Page 29 of Into the Shadows

“So you'll let me take you out?”

She nods. “Yeah, anytime.”

“Okay, I'll text you the details, then.” I watch her get into her car and drive away. I have no idea what I’m doing. Fuck knows this isn’t a good idea, but like hell can I stay away.

I blowout a breath that puffs out my cheeks and run a hand across the top of my head.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into?

My mirrored reflection makes it seem as if I’m ready to go. My dark blue button-down is tucked into my dark jeans, my beard is trimmed, and if I could stop rubbing my handsthrough my hair, it would be styled. It's longer than I'm used to, and I can't quit messing with it.

I told Lottie I'd pick her up at seven. I’ve got half an hour before I need to go. Should I have gotten her flowers? I've never really thought of Lottie as a flower kind of girl, but I've also never thought about her as someone to date. Mostly because I wouldn’t let myself.

I'm just overthinking this. I pull up Lottie's address. It’ll only take me ten minutes to get there, so I've got time.

One Google search and a few minutes later, I'm pulling into the parking lot of Blooming Beautiful. The large windows boast a wide variety of plants and flowers, and when the door chimes, signaling my entrance, a young guy welcomes me with a smile. “Hello. Can I help you find anything?”

I look around the room, an overwhelming sensation hitting me square in the chest. “Uh… I’ve got a date tonight, but I have no idea if she's a flower kind of girl.”

“I’ve learned most women appreciate flowers when going on a date. Whether they like them all the time is irrelevant. They like being thought of.”

I nod at that, although I can't imagine this kid is old enough to have any real experience with women. He doesn't look more than twenty.

“I could put something together for you. Do you mind me asking who you're going out with? I know just about everybody in town, so I could personalize it if I know them.” He holds his hand up. “I swear I'm not being nosy.”

“I’m a little nervous to say it out loud. I’ve concluded she's a bit of the town's golden girl.”

The guy's eyebrows raise. “If you're about to tell me you're going on a date with Lottie Jackson…” He cringes.

Immediately, my hackles go up. “Is there a problem with that?”

He has the decency to blush. “Not at all. It's just that…no guy has ever been brave enough to date her. Her dad's the police chief, if you didn’t already know. I'm not saying that to scare you. It’s the reason people have been too scared to try. Lottie deserves to be happy. The fact that you’re still here, buying her flowers, tells me you might be the perfect guy.”

I shrug. “I wouldn’t say that. She wore me down until I couldn't say no.”

The guy laughs. “That sounds like Lottie.” He gets to work pulling flowers from the coolers behind the counter.

“You seem like you know her better than most.”

“She's one of my best friends, actually. We’re related by blood—our dads are brothers—but she’s more than just family to me.”

My eyebrows wing up. “Hopefully, I haven't just shot myself in the foot.”

He grins. “No, not at all. It’s nice to see somebody being protective of Lottie.” He wraps a purple ribbon around the bouquet before holding it up for me to see. It's a beautiful spread of purple and white flowers, most of which I couldn’t name. “Purple is Lottie's favorite color,” he explains.

He carries the flowers to the cash register, and when he tells me the total, my jaw drops. “There's no way that's right.”

He grins at me. “I gave you the friends-and-family discount. I hope we’ll be seeing more of you around town. I'm Ryan, by the way.”

I hold my hand out. “Teddy.”

“It's great to meet you. Good luck.”

I take the bouquet out to my car. I sit there for a moment, thinking about the interaction with Ryan. Sometimes, this town doesn't feel real. It's as if I've stepped into one of those lame Hallmark movies where everybody's nice to you and nothing bad ever happens.

I don’t understand any of it. Fuck knows I’ve never experiencedkindness like this, but I can't say I haven't been enjoying myself the last couple of weeks.

I'm not sure if this is Lottie's influence or if I'm finally settling into life here, but as I pull out of the parking lot of Blooming Beautiful and head to Lottie's house, I realize this is the first time I’ve ever felt content.

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