Page 24 of Almost Always

She turned the laptop around and grinned. “Absolutely. Are you back in Wildes yet?”

“Tomorrow night. Then it’s two weeks of keeping Frankie in the dark about all of the little details.”

Laughing, they exchanged a few more things about payment and invoices. Then she said bye and closed her laptop so she could finish working on the bouquet for Frankie and her bridesmaids.

As she wrapped twine around smaller sections, she allowed herself a few minutes to think about Rafferty. Maybeworrywas the right word. She didn’t have any way to get in touch with him to make sure he was okay.

Besides, he’d find her when he was ready. Right?

She’d been at an event since early that morning and was exhausted when she returned to the shop. While tempted to go home and collapse into bed, she changed into her usual uniform of jeans and a tee. Then tugged her apron on and grabbed hergloves as she caught up with her staff for updates. Ripley was the last to talk to her and he gestured to the person waiting for her.

The relief that swept through her almost made her knees buckle. “Raff.” She put one hand on her hip and tilted her head, like she was upset with him. Shewas, but she was happy that he’d showed up.

He had the decency to look embarrassed, shuffling on his feet. “There’s a good explanation, I swear.”

She nodded and gestured for him to join her at the work table. She pushed a stool out for him and tugged her gloves on. The flowers she needed were already set up in respective buckets, so all she had to do was clean, trim and style them.

“This place is incredible.”

She smiled, eyes darting around the shop. “Thanks. All those conversations with Nonna and my grandaunt Magnolia, this was the only thing I could imagine myself doing.”

“They’d be so fucking proud of you. Hell,I’mproud of you.” He beamed, eyes bright as he looked around the shop before settling on her. Her face felt warm at his words and she shook her head, focusing instead on the task at hand. “What’s this?”

“A friend’s getting married this weekend, so I’m putting together her bouquet. What have you been up to?”

“Settling in slowly and getting into the groove of things.”

“I’m sure a small town like this is a big change for a family from the city.”

“Cal loves it and he keeps asking why we didn’t move earlier,” he replied with a laugh.

“Just you and Cal?”Nice, very smooth. The words almost stuck in her throat, but she needed to make sure she wasn’t feeling things for a married man.

“Just me and Cal. His birth mother is still in New York.” If he knew why she asked the question, he didn’t let on.

“Oh?”

“She was struggling,” he admitted softly and she saw sadness flit through his eyes. The question was at the tip of her tongue, but it wasn’t her business or her place.

“I’m sorry.”

He nodded. “But he was lucky to have Dad, Nonna and Poppy the first few years.”

“That’s the trifecta of awesome and I would know because they were there for me too.”

“Are we going to ignore thatIwas there too?”

“Didn’t want to inflate your ego anymore than necessary,” she said, keeping her head and eyes down. “Besides, you know how much of an impact you had on me.”

Ever since he’d come back into her life, she’d been thinking about those seven years in New York. The years she hadhim. He was the first real friend she’d ever hadandher first real love too. He had to know how he completely changed her life.

“Why are you hiding from me?”

“I’m not hiding,” she mumbled.

“Look me in the eyes and say that.”

She laughed and lifted her head. “I’m not hiding. I’m…you know,processingthat you’re here. When you didn’t call, I was convinced I’d dreamed up that whole ice cream shop encounter.”

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