by Autumn Marks
“Then I’ll take you with me.”
“It’s not that easy. Every year I plant these flowers and every year I take great care to select ones that are the right shade of purple,” she said, her voice getting higher with each word. “This year I had to travel to three different greenhouses to find exactly what I was looking for.”
“Then we’ll look around until we find what you need.”
“You can’t just swoop in and fix everything,” she said with a catch in her throat. “These are more than just flowers to me!”
There was a lot Emily wasn’t saying and maybe in time, she’d share what she meant by that comment. But he wasn’t about to have her unload all of her feelings right here on her front lawn.
Brandon stepped forward and put himself within a foot of Emily’s face. “I’m sorry. Do you mind if I…” He reached up and removed her sunglasses. His stomach dropped when he saw the state of her. Her eyelids glistened from the tears that had formed. “Shit. Emily, I—”
She waved him off and fanned her eyelids with her hands. “It’s fine. It’s been a really long day and a crappy week so far.”
“And I’m definitely adding to it.”
“It’s not just you. It’s a lot of things,” she said, blotting her eyes with her fingers.
Brandon changed course. “Have you eaten yet?”
Emily furrowed her brow. “What?”
“Have you had dinner?” he asked.
“No, why?”
“I haven’t had dinner yet either. My house isn’t quite put together, but I’d like to have dinner with you. I’ll order pizza and we can talk about where we should go to get your flowers and what kind of fence I should put up.”
She flashed a smile. “You had me at fence.”
Brandon couldn’t help but smile back. “I was going to put up a fence anyway, but it looks like the time is now.”
Emily nodded. “Yeah, I’d say that time is now.”
“So what kind of pizza do you like? I’m going to order from the place in town.”
Her eyes lit up. “I love their barbecue chicken pizza.”
“That’s what I’ll order then. What do you want to drink?”
“Whatever you’re having is fine. If you don’t mind, I’d like to change first.” Emily reached forward and plucked her sunglasses from his hands. “I’ll take those back, thanks.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in a few then,” he said.
The two parted ways and when Brandon was back in his home, he leaned against the front door. What had he done?
Chapter 6
Did that just happen?
Was she really changing her clothes to go have dinner with her annoying, but very good-looking neighbor next door?
Emily smiled. Yes, it appeared she was.
But now she needed to figure out what to wear over there. The dress slacks and blouse she was currently wearing weren’t fitting for pizza. And besides, it wasn’t like this was a date. He was only doing this because he felt bad about the flowers and wanted to make it up to her.
She scanned through the clothes in her closet. Even though this wasn’t a date, she still wanted to look good. It wasn’t every day that a hot guy asked her to dinner. And Brookview wasn’t known for its thriving, young population. Most of the men here were old enough to be her dad.
Emily pulled out a pair of khaki shorts and a V-neck navy blue top. She slipped them on and went to the bathroom to check her makeup. Despite the heat and the long day, her makeup was still holding together, but there was a definite shine. She brushed on some powder and then wiped the bit of smudged mascara from where she had teared up outside. She pulled her hair up in a ponytail and just for good measure, brushed her teeth even though she knew she was going to be eating in a bit.
Now that she was all changed, she walked downstairs and put on her slip-on tennis shoes that were by the door. She eyeballed her cell phone and purse setting on her entryway table where she had discarded them earlier. Being a real estate agent meant her hours were never normal and the couple she’d shown homes to earlier had been texting her since. But it was time for her to disconnect for the evening. She was going to enjoy her time with Brandon without any distractions.
She left her cell phone at home and then walked the short distance to Brandon’s home and knocked on the door. Ollie barked right away and she heard Brandon on the other side telling him to be quiet.
“Come on in,” Brandon said, stepping aside to let her through.
Emily stepped in and was right next to Brandon, close enough that she could smell a faint hint of citrus on his clothing. Her stomach fluttered and she didn’t know where to look. Looking into his eyes made her feel things she had never felt with Jason.
She was suddenly nervous. Their conversations in the yard hadn’t mattered much because they’d been out in public for all to see. Coming into his house was different. It was private, more personal. Anything could happen in here. But she was trying not to think too much about it. Her breakup was merely days ago and she was feeling raw, broken. A rebound was the last thing she needed.
And that was all these feelings were. She’d been hurt after her breakup and now that a man was paying her some attention, she felt wanted again.
Emily pushed those thoughts out of her mind and concentrated on getting through dinner.
This wasn’t a date.
Standing so close, she noticed he was a few inches taller than her five feet eleven inches. Probably six-four if she had to guess. A nice bonus, considering most of the guys she’d met were either shorter than her or right at her height.
Her height had always been a source of frustration for her. Growing up, she towered over the boys in her grade for so long and it wasn’t until high school when some of them had finally caught up with her. She’d been teased mercilessly for it. The only time she’d been sent to the principal’s office was in middle school, when one of her male classmates had given her a picture he’d drawn of her. It was a picture of her standing as tall as a giraffe among some green bushy-looking things. “What are these?” she’d asked, pointing to the green things. “Those are trees,” he’d answered. “Because trees must look like broccoli from your height.” She’d punched him in the arm for that.
