Page 68 of Almost Always

She’d always known that his primary love language was physical touch and she’d missed it in the years they’d been apart. As kids, he would always reach for a bit of her hair and twirl it when they were sitting together or squeeze her shoulder. There were times when he’d link their pinkies absentmindedly as they walked. The only time he kept the physical affection behind closed doors was when he was dating Vivian.

Vivian who hated her from the beginning, Vivian who believed that she deserved all of his time. It wasn’t like Daisy had put much effort into being friends with her either. After all, she’d been the leader of the mean girls group that made it their mission to ruin her entire school experience. If that wasn’t enough, when Rafferty chose SUNY?*, instead of joining her in Texas, she told everybody that Daisy was a home-wrecker.

At the time, she didn’t think she was the reason he stayed.Nowshe knew better.

They pulled up in front of the Patch and, as she helped Callahan out of the car, he gasped loudly, hands on his face.

“It’s so pretty!”

“You’d blend right in, too,” she told him, taking a minute to ruffle his rainbow tutu before holding her hand out for his.

“What are we doing with Boots?” Rafferty asked, clipping the leash onto the dog’s collar.

“I can keep him in my office.”

Even though Eden had texted letting her know everything was under control, she knew there were a few things she still had to cross off her list. She led the way inside, smiling at every surprised and excited sound that came out of Cal. With a nod at Ripley, she gestured to the high table.

“I call this the Flower Station.”

“Like a train station?”

She chuckled. “Not quite. But it’s where you can play with flowers and learn how to make bouquets. Would you like that?”

“Yes, please!”

Rafferty grumbled about Cal’s inability to channel his inside voice. She smiled and tousled his hair as her youngest staff member joined them. “This is Ripley. He’s going to help you with flowers.”

“Hi Ripley!”

“Hey kiddo, we gotta practice our inside voice. Okay?” she told him gently and he blushed. “All right, you two get acquainted. I’m going to get some work done.”

Cal followed Ripley to where he was given an apron and a tour of the shop. She turned to the man watching her with a wicked smile.

“Put that away,” she whispered, smacking Rafferty’s chest.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That…face!”

He laughed and tugged her towards him by the waistband of her pants. “You win the challenge, darlin’,” he mumbled and kissed her. She wobbled slightly and returned the kiss before forcing herself away from him. He smirked and added, “You keep going above and beyond for me and my kid, Daze. I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”

Physical touch might be his, but acts of service were her primary love language. She shook her head, smoothing down her clothes as heat coursed through her veins. “You don’t have to, hotshot. I love spending time with the two of you and this…thisis my life, you’re a part of it, right?”

“Fuck yes, we are.”

“Good. Now, sit your fine ass on one of those stools as I go get some work done.”

“Yes ma’am.”

She stole another kiss and he squeezed her ass hard enough that she yelped against his mouth. “You’re terrible,” she said and took Boots’s leash from him. He held his hands up in anI’ll behavegesture, but the devilish smirk said otherwise. Thankfully Callahan came back as she was leaving, so there was no room for any kind of further temptation. Walking into her office, she settled behind her desk with Boots at her feet and Eden came in so they could go through their spring-summer schedule.

An hour later, she walked out with Boots trotting ahead. He’d slept the whole time she was working, not even disturbed by the constant chatter and movements. When they reached the Flower Station, she found Rafferty with wildflowers in his hair and Callahan fiddling with a very messy bouquet. Ripley was nowhere in sight, so she figured that the Ames men had gone rogue. Boots barked and both of them turned to face her, Cal had the widest grin as his father helped him off the stool.

“This is for you,” he said from behind the flowers in his hands.

“You made it for me?” She knelt down in front of him and took the bouquet, loving the absolute chaos of it. “Thank you. This is gorgeous.”

“I wanted to make one of daisies, but Dad and Ripley said it’s tooobvious.” He rolled his eyes dramatically, which meant even his head did a silly roll.

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