AllFreeNovel
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And find Grant walking around the empty store. His smile eases the worst of my nerves.
“Hey, princess.”
“Hey.” I meet him in the middle of the store. “What’s going on?”
“I have something for you.” He reaches into his gloriously bulky cargo shorts and opens his hand in front of me.
A wooden dahlia bloom rests on his palm. Its layers of petals are rustic and uneven, but perfectly smooth. I reach out a hand to trace one finger over the delicate points.
“It’s beautiful.”
“I still need to stain it and seal it, but I wanted to give it to you now.”
“You made this?” I take it from him and clutch it to my chest.
“I’ve been working on it since I saw your tattoo. Well, I was working on it before then, but that’s when it started to take shape.”
“Youwhittledit?” Doesn’t seem the right word for such a beautifully carved little piece.
“I hope you like it.”
“I love it.” I love it so much, I’m struggling not to cry over it. “But why are you giving it to me in here?”
The heavy-duty cleaning solution still fills the air inside the old department store, and our words echo around the big, empty space.
“Because I’m taking your advice. I want a life I don’t need a vacation from.” He takes a step closer to me, his hands going to my waist. “And I want that here. With you.”
I suck in a breath. I’ve been telling myself for weeks not to wish for more than what we have right now, and it’s hard to let his words sink in.
“I always thought my parents’ story of love at first sight was exaggerated. Then I met you, and I realized it was possible. I started falling in love with you from the first time I saw you.”
I laugh, but my heart feels like it could fill this whole store.Grant Irwin loves me!Nothing ever sounded better. “In all my hiking chic at Horizon?”
I wasn’t exactly at the top of my game during our first few days together.
“You were in your hiking chic, but not at Horizon.” He flexes his fingers against my waist. “I saw you at the coffee shop earlier that morning. Something right here—” He taps two fingers over his heart. “Unlocked when I saw you. I was immediately attracted to you, buthopeglimmered there, too. I hadn’t felt that kind of hope in years.”
I know exactly what he means.
He takes my hand and laces our fingers together. “Lila, I’m in love with you. We haven’t known each other long and I’m not asking for promises today, but there’s no way I’m leaving Sunshine without trying for something with you.”
I throw my arms around his neck, clutching my flower tight in one hand. “Something?”
His smile tilts to one side. “Everythingwould be even better.”
Oh, this man. He leans down and presses his mouth to mine. I’m not sure which of us grins harder, I only know this is a kiss made out of happiness and light. And a little tongue. But my brain buzzes with one important fact I forgot to tell him, and I pull away.
“I’m in love with you, too. You’re so good and kind, and you have the sweetest heart. And sexy? Hoo boy, you knock me out. I don’t want you to leave, either. But what about your family business and becoming CEO?”
I still don’t want to keep him from his dreams, even if his dreams keep him from me.
“I’ve heard that Sunshine is a thriving town drawing in outdoor enthusiasts year-round. But the nearest outdoor gear supplier is in the next town over. I figure this space is the perfect location for a new Irwin Outdoors store.”
I freeze. “Are you serious? You’re going to open one of your stores here?”
His smile quirks. “I thought you would have seen through that already.”
“I hoped, but I didn’t want to assume.”
