Page 73 of Special Delivery

“Sure. I won’t say a thing.”

He drops a twenty onto the table and rises from his chair. “I have to get going.”

“Yeah, me too,” I say, though my day is wide open.

We say goodbye, and I watch him leave for the parking lot, mulling over my thoughts. Wes, Parker, and I are all thirty-years-old. Parker has adult problems, like caring for his daughter. Wes is coming to painful terms that his mother is sick. And me? I don’t have a plan in the world.

I’m wracking my brain trying to figure out why my head is sending me messages in the form of debilitating pain, instead of working on making something of my life. I still have no idea what I want to do as a career now that I’m back, but there is one thing my mind and body both want.

Paige.

What am I doing here?

Before starting the car, I type out a text.

Me

Hi, are you free today?

Paige

Depends. What do you have in mind?

Me

I think I need some plants. Can you please help me find something?

I have thought long and hard—no pun intended—about how I could take Paige on something resembling a date. I figured plants were a surefire way, but the silence that stretches isn’t reassuring. Finally, my phone beeps.

Paige

Fine. I’ll drive so that Linda doesn’t see you. Let me know when and where.

A relieved breath whooshes out of me. She doesn’t sound thrilled, but she said yes, which is enough for now.

A couple of hours later, I’m squeezing into Paige’s compact car. She’s dressed casually, in light jeans and a white t-shirt. There’s not a speck of makeup on her face, not that she needs it. My heart does a tiny little leap in my chest, anyway.

“Hi, thanks for picking me up,” I tell her.

“Oh, hi.” She flushes. “No problem. Where are we going?”

I type in the address into her GPS, highly aware that the whole car smells like her. It’s a light, fruity smell, one that brings a smile to my face.

“Oh, we’re going to The Forest? It’s my favorite store,” she glances at me, awarding me with one of her gorgeous smiles.

I suppress the need to pump my fist in the air. It took me some effort to find the best place for plants around here, and I’m glad it paid off. “Yeah? I’ve never been.”

“Really? You’re going to love it.” Her grin is infectious. “So, does searching for plants mean you’ve found a house you’re going to buy?”

Busted. “Erm, not exactly. But I’d like to hear your recommendations. I love how homey you made your place.”

She narrows her eyes at me, probably deliberating my intentions. Truth be told, I don’t need plants. I’m currently living in my high school bedroom, in a house that is still decorated the same way it was when I was a baby. I have no plans of making that place a permanent home. She loves plants, though. And I loved hearing her geek out about them in the Bahamas.

“So this is a purely educational trip?”

“If you’re convincing enough, I might still buy a plant or two.”

Her lips pull into a smirk that stays on the entire trip to the plant shop. There’s a spark in her eyes, one that hits me straight in the chest.