Page 33 of Lost in You (The Monroes 3)

“Hadn’t heard from you and was curious if you wanted to grab dinner this evening. I’m off and I know it’s short notice, but I thought I’d see if you were busy.”

Why couldn’t she like him in that way? Tanner had everything going for him—a great job, looks, his own home. Still, there was no spark. They were good friends, nothing more. He and his cousins were as close as brothers, all bachelors. Seriously, why couldn’t she be drawn to one of them?

“I actually already have plans tonight,” she told him. Not a complete lie.

With a tip of his head, he narrowed his eyes. “Everything okay?”

“Fine. Just busy.”

“Why don’t you let me know when you’re free? I still owe you a payback for that last poker hand when you cheated me out of fifty bucks.”

Macy couldn’t help but laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Tanner flashed that high wattage smile. “I’ll text you and give you more of a heads-up next time,” he joked as he turned toward the door. “And be sure to bring your wallet.”

Once he was gone, Macy locked the door and clicked the OPEN sign off. She smoothed the stray wisps back from her face. Her ponytail was sliding, but she didn’t care at this point. She was ready to get her closing chores done and go home.

Today had been one for the record books. With spring in full swing, people were shopping for yard items to get their lawns and flower beds ready. She’d nearly sold out of topsoil, and would have to remember to get an order in tonight so it would be here by Monday. She’d also sold a record number of hedge trimmers. Fine by her, but she was exhausted.

And a load of bright colored pots in various sizes was due in tomorrow. That was a display she’d have to come in early and make room for. She’d also have to save one of the largest ones to use just outside her shop door to entice people with how beautiful the new items were. She’d definitely have to put her seed packets by the pots somewhere just inside the front door.

How had her dad done it by himself at times? There were always slow seasons and slammed seasons, but everything balanced in the end. Right now, though, Macy was ready to keel over. Her feet were killing her and she just wanted to take her bra off and relax.

There was no way she could coach and run the store. It wasn’t realistically possible, even if she wanted to step back onto the field again, which she wasn’t sure she had the mental capacity to handle.

Macy pulled out all the credit receipts for the people who kept running accounts with the store. In a small town, where everybody knew everybody, in-house accounts were common.

As she divided the slips out, she thought about the softball game she’d gone to. She’d only stayed for twenty minutes. That had been long enough for her to realize the sport had never left her. She loved every bit of it. The smells, the calls from the dugout, the teammates cheering each other on, the coaches giving silent hand gestures as to the next play. Everything came rushing back to her and Macy had felt a tug on her heart. This was what she’d been missing, but she honestly didn’t know if moving into thi

s position was a possibility. Not only that, but shouldn’t she move on? Shouldn’t she put all of that dark night behind her?

Even the demons from her past blanketed the happiest time of her life.

Pushing beyond the obvious reason to say no, she had another glaring reason . . . an even better one and definitely more positive. She hoped to be fostering soon. Not that she wanted any child to have to enter the system, but Macy was eager to fill her home, her heart with a child who needed nurturing.

“Just grabbing some packaging tape.”

Macy jerked around, holding a hand to her chest. “Liam. You scared me.”

He stood at the base of the steps, not moving any closer. “Just put it on my tab and I’ll settle up when I give Zach my check. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Without waiting on her reply, he moved to the aisle where the tape was located. Macy kept her eyes on him, wondering what he needed with tape, but it was none of her business. They weren’t anything more than landlord/tenant at this point . . . except in her dreams, where he kept showing up and monopolizing every moment of her restless nights.

Wait. Was he boxing things up? Was he moving again? That would be her business if it were the case. He hadn’t actually unpacked, if all those stacked boxes she’d seen were any indicator.

“Are you moving?” she asked.

His shoulders stiffened as he threw her a glance. “Are you asking me to?”

Swallowing, Macy stepped closer. She was just going to the counter to start closing out the register. That’s all. She certainly wasn’t closing this gap between them so she could look into his eyes while they spoke or so she could inhale that woodsy, masculine scent she associated with him.

“No, I’m not.”

“I’m not having Sophie find another place for me.”

Stunned, Macy jerked. “Why?”

“I’m working on something else.”

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