Page 54 of One Southern Summer

“Of course.” She circled around the front of her car to the passenger side. Cole took the cardboard drink carrier and she grabbed the bags of food. After nudging the car door shut with her hip, she picked her way across the yard, grateful she’d worn white canvas slip-on shoes instead of flip-flops. No telling what was lurking in the red clay.

The smell of sawdust and new plywood greeted her when she passed through the open doorway, mingling with the aroma of the fried food wafting from the bags in her hands. Cole set the drink carrier down and quickly made a table from two sawhorses and two-by-fours stacked nearby. The sun wouldn’t set for another hour or two, but without any electricity inside, shadows crept in.

“Greer gave me some battery-powered lanterns.” She put the food on the makeshift table. “They’re still in the car behind the driver’s seat.”

“I’ll get them.” His sneakers thumped against the floor as he went back outside. A few minutes later, he returned with a lantern bobbing in each hand. He set them on the table beside the bags of food. The silvery blue light flooded the room.

“Probably not the ambiance you envisioned, but it’ll do. Were you really planning to work tonight?” Cole reached inside the bag and lifted out a carton of french fries and a sandwich wrapped in a foil-lined paper bag.

“After I talked to Wendy and Shayla, I was hoping I’d have a chance to think and dream without so many people around.” It was true. Mostly. Yeah, she’d wanted to hear about Imari’s Place from a resident’s point of view. But she also needed extra time to come up with a beautiful functional space. Frankly, Whitney’s comments about her motivations had stuck with her. She still hadn’t been able to shake the implication that this was somehow all about her.

Cole handed her a packet of her favorite dipping sauce. She took it and smiled. “Thank you. I can’t believe you remembered. First the frozen custard and now my favorite sauce.”

“How could I forget? You’re the only person I’ve ever met who doesn’t like ketchup with their fries.”

Avery pulled a face. “Then you haven’t met very many interesting people.”

He chuckled and unwrapped his chicken sandwich. “I’ve met you. That’s what matters.”

His words gave her pulse an excuse to frolic. She quickly batted away the compliment. “There are plenty of people who could help you make this building a true home. I just happened to be your conveniently unemployed friend.”

He gave her a narrow-eyed look while he finished chewing. “That is so not true.” The air between them crackled. “We’ve been over this already. You matter, Avery. Your happiness matters too. I’ve known you for most of my life, and I believe you can do this.”

Again with the kind words she didn’t deserve. Eyes downcast, she focused on dipping her fry in the sweet sauce.

“I can tell you don’t believe me.” His voice carried a gentle tone. “Where’s the confident, self-assured girl I knew in high school?”

“Ha.” She punctuated the air with another fry. “I was socially awkward, dealing poorly with my abandonment issues and this hair was wild and untamed.”

“I disagree,” Cole said. “Girls would’ve killed for those curls. Most guys were too scared to ask you out, by the way.”

“Are you sure we went to the same school?”

His expression grew serious. “Stop selling yourself short.”

“Thank you for being so kind and believing in me.” She gestured toward the tube of rolled-up paper beside him. “Are those the blueprints?”

He wiped his hands on a napkin then spread out the plans between them.

She moved closer and stood beside him. Her shoulder brushed against his, and a familiar yearning rippled through her. One that might quickly morph into something dangerous if she wasn’t careful.

Pull yourself together.

“Tell me the biggest need for Imari’s Place right now. In a perfect world, what would make this expansion useful for years to come?”

Cole palmed the back of his neck. “That question is beyond the scope of this project. And our budget.”

“Why?” She studied him. “In my experience, that means you have something spectacular in mind. For now, give that budget a mental shove and tell me your vision.”

His hazel eyes tangled with hers. “That’s another thing I’ve always admired about you.”

She faced him. “What’s that?”

“Your ability to see beyond the surface. Deeper than what’s on the exterior. You see the potential and that’s a gift.”

Oh, how his tender words were like rain on the desert wasteland of her heart. He reached up and gently tugged on one of her curls. She leaned into his touch, letting his warm palm caress her cheek. Cole’s eyes dropped to her lips.

Over his shoulder, she caught a glimpse of a hooded figure lurking outside and she screamed.

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