Page 26 of Close to Heaven

“Not here. In my office.”

“Okay,” she said warily.

Nobody seemed to notice as he and Avery walked away. However, he should have known that nothing escaped his sister’s attention.

They went into his office, and he closed the door behind them.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, looking uneasy.

He immediately rushed to put her at ease. “Not at all. I just wanted to thank you for the great job you did on the party.”

“Whew!” She placed her hand over her chest like she was relieved.

Unfortunately, his gaze went right there, and he forced himself to look away. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She chuckled and dropped her hand. “I thought maybe I did something wrong.”

He hadn’t been able to find fault with any of her work, and he’d decided she needed to hear it. “You’ve been doing an excellent job, and I’m…we’re glad to have you here.”

Suddenly she flung herself forward and hugged him.

“Ohmigod! You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

He couldn’t respond because his senses were firing off all over the place. He realized his arms were still hanging down by his sides, and he tentatively brought them around her waist and hugged her back.

Cherry blossoms or vanilla? Whatever it was, her scent was intoxicating, not to mention the way her body felt tucked up against his. He swore he could feel every curve through her sweater dress.

He wasn’t sure how long the hug lasted—seconds, minutes? All he knew was how good it felt and that he wasn’t in any hurry to let go.

Then, as if she’d just realized what she’d done, she hurriedly stepped back, taking her warmth and sweet scent with her.

She placed her hand over her heart again, but this time, he kept his gaze pinned to her face. If he wasn’t mistaken, her cheeks looked rosier than they had a few minutes ago, and her eyes had glazed over.

“I am so, so sorry! It’s just that I was feeling like nobody wanted me here. Not just here, as in Sawyer’s Ridge, but here in Townsend, and not just you, but my dad, and Trevor, and… Ohmigod, I’m rambling.”

He tried not to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. She looked so damned adorable (and sexy) standing there, apologizing like she’d just committed a heinous crime. All she’d done was hug him. Where was the crime in that? If it was a crime, he wanted her to commit it again.

“No apology necessary. You were just being—”

“Overly enthusiastic. I know. It’s a problem.”

He chuckled again and shook his head. “You’re expressive. I like that.” What in the hell did I just say? Her enthusiasm must have rubbed off on him, and he didn’t know what he was saying.

She smiled and looked relieved.

“Look, Avery. I’m sorry if I didn’t make you feel welcome here. I wasn’t sure that anyone could take Mary’s place, but you’ve proved me wrong. Trust me when I say we all want you here.”

She nodded and looked like she was about to cry. Dammit! I’m so out of practice with women.

A tear dripped down her cheek, and he sprang into action. He plucked a tissue out of the box on his desk and gently wiped the tear off her face. “First Mary and now you. Looks like I’m the one who’s messing up,” he muttered.

They were standing so close that he saw all the variations of color in her pretty brown eyes. Her chest rose and fell as she drew deep breaths into her lungs.

“Better now?”

“I could use another hug,” she said softly.

He wondered if he’d heard her correctly or was projecting his wish onto her lips. The look in her eyes told him she was simply seeking comfort and nothing else. At least, that was what he told himself as his arms went around her again.