At her feet, Ollie was sitting there, looking up at her and wagging his tail. She reached down and petted the top of his head. “I see how it is. You destroy my yard and then somehow you get me to pet you.”
Ollie vacated his spot and brought back a tennis ball and dropped it at her feet.
“Don’t throw that for him. He’ll never leave you alone if you do,” Brandon said, closing the door behind her.
Emily quickly scanned Brandon’s living room. A matching gray couch and chair were set in front of a small entertainment stand with a sizeable TV sitting on top. “I take it this is your living room?” Even though she lived right next door, she had never stepped foot in the place. In the three years she’d been living in her home, it had always been the same tenant in this home so it was never vacant.
“Yeah, let me give you a tour. It won’t take long. It’s not that big of a house.”
Brandon led her through the living room, then showed her the two guest bedrooms, but when they came to his bedroom, he didn’t open the door.
“This is my room, but my bed’s a bit messy,” he explained.
They walked back to the kitchen next where Emily admired the stainless steel appliances and modern cabinetry. “I always wondered what this place looked like on the inside. I guess I pictured it to be a bit different, older maybe,” she said.
“I ended up having to rent this place without seeing it. Since I was living in North Carolina, it wasn’t possible for me to get back here to check it out, so my mom looked at it for me. It passed her test so I assumed it would be fine.”
“It’s a nice home. The updated kitchen is a pleasant surprise.”
“That’s not the best part,” Brandon said. “Wait until you check out t
he basement.”
She followed Brandon down the steps to the partially-finished basement. The basement was painted in a light brown color with beige carpet on the floor.
“My goal is to get a couch and maybe a few chairs down here so I can have some people over to watch football games in the fall.”
Emily nodded along. “It’s a nice space and has a lot of potential. It definitely adds value to the home as well as additional living space.”
“You sound like a real estate agent,” Brandon said with a smirk.
She smiled. “I am one.”
“Is there a lot of work for you here in Brookview?”
“I don’t just work in Brookview. I work in some of the smaller surrounding areas too. Those areas aren’t big enough to warrant their own real estate offices.”
“Do you have a lot of competition here?”
“Not really. There’s only me and one other agent in the area.”
“Must be nice to have that kind of job security.”
Emily sensed there was an underlying meaning to his comment. Before she could ask him about it, the doorbell rang.
“That’s probably the pizza. I’ll be right back,” Brandon said.
He rushed up the steps and Emily followed slowly behind, turning the lights off as she left the basement. She sat down at the dining room table and waited for Brandon to return. He came back moments later with a pizza box and a bag containing their drinks.
“I ordered you a Coke. I hope that’s okay.”
“Coke is fine. Do you need help with anything?”
“No thanks. I can get it.” Brandon set down the pizza box on the counter and got down two plates from the cupboard. “Would you like a glass and some ice for your drink?”
“I can drink from the bottle,” she said.
Brandon set the drinks down on the table first and then returned with two plates containing two slices of pizza each. He took a bite of his pizza and smiled. “You picked a good pizza.”
“Brookview’s Pizza House has the best pizza.”
“I remember it from when I lived here before.”
“How long has it been since you were here last?”
“Fourteen years. But let’s not talk about that. Tell me about your flowers.”
It was time for him to turn the tables. He didn’t want to talk about his past and what had led him to leave in the first place. He wanted to find out more about Emily, though. Those flowers had meant a lot to her and he wanted to know why.
Emily hesitated and Brandon kept talking. “You said out on the front lawn those flowers are more than just flowers. Why did you say that?”
“I guess I did say that. I was really angry and it just came out. Petunias were my mother’s favorite flower. And her favorite color was purple.”
“Was?” he asked, hoping Emily wouldn’t see him as someone whose sole mission was to open up old wounds.
“She died when I was younger. She had breast cancer.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Brandon said, his eyes on Emily the whole time. He was gripped with the sudden urge to hold her hand, but they didn’t have that kind of closeness. “And you plant those flowers to honor her?”
Emily nodded. “Every year. I’ve been in my house three years and before that, I lived in a townhouse and planted them there.”
Brandon looked down at his feet to where Ollie had joined them. Ollie was sitting there, waiting for a handout. “Fun’s over, Ollie. You’re about to get fenced in.”
“I have to apologize for the way I acted the first time we met. I’m not normally so rude.”
How could he forget? He’d been all set to introduce himself and then got yelled at for his dog’s actions instead. Although he couldn’t blame her. He’d be pretty annoyed if some stranger’s dog was pooping in his yard too. “It wasn’t the best way to have met, if I’m being honest.”
“My boyfriend had broken up with me earlier that day. I was feeling pretty angry and took it out on you.”
She was single. Had she told him that for a reason? Was this her way of telling him she was available?
