Page 96 of Matthew
Callie smiled, stepping closer. “You keep hanging around, and I might start thinking you actually like me.”
He reached for her free hand, gently tugging her closer across the small table. “Like you? Callie Morgan, I’m fairly certain I’m more than a little gone for you.”
Her chest tightened in that good, overwhelmed way that only came when he looked at her as if she mattered. As if she were his world.
“You know, this doesn’t scare me anymore,” she said softly. “Us. Letting someone in.”
“Good,” he replied, brushing a thumb over her knuckles. “Because I’m already all in. And I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
And when he leaned in to kiss her, she met him halfway, pressing her lips to his, softly and gently, savoring the sweet gesture with every stuttering beat of her heart.
When they parted, she rested her forehead against his. “Remind me to update the employee roster,” she murmured. “You’re officially on staff now. Perks include unlimited greenhouse access and the occasional inappropriate breakroom kiss.”
Matthew grinned. “Perks accepted.”
Sammy gave a snort from the floor, as if in approval.
Callie was about to steal another kiss when Maggie’s voice rang out from the hall. “Hope I’m not interrupting any passionate plant talk!”
Callie laughed and released Matthew to sit back on her chair as her sister strolled in with a bunch of colorful flyers in hand and sunglasses perched atop her head. “You’re always interrupting something.”
“Occupational hazard,” Maggie said breezily, waving a flyer. “I come bearing promotional materials. Art After Dark is officially next week, and Harland Main Street is about to get real pretty.”
Matthew accepted one of the flyers with a grin. “Crafterthoughts doing something messy?”
“You know it,” Maggie said. “Jenna and Kimmie are making an interactive mural wall out of recycled craft scraps and probably some dangerous amount of glitter. Kids will love it. Adults will need therapy.”
Callie raised a brow. “And you?”
“Oh, Mom, Grandma Jo, and I are turning our booth into a walk-through vintage gallery. We’ve got antique sculptures, framed embroidery, and some weird little porcelain dog collection that Grandma Jo swears was art deco.” She winked. “What about you and your leafy kingdom?”
Callie smiled. “I’m building a living art exhibit. Moss wall, vine sculptures, and a few flowering arrangements with hidden meanings.”
Matthew tilted his head. “Hidden meanings?”
“Floriography,” Callie said with a shrug. “Victorian-era flower language. I’m calling it ‘Whispers in Bloom.’”
Maggie whistled. “Okay, now I feel basic.”
Callie laughed. “Wait till you see it at night. Rosie and I are adding solar lights and a motion-triggered misting system.”
Matthew leaned in. “Did I mention how sexy your brain is?”
“Gross.” Maggie groaned. “Okay, I’m leaving before this turns into a garden romance novel.” She handed over a few extra flyers. “Put these by the front register. I’ve got three more shops to hit.”
She kissed Callie on the cheek and sauntered off, leaving behind the faint scent of vanilla perfume and the right amount of chaos to feel normal.
After Maggie’s exit, the nursery settled back into its gentle rhythm. Rosie taking care of the front. Nate and Fred, the new guy, helping customers out in the yard. Easy, breezy, normal.
Hopefully, it stayed that way.
“Want to go for a walk?” Matthew asked, holding out his hand.
She smiled and slid her hand in his. “Sure.”
They headed outside, Sammy rushing ahead, and her smile widened at his enthusiasm for life. Something she’d been working on—enjoying life a little more. More strolls with Matthew, hand-in-hand. More date nights, two-stepping together on Tuesday nights at Texas Pub. More opening up and letting him into her home, her bed…her heart.
The guy took up permanent residence there now, and it didn’t freak her out. It warmed her, calmed her…made her want more of him. All of him.
