Page 62 of Playing for Keeps
“Stop it. I’m sorry for not telling you about this. I’ve just been scared. I didn’t want to bother you with my problems, but?—”
“Bother me! Please.” He rubbed circles on her back, praying she’d listen to his words and accept them as truths. “I’m here for you no matter what.”
Skye stormed into the kitchen and headed straight for the warmer. “Sorry to interrupt, but business as usual is going on.”
Caroline lifted her head and wiped her eyes. “I’ll be right there.”
Justin jerked his head toward the extra aprons hanging on the wall. “Want me to suit up and help out today?”
She lifted her chin with a strained smile. “I’m fine now.”
Pulling her back into his embrace, he rested his cheek on her hair. “What I meant to say is, will you let me help out today? I just want to be where you are.”
She snuggled deeper into his arms. “I’d like that.”
Her walls were crumbling, and a firm resolve grew inside him. He would stand by her and protect her from anything for the rest of his life.
25
JUSTIN
Justin rubbed his finger under his nose, brushing away the itch from the overpowering smell. He’d never bought flowers for a woman in his life before Caroline. He’d ordered the flood of roses over the phone a few weeks ago, and it was a good thing. He would have gotten overwhelmed by the never-ending rows of options. How did the flower shop look so small on the outside and go on and on once he stepped inside?
“Can I help you find something?” The older woman who’d asked the same question ten minutes ago when he entered the shop appeared at his side.
Justin pointed at the pink flowers arranged in a vase. “Can I get some of these roses?”
“Those are carnations,” the woman said in a patient voice.
“Oh. Well, what should I get for the special woman in my life who’s had a tough time lately?”
Deep lines appeared on both sides of the woman’s smile, and she patted his shoulder. “I’ll take care of you.”
“Pink is her favorite color, and she likes peonies,” Justin added.
“Good to know. I’ll fix you right up.”
As soon as the woman stepped through a door into a back room, his phone rang. Nick’s name lit up the screen.
“Hello.”
“Hey, man. How’s Operation Christmas Romance?”
“Pretty good actually. Caroline is having a hard time with something else, so I’m picking up flowers to hopefully cheer her up.”
There was a shuffle on Nick’s side of the phone. “What’s going on?”
“Someone is basically attacking her business.”
“That’s… interesting. Attacking how?”
Interesting? “Someone spray painted on the front window. She’s getting terrible reviews online that she says aren’t true. It’s just one thing after the other.”
“Do you know who it is?” Nick asked.
“Not yet, but we’re close. With the evidence we got this morning, I think we should have names soon.”
The clacking of keys on Nick’s side of the call continued as he spoke. “You’ve been getting some weird messages and comments on your social pages.”