He quickly shut that idea down in his mind. It wasn’t happening. They were neighbors and he’d just returned to Brookview. He wanted time to adjust to being back—and the memories that came with it. Even the slower pace of life was going to take some getting used to. In Brookview, a traffic jam meant you were stuck behind a tractor and couldn’t get around. There wasn’t a coffee shop on every corner and Brookview wasn’t known for its fabulous restaurants. He’d been gone for so long, he’d forgotten how different things were.
But sitting so close to Emily, he couldn’t help but notice little things about her—like the way her brown eyes had green flecks in them, and the freckles that dotted her nose. And her lips…they were perfect. Nice and full on the bottom and thinner on top. He shouldn’t be looking, he knew that. Even so, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
Emily looked at him expectantly. Shit. He’d been staring. Was she expecting a response from him?
“I’m sorry, what?” Brandon asked, snapping back to attention.
She chuckled to herself and her knowing look told him that she’d caught him staring. “I asked if you had family in the area.”
“My parents still live in town and my sister, her husband, and my niece live in a town about twenty minutes away. What about you?”
“My dad and stepmom are currently traveling in a RV around the country. I’m here by myself now. I have friends in the area, so I’m not totally alone.”
Brandon looked down at her plate. “Do you want any more pizza? There’s still more over there.”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
Emily got up from the table and when she moved to pick up her plate, he took it from her hands. “I’ll take that to the sink for you.” He walked the dishes over to the sink and set them down. He looked back at Emily, who was fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “You can go sit on the couch if you’d like. We still need to talk about where to go for your flowers.”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Brandon, there’s something I need to ask you.”
“What is it?” He leaned against the kitchen counter.
“One of my best friends is getting married next weekend.”
“Okay…” He failed to see how he fit into this equation.
“Normally that wouldn’t be a big deal. But my ex-boyfriend is going to be there.”
Brandon nodded along. He had a hunch where this was going. “And you want to make him jealous.”
Emily’s cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry. I’ll stop. I feel weird asking this of you. We hardly even know each other.”
He shook his head. “Don’t feel weird. Go ahead and ask me what you want to ask.”
She eyed him skeptically. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, I want to hear it.”
“He’s bringing along his new girlfriend who also happens to be the person he was cheating on me with.”
A flash of rage simmered in the pit of his stomach. What kind of a dickhead would cheat on Emily? He barely even knew her, yet he felt compelled to protect her from that asshole. “You want me to go with you. Is that what you’re asking?”
Emily nodded. “I need you to be my boyfriend for a night.”
He’d do it for her. And maybe he’d find that ex-boyfriend of hers and share a few words with him. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”
Emily grinned and Brandon knew he had done the right thing. Seeing her smile was worth it. “You mean it? You’ll really do it?”
“Of course I will.”
Chapter 7
He’d said yes. Emily couldn’t believe it.
She took a moment to collect her thoughts. Had she taken advantage of him? She hoped he didn’t think that.
Sure, he’d been in a vulnerable position because his dog had destroyed some pretty meaningful flowers. So to make up for it, he’d asked her over to dinner. Then how does she thank him? By dumping he
r ex-boyfriend drama at his feet. He surely had to feel sorry for her after that.
Great.
When she thought about it like that, it certainly seemed a hell of a lot like she’d taken advantage of the situation.
“I hope you don’t think I’m taking advantage of your kindness. I mean, you asked me over to dinner and all, and I really appreciate it,” Emily said. “And then I thank you by forcing your hand with this. I really didn’t give you an option to say no.”
Brandon stepped forward and looked her in the eye. “You didn’t force my hand. I could’ve said no.”
“But I made you feel bad for me with the story of my ex-boyfriend. I guilt-tripped you into it.” She was trying to give him an opportunity to back out, but was doing a really terrible job of it. She was probably making him feel worse by continuing to talk about how he didn’t have to go if he didn’t want to. Now he probably felt like he had to go so he wouldn’t be an asshole like her ex. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t know anyone else who would go with me and—”
Brandon took her hands in his. His warm, firm grip set her nerve endings on fire. Her heart raced as he held her in place. Her lips parted as he stared directly into her eyes.
“Emily,” he began. The way he said her name made her knees go weak. She was in jeopardy of swooning. “I want to go with you.”
“What?” she whispered breathlessly.
“I said I want to go with you,” he said, his voice a bit louder this time.
He let go of her hands and she composed herself. “Geez. I heard you the first time,” she said with a grin.
“Come on. Let’s go sit down on the couch and talk flowers.” Brandon led her into the living room and motioned for her to sit on the couch. He sat down in the chair while Ollie positioned himself right in the middle of the couch next to her.
“How did Ollie lose his leg?” she asked.
“It happened before I got him. He ran into the street and got hit by a car. The person who hit him brought him in to the nearest vet’s office. A girl I was dating at the time worked there and told me that if no one came forward to adopt him, they were going to have to put him down because his expenses were too high and they couldn’t find a rescue group to cover the cost. I knew I had to do it. I wasn’t in a position to pay for that kind of surgery, but I wanted to give him a second chance at life.”
