Page 96 of I Need You Tonight
Chapter 37
Nicole
Six weeks after Hailey’s visit, I was busy helping a bride-to-be and her mother choose the flower arrangements for her upcoming wedding. I was alone in the shop—Heidi was home sick, and Cindy had had to leave a little early to pick her daughter up from school for a medical appointment.
Even though Heidi was the one who usually dealt with the weddings, the meeting had been put on the calendar a few weeks ago, and the clients weren’t able to reschedule. I knew enough to help them, though, and if anything came up that I wasn’t so sure about, Heidi was only a speed-dial away.
“I’m not a fan of roses,” Julia explained. “They’re pretty, but I’d rather have something else.”
I flipped through the pages of an album containing photos of bouquets and table floral arrangements Heidi had created, as well as pictures she had printed from the Internet. I stopped at the photo I was looking for and showed it to Julia and her mother.
“Freesias make beautiful bridal bouquets,” I told them. “They’re available in so many different colors, and because they’re in season for your wedding, we can definitely make them work with your budget.”
The bell above the store door tinkled. Out of habit, I glanced over at it.
Mason stood in the doorway.
My heart screeched to an abrupt standstill. He was wearing checkered gray and orange board shorts, sandals, and a plain navy T-shirt that hugged his chest, shoulders, and abs perfectly. Not a single part of my body was immune to seeing him there—all ached for different reasons.
Julia gasped. Without even looking at her, I could tell the sound had nothing to do with the floral arrangements she’d been studying. “Wow, wonder what he’s doing here,” she said, her voice hushed.
He smiled at me, and my insides combusted. Then he winked at me, and I was a goner. I sighed longingly, the sound echoed by Julia’s own wistful sigh. If her mother thought we had gone crazy, she chose to keep it to herself.
Mason strolled to the giftware display against the wall, and my heart pounded so loud, I wouldn’t have been surprised if everyone felt the vibrations through the floor.
“Excuse me for a moment,” I told the two women. I didn’t know if Julia had heard me. She was still too busy gaping at Mason. Her mother said something about a photo in the binder, her words lost on both of us.
I walked hesitantly over to Mason. He looked much better than he had the last time I’d seen him—healthier and happier.
He was inspecting the glass etchings, T-shirts, postcards, and magnets, all with the various butterfly and musical designs I had drawn. “You made these?” he asked.
I nodded, stunned into silence. I longed to ask him what he was doing here, but my brain and my mouth weren’t cooperating. Only my heart was talking, but who knew if Mason could hear what it was saying.
He reached up and slowly traced his thumb along my bottom lip. Then he lowered his head, his mouth replacing his thumb with a tender kiss. “I love you,” he said, quietly enough so only I could hear him.
“I love you too,” I whispered back, positive I was dreaming. Any second now my alarm clock would rudely awaken me—and there would definitely be some cursing involved on my part.
The bell above the door tinkled again, and four women and a little girl entered the store.
Mason smiled at me, then walked out of the store, leaving me to stare after him in bewilderment. Had he seriously just driven all the way from L.A. to tell me he still loved me, only to walk away?
I blinked. Then, with my heart cheering me on, I pulled open the door and ran outside into the heat of the day. The glare from the sun temporarily blinded me, so I shielded my eyes with my hand and scanned the parking lot. But it was too late.
Mason had already driven away.
