Page 27 of Hoax and Kisses
His words land too close. My stomach knots, and I look away before he can realize how true they’ve hit. How did he see the feelings I’ve been working so hard to keep at bay?
“Zoey?”
I meet his gaze. “How did you know?”
He shrugs, his mouth ticking up a fraction. “I’m good at my job.”
He says this like it’s every florist’s job to know exactly who their clients are and what they need, but the reality is that this man pays attention.
The bouquet turns heavy in my grip, so I set it down.
Matt’s eyes follow the movement, his expression dulling. “It backfired, didn’t it?”
“No, no. It’s just…” I rack my brain for a way to explain my spiraling thoughts that won’t make him follow up with a hundred more questions.
I feel too exposed, too vulnerable. Nobody has put me in this position in the last twenty years. Alarms blare in every corner of my body. So I do what I do best when the emergency response has been triggered. I play it cool. I brush it off. “I didn’t know I was giving off this vibe. But thanks. It’s beautiful.”
Matt cocks one eyebrow. Dammit. For a moment, I brace for his usual wit and quick retort. But his expression smooths out, and he simply says, “I’m glad you like it.”
Thank god. I’m not ready for this level of scrutiny, especially from a man I know nothing about and didn’t expect to see again after…
He clears his throat. “I was about to grab a coffee. Do you maybe want to—”
His question is interrupted by a shrill ringing. On autopilot, I fumble for my phone. As I register my dad’s name on the screen, a loudclinkresonates through the store.
I startle, eyes darting toward the sound.
Matt is already bending down, retrieving a pair of scissors.
When he straightens and sets them on the table, his face is unreadable, his mouth pressed into a firm, unforgiving line.
“Sorry, I need to take this.” I shoot him an apologetic smile and shuffle a few steps away. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Hello, princess,” Dad booms. “How’s the trip going so far?”
My focus flicks to Matt. “Good, good. Been settling in before diving into work.”
“Any updates?”
“None for now. I can’t do anything until…” I glance at the man hovering nearby again and lower my voice. “The town hall.But I’ve been doing the rounds, chatting with locals and trying to get a good sense of the town.”
“Don’t get too comfortable with these people, Zoey. They look after their own. They wouldn’t know good business if it slapped them in the face. If they don’t get their tourism activity under control soon, their town will be a complete circus in no time. Trust me.”
A pang of guilt pokes at me. “I won’t. Don’t worry. Can I call you back?”
“You have more urgent matters to attend to? If you’re waiting for the assembly, I doubt you’ve got anything better to do than strategize with me.”
“I’m in a store,” I say, lowering my voice even more. “I can’t talk right now.”
There’s a pause on the line, followed by a sigh. “Don’t disappoint me, princess. I met with the shareholders this week. My retirement has been discussed, as well as my replacement. They’ll be considering your ability to take over at the next meeting two months from now. The hotel deal in Pine Falls needs to be done by then.”
“Dad, I’ll call you back.”
I hang up before he can add anything else and walk back to Matt, who’s arranging another bouquet. “Sorry about that,” I say, forcing a smile. “Overbearing parent.”
He hums, his focus glued to his work. “No problem.”
“You were going to say something?” I hedge, a flicker of hope that I have no business feeling rising in my chest. “Before my dad called?”
