Page 136 of The Love You Fight For
I take my empty plate back to the counter and Shelly gives me an excited smile. I wait impatiently as she brings the plate to the back, and when she returns, she sets another flower on the counter in front of me—this one a pink rose—and...a wrench.
I raise an eyebrow.
“He left this for me?” She nods. “Did he say anything?”
She shrugs, her wide smile still fixed to her face.
“Just to give you the wrench and the flower after you’ve eaten.”
I furrow my brow for a second, and then it dawns on me. The garage. I turn to leave, then stop myself.
“Hey, Shell, can I get a large to-go cup filled about halfway with water? For the flowers.”
She grabs it for me, tells me goodbye and good luck, and I’m out the door within seconds. I put the three flowers in the cup of water and put the cup into the cupholder of Chris’s truck before cranking the engine and pulling onto the road. In a matter of minutes, I’m parking in the lot of Franklin Auto Body.
I see Andre waiting for me even before my feet hit the pavement. He’s standing out front with a wide grin and a sprig of what looks like baby’s breath. When I get to him, he pulls a paintbrush from behind his ear and hands it and the flowers to me.
“Lennon?” I ask quickly.
My heart is galloping in my chest, and I can’t fight the way my voice squeaks when I speak. I’m excited and terrified and so damn impatient that it’s taking all of my restraint not to run at a full sprint.
Andre shrugs.
“Probably?”
I rush back to the truck, shouting my thank you over my shoulder. He laughs out loud, and the last thing I hear through the open truck window is him shoutingdon’t speedas I pull out of the lot.
I’m knocking on the door to Lennon and Macon’s house three minutes later. It’s Macon who opens the door.
“Took you long enough,” he drawls with a smirk. “I was expecting you hours ago.”
I arch a brow.
“Not all of us are up with the sun.”
He opens the door wide and lets me in, and I note the house is strangely quiet. It’s never quiet at Lennon’s. Charlotte and Gabe are loud little monsters. Sweet, amazing, beautiful monsters—but loud.
“Where is everyone?”
Macon just shrugs and leans on the door with a grin.
I raise both brows.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Don’t you have something for me?”
He looks at the ceiling as if he’s trying to remember, and I sigh loudly.
“Kitchen counter,” he says finally, and I run to the kitchen, jumping over some kids toys as I go.
I find another flower, something beautiful and purple, and a menu for The Princess.
“Thankyoubye,” I say as I rush past Macon and out the door. I don’t look back. I keep the menu on my lap until I’m pulling up to our restaurant.
“Chris,” I shout as I unlock the back door and run inside. “Babe? You here?”
