Page 51 of Matthew
She tossed him a towel from the sink. “You dripped on the aloe starter kits. Dry off before you kill something.”
He wiped his face and chest, still grinning, then pulled on the T-shirt. It was snug. Not uncomfortable, but definitely snug.
“You sure you didn’t hand me the smallest size in order to get another look?”
“No.” Mischief flickered in her eyes as she slapped a hand to her neck. “I would never.”
He chuckled. “No, my ass.”
“To be fair,” she said with a sigh, “I can’t see your ass. You’ve got it covered.”
He laughed. God, he loved this. Her dry wit. Her lack of pretense. Especially after what had just happened between them.
As she moved around the space, checking the shelves and muttering to herself about inventory, Matthew felt something loosen deeper inside him.
This wasn’t simply attraction, or even their crazy connection. It was the sense that something real was building between them.
He stepped closer and caught her hand as she reached for a clipboard. “You okay?”
She looked up, surprised, then her gaze softened. “Yeah, I am.”
He didn’t kiss her this time.
Didn’t need to, because even soaked to the bone and wrapped in aPlant Daddyshirt, he’d never felt better in his life.
Callie squeezed his hand before releasing it to move toward her office, still barefoot, her ponytail damp and curling at the ends. The T-shirt she wore clung to her in places and hung loose in others, and Matthew’s brain refused to cooperate for half a second before he forced it back into investigative mode.
She tugged open the door to her office, the converted nook he remembered with its battered desk, mismatched chairs, and the faint smell of potting soil clinging to the air. She powered up the laptop in the corner, the overhead light flickering once before catching.
“I should double-check tomorrow’s delivery,” she murmured, more to herself than to him. “It’s scheduled for the same time, same route as that weird one today.”
Matthew’s attention sharpened. “Yes, that’s too odd to ignore.”
She nodded slowly. “I agree. The manifest looked almost identical.”
He stepped closer, the tension creeping back into his shoulders. “Then let’s make sure there’s nothing extra hitching a ride.”
Callie clicked through a few files, fingers flying across the keyboard. The manifest pulled up with a softding, the columns neat and precise. She scrolled to the bottom.
“There,” she said, frowning. “That wasn’t on the last order.”
Matthew leaned in beside her. His arm brushed hers, warm and grounding as his eyes scanned the line item.
Item: Herbal Bliss pest repellent mix – 1 box (12 units)
Vendor:FieldSource Garden Supply
“Do you use this stuff?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Never even heard of that brand. I make our pest mixes in-house. Cheaper, safer, but I’ve always gotten the base supplies from FieldSource. Ellis Crane oversees this region. Known him since I was a kid.”
“No problems?” Matthew asked.
“None.” She snickered. “Guy’s practically the patron saint of potting soil.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Then why the hell is it on your order?”
“I don’t know.” She scrolled up. “Ellis doesn’t make this kind of mistake.”
