held the door as Sadie grabbed her purse from the entry table and slung it over her shoulder.
"All set," she said gazing up at him with her deep brown eyes.
While he hadn't meant for this to be a date, it sure felt like one. And with the way his gaze was glued to her round ass as she locked the door behind her, which he would stop looking at… any minute now.
When she was finished, they set down the street. It was about a four block walk to main street and only a few more blocks to the square. The sun was at an angle in the sky that made their shadows before them look tall and stretched out, but even still the curves of her shadow next to his made him smile. His hand itched to take hers. He had to remind himself, even though this felt like a date, that wasn’t something that they'd discussed. It might not even be something she was looking for.
"How are you enjoying Mystic Falls?"
