Page 35 of Almost Ours
“Oh. Uh…” I tried to sound casual, like my heart hadn’t just slammed into my ribs. “I’ve got it. Almost.”
“You say that,” he said, already stepping forward, “but you’re about five seconds from reenacting a holiday disaster movie.”
Even with me balanced on a chair, we were almost eye level. Without, he’d tower over me by a good seven inches–six-foot-two to my five-seven.
Before I could argue, his hand brushed mine, steadying the post as I adjusted the lights. His other hand hovered near my back, not touching, but close enough that I could feel the heat of it.
From behind me, the rustling stopped. I didn’t even have to look to know that both Nina and Benny had frozen mid-task and were now staring at me like I’d sprouted mistletoe from my ears.
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, cheeks burning as I secured the hook and stepped down. “Totally fine.”
Ryan gave me a small, knowing smile. “Just figured I’d offer. You know… in case your chair had other plans.”
Benny handed him a box or ornaments with a flourish. “Start hanging these on the front of the table. Neat and symmetrical, please. We’re going for classy, not chaotic.”
“Yes, sir,” Ryan said with a mock salute, his lips twitching as he got to work.
We worked quietly for a few minutes, sharing little glances and half-smiles as Benny bustled around. When everything was finally in place, Benny stepped back, hands on his hips. “Not bad, Ryan. You’re not entirely useless.”
“High praise,” Ryan said, deadpan, making me laugh.
Benny rolled his eyes, but smiled, clearly satisfied with our work. “Alright, you’re free to go–for now. Don’t think I won’t come find you if the wind ruins my setup.”
Ryan gave a mock bow. “I’ll be on standby.”
As he turned to leave, his gaze lingered on me, his smile softening. “See you later, Harper.”
“Bye,” I managed, feeling that familiar warmth bubble up as I watched him walk away.
The moment Ryan was out of sight, Benny let out a low whistle, pulling me from my thoughts. “So what’s really going on there?”
I scoffed, grabbing a roll of tape and sticking it to a random surface just to keep my hands busy. “He was just being polite.”
“Polite?” Nina chimed in from the other side of the booth, her voice rising in pitch. “The eye contact? The lingering?”
“There was no lingering,” I said firmly, even as my cheeks betrayed me by heating up.
“Oh, there was lingering,” Benny said, pointing a wooden spoon at me like it was a gavel. “And I, for one, am inspired.”
I rolled my eyes, but my fingers tightened around the tape.
“He’s single you know,” Nina said lightly, not looking up as she untangled a string of fairy lights. “And you’re both hot as hell, I say go for it.”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
I honestly hadn’t thought of Ryan in that way. He was extremely nice–he’d fixed my sink, showed up when I didn’t even ask, and coached Connor with patience and warmth. And yeah, sure–he was ridiculously good-looking. The kind of good-looking that made you look twice. You’d have to be blind to not notice his strong forearms, broad shoulders, and his eyes–bright and blue, like they could see more than you were willing to show.
Besides, even if Icouldpossibly be interested in someone again or even think about letting someone in–which I wasn’t–there’s no way someone like him would want someone like me. Not with all the baggage I came with.
“I’m going to make a new pastry,” Benny declared dramatically. “Something rich, a little spicy, definitely soft in the middle. I’ll call it…Icing on the heart.”
I dropped my forehead to the table with a groan. “Please don’t.”
“Oh, it’s happening,” he said with a flourish. “It’ll be a bestseller. People will taste the unresolved tension in every bite.”
“I hate both of you,” I mumbled, but I couldn’t help smiling.
The booth was finally ready, and I had to admit, it looked amazing. Garlands draped neatly along the edges, ornaments catching the soft winter sunlight, and rows of steaming hot cocoa paired perfectly with the cookies and other baked goods from the bakery. Nina had just slipped away to relieve her assistant, Jaxxon, from his nannying duties and pick up Liam, promising to be back before the crowds really picked up. Benny had taken it upon himself to arrange everything “just so,” and now, with the hard work done, he looked like he could almost relax.
