Page 28 of A Dream for Daphne

He wouldn’t be offended by that. She was at least grinning.

“Got it,” he said.

They walked through the aisle without talking for about five minutes.

She turned around to see if he was still there and he winked and gave her a little wave.

She laughed. “Maybe in the parking lot.”

“Got to go there myself anyway,” he said.

Just to be obtuse, when they were done shopping, he snuck in line ahead of her so she’d have to either be behind him in that line or go to another and they’d get out the same time or he’d wait for her.

She moved from behind her cart and came closer to him. “I’m not going to run away on you again,” she whispered.

“I want to eliminate that possibility,” he said, trying hard not to inhale the sweet citrus scent of her so close to him.

It brought back all the memories of that night they had together.

Now he realized what he was smelling on her was Blossoms' products.

He moved up and put his items on the belt and knew it represented a single dude to the letter.

Sandwich meat, bread, beer, sports drinks, water, cheese, chips, frozen snacks and meals. He even had a box of cereal he always ate as a kid with some milk.

When he was done he felt her eyes on him and turned. “You shop like my brother did when he was home on leave.”

“Your brother is in the service?” he asked.

“Was,” she said.

The clerk rang his food up and he put the stick on the belt for Daphne to unload her stuff next.

Since he was already being nosy he watched her much healthier cart full of food be unloaded.

Fruits, vegetables, and a few packages of meat. More than he’d think one person would need, but maybe she cooked in bulk.

Who was he to know?

But he wanted to.

He paid for his and then walked out slower than a ninety-year-old with cracking knees.

Was he looking back for her a few times?

Yep, he was and wasn’t embarrassed to admit that either.

Rather than walk to his truck, he waited for her to come out.

“I didn’t know where you were parked,” he said cheerfully.

“To the right,” she said.

“Me too,” he said.

They walked together and she was only a row over and three down from him.

Since his truck was first, he unloaded everything, which was about four bags, then walked down to help her.

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