Page 140 of The Sweetest Devotion

We got out of the truck and when we met at the trunk, Keith immediately took my hand. I liked that about him. How he was such a man. He walked a few inches in front of me with me tucked close to him to keep me safe.

That’s how I felt with Keith. Safe. Physically, and mentally. Deep down, I knew if I let go, I’d be emotionally sated as well.

“Hey, Keith,” a man shouted as he was walking out on the other end of the store exit.

Keith recognized the man and lifted his chin in the man’s direction.

Just as we were entering the store we spotted Dominique across the lot pushing carts. He tipped his head our way and we waved back. This morning when I stepped out of the bedroom and found him rummaging in Keith’s cupboard, I wasn’t sure how to react. But Dom had been polite, even if he was totally scamming me during our session playing that video game.

Once inside Keith grabbed a grocery cart and led the way onto the sales floor.

The first department we came across was the floral department. A wall of various bouquets greeted us and I marveled at the displays.

Keith abandoned me to go and pick up a white bundle of roses.

“For you,” he said.

I set the roses in the seat of the cart and quickly kissed Keith’s cheek.

He held me close against him, peering down at me with so much joy and light in his eyes it felt like my heart would burst from the attention. I loved that it was aimed at me. I loved thatIgot to see him this happy. This attentive. This wrapped up inme.

“I’ve been wanting to buy you flowers for a minute,” he said. He glanced at where the bunch sat in the cart and came back to me. “I know I’m not supposed to make this personal, but fuck it, you know?”

I did. I really did.

We continued on, and just as we passed the checkout counter for the floral department, I spotted anow hiringsign.

Keith noticed it too and nudged me. “Not a bad idea.”

If I ever got a job, I knew I didn’t want to work in the food industry. That was a level of patience I wasn’t built for. I wholly commended those who managed to do their jobs with grace no matter how awful their clientele were.

But flowers? I loved them, they reminded me of my father, of his gentler side, of his garden and how I truly wanted one of my own someday. I could work with flowers. I could help men or women pick out the perfect arrangement for those they loved and cared about.

“It isn’t,” I agreed.

Directly across from floral was the produce department.

“Now, most people have jobs,” Keith joked, flashing me a small smile. “So, they cut corners when they cook. Since you have time, you can work with making everything from scratch if you want.”

“Is that how you cook?” I wondered. I didn’t know his exact hours at the garage, but I was curious if Keith preferred everything homemade or if he was lenient with skipped steps.

He shrugged. “I love homemade mashed potatoes whenever my mom or Betty Jean cooks, but when it’s just me at the crib I do cheat and buy a container of Bob Evans precooked mashed potatoes. I was apprehensive at first, but that shit’s amazing.”

Precooked mashed potatoes? “Frozen French fries or homemade?”

“I’ve never tried making homemade French fries,” Keith admitted. “I guess that’s my one cheat: potatoes.”

I chuckled, finding the bashful expression on his face adorable. “So why am I going to you to learn how to cook again?”

Keith popped a brow before surveying our surroundings. “Okay.”

The subtle threat made me clench my thighs together.Relax. “So, you cut corners on potatoes, anything else?”

“I prefer fresh vegetables.” Keith showed a hand toward a wall housing bagged pre-cut vegetables. “Especially green beans, growing up I thought I hated them, but then I realized I didn’t like them canned.”

We went over to the pre-cut section and Keith grabbed a family-size bag of green beans and tossed them in the cart. He then grabbed a bag of broccoli florets and tossed them in next. He eyed the wall of bagged leafy greens and settled on a large bag of spinach to place in the cart.

I toyed the edge of that fine line between us and grabbed a bundle of asparagus and placed them in the cart as well.

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