Page 28 of Love Notes

I shoved the note back in my pocket.

What the hell was I even thinking?Adam was awriter.It was what hedid.He’d even given me a copy of his book and asked me for feedback, so how was I supposed to tell him there was no way in hell that—

“The details of the petals are incredible,” someone said, and I jolted back into awareness just in time to see Phillip Brauning, the guy who wanted to buy Haider out, inspecting one of my two remaining wooden roses.“I’d like to buy both of them, please.”

He was with an older man who I thought was his personal assistant, though I’d cast Brauning so far into the role as the evil villain in Haider’s story that I couldn’t help see the guy as anything but a henchman.Which was unfair, probably, since he had a nice smile.

“They’re a hundred dollars each,” I said, sure that he’d refuse, but he didn’t even blink as he paid the asshole tax and passed the cash over.

“Oh, no need to wrap them,” he said as I reached for some tissue paper.“I will present them to their intended recipients shortly.”

I didn’t manage to keep the scowl off my face as I handed them over and he gave me some condescending bullshit about how nice it was to see craftsmanship thriving in the community.Like he wasn’t here to stamp outHaider’sby buying up his business.

“Uh-huh.”I folded my arms over my chest as he gave me a curious glance, and then he nodded at the older man who had accompanied him, and they left the stall.

It wasn’t until after they left that I remembered I’d told Adam I’d save one of the roses for him.Guilt bit at me, even though I could easily make another.I wouldn’t have been half as annoyed at myself if I’d sold them to anyone except Brauning.Should have told him they were two hundred each instead, though he probably would’ve have paid that too.

I tucked the two hundred dollars in my back pocket, keeping it away from the rest of the money I’d made as though it was tainted.I’d put it toward the bill for our next group dinner at Lucy’s Bar, so at least some good could come of it.

The polka band played on, and I hoped they’d be stopping soon for the other bands to start.Another ten minutes passed though, and they showed no signs of flagging.

In a rare break in foot traffic, Sam wandered up to my stall.“Hey.”

“Hey,” I said.“You doing okay?”

“Yeah.”He raised his eyebrows at my seriously depleted stock.“I’d ask the same, but clearly you’re killing it.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna be packing up a lot earlier than I thought.”My stomach clenched against a sudden storm of butterflies, and I drew Adam’s note out of my pocket.“Uh, can you read this for me?”

I always been ashamed to ask the guys for help, but that was on me, not them.Even when we were kids, they’d never made me feel lesser for my dyslexia.I wasn’t stupid or lazy; my brain just worked differently.And all three of them had understood that way before some of the adults in my life had come around.

“Sure,” Sam said, reaching over the table.He unfolded the note and began to read, his eyes widening before he looked at me again.“Oh, wow.Okay.”He cleared his throat.“‘Ryan, I should be writing my book, but I’m thinking of you instead.I never imagined when I came to Harmony Lake that I’d meet anyone, especially not someone as amazing as you.You are one of the kindest and sweetest guys I’ve ever met, and I know you get embarrassed by compliments, so I hope that writing this down for you will save some of that.’”Sam snorted.“Sorry.‘I can’t wait to see you today, and I can’t wait for us to be alone together tonight.Yours, Adam.’Then there’s a heart.”

I reached out with a shaking hand to take the note back and stared at it as though somehow it might magically reveal itself to me now Sam had read it aloud.It didn’t.

“Shit, Ryan,” Sam said.“You guys are together?Why didn’t you say?”

“It’s new,” I said.I folded the note up and tucked it into my pocket.“Don’t say anything to the other guys yet, okay?”

“I wouldn’t,” he said earnestly.

I nodded.“It’s short-term, I guess.Like, he’s here until June, then he goes back to Ohio.It’s fine, you know.”I wasn’t sure which one of us I was trying to convince.“It’s fine.”

“Okay,” Sam said.“But never say never, right?”

“He writesbooks, Sam.”

“So what?I farm maple syrup.Doesn’t mean I expect Ben to do the same, right?”He looked at me intently.“Right?”

“Sure,” I said, not wanting to get into a discussion about it.“Yeah.”

Because Sam was wrong.It wasn’t the same at all because Ben, even though he might not know the first thing about farming maple syrup, could at least appreciate the final product.And that was more than I could ever do for Adam.

I CLOSED MYbooth down early and didn’t stick around for the concert.Crowds weren’t my thing, and after the stressful day I’d had dealing with all those people, I just wanted to go home.Usually my workshop was my sanctuary.I’d go inside, draw a deep breath, and the rest of the world would fade away as I got to work.But this evening I headed straight for the cabin.

“You’re home early,” Adam said, getting up from the couch when he saw me.His laptop was open, and the page on it was full of words.

“Yeah, I already sold everything.”

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