order. She’d been very excited about getting it, but at the same time distracted. In a rush. Because by the time she hung up with the woman Toni had realized she was running late for her first “little dinner” at Sea Shells with Brad. So instead of doing what she should have done-taking the time to enter the order in the proper books, she’d left it on her desk and hurried off to get ready for her evening with Brad, promising herself she’d take care of the paperwork first thing in the morning. Instead she’d clearly set the bank-deposit book on top of the order. And had completely forgotten all about it. Until just now. Oh, God.
But, of course, she knew the answer.
Brad.
Since that first night together, she’d been wandering around in a sensual, lust-glazed, emotionally confused haze. Instead of concentrating on her work and her business, she’d allowed her thoughts to wander to him constantly. She’d known getting involved right now was a mistake-that her business required all her focus. But had she listened to her better judgment? No. Instead she’d allowed her attention to be diverted. And now she was facing a business disaster of biblical proportions. If she’d failed to fill the order…God, she couldn’t even think of the consequences. The lost business of such a big client, and the other work that could have potentially come her way if she satisfied them. The black mark against her and her reputation. As it was, she wasn’t certain she’d be able to pull it all together.
“Toni, are you okay?”
She moistened her dust-dry lips. “Actually, no. All I can say is thank goodness you found that order and called me.”
“So it’s legit?”
“I’m afraid so.” She quickly explained her error.
“Oh, boy,” Jayne said. “That’s not good. We don’t have enough on hand to fill this order.”
“I know,” Toni said, her mind racing. “I’m on my way to the shop. The flower market opens at 4:00 a.m. I’ll put together as much as I can using what we have, then I’ll be at the market when it opens.”
“I’ll start preparing what roses we have right now,” Jayne said.
“No. You’ve been on your feet all day and even stayed late tonight to finish the centerpiece so I could leave.” She pressed her lips together. Another example of how she’d allowed her personal life to interfere with her business. “Go home to your husband. This is my mess and I’ll fix it. I’m eternally grateful you found that order.” As she spoke she shrugged her arms into her coat and scanned the floor for her missing shoes and panties.
“Even pulling an all-nighter there’s no way you’ll get all those arrangements done by yourself. Even with the two of us, it’s going to be tight. I’m staying to help.”
Gratitude filled Toni. “That’s more than I deserve for having made such a terrible mistake. Have I told you lately that I love you?”
“You just did. I love you, too. Hey, anybody’s memory would get wiped clean after six or seven orgasms and an out-of-body experience.”
Which is precisely what had happened. And precisely what she wasn’t going to let happen again. For now, all she could do was pray she’d be able to get the flowers she needed when the market opened at 4:00 a.m., and finish the arrangements on time. Otherwise her name-and Blooming Pails’s-would be mud.
After assuring Jayne she was on her way, she shut her phone, slipped it back in her coat pocket and was struggling into her stilettos when Brad came into the foyer. “I have to go,” she said, the words running together as she impatiently rotated her foot to coax it into the high-heeled shoe. “Huge problem at the shop. A missed order. Client needs it in the morning. I’ll be pulling an all-nighter.”
Concern filled his eyes. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Those were the words she actually needed to say to him, but didn’t have the time or the courage to do so now. “Thanks, but no.” She pulled her car keys from her pocket. “Sorry. I need to leave. Now.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek then sprinted to her car and drove away without looking back, determined to put her focus back where it belonged.
Which meant that this had been her last night with Brad.
All she needed to do now was tell him.
9
AT QUARTER PAST SIX the next morning, holding a cardboard caddy bearing two extra-large coffees, Brad crossed the street leading to Blooming Pails. Only a few streaks of dark mauve colored the pre-dawn sky, but the inside of the flower shop was brightly illuminated. He could see Toni behind the counter, her brow bunched as she moved methodically down a lengthy row of floral arrangements set up on her long counter, adding flowers to each one. His heart sped up at the mere sight of her and he shook his head. Damn, he had it bad.
He glanced down at the coffees. He figured Toni would need one to get through the day after her all-nighter, and he needed one, as well, since sleep had mostly eluded him the night before. And not because of his disappointment at her needing to leave-although there was no denying his regret at that turn of events. No, it wasn’t the fact she’d left that concerned him-it was the
The cool, impersonal kiss. The cool, impersonal way she’d looked at him. There had been something in her quick exit that gave him the sinking feeling she wasn’t simply running to fix her work problem. It was more like she was running away from him. And his invitation to spend some time together on Christmas Day. That invite had definitely been a mistake as it had clearly freaked her out. He’d practically seen the wall she’d immediately erected between them. Not that she hadn’t had one there all along, but at least that barrier had contained a few weak spots, ones he’d held out hope of soon scaling.
She was upset about more than a work emergency. Something she hadn’t told him. Something he strongly sensed he wasn’t going to like. He’d wanted to ask her last night, but had forced himself to let her go, telling himself they’d have time to discuss it in the morning, after she fixed her work problem.
He’d spent the restless night trying to convince himself he was reading too much into her reaction to his invitation. To her lack of warmth when she left. That she’d been upset and distracted. But no matter how hard he tried to persuade himself, he couldn’t untie the knot of apprehension squeezing his insides.
Well, in just a minute he’d find out one way or another whether his gut instincts were right. He just hoped to hell they were wrong.
Brad jogged the last few steps across the street, and holding the cardboard coffee caddy in one hand, tapped on Blooming Pails’s glass door. Toni looked up and hesitated. And in that brief hesitation, a feeling of dread suffused him.
She came around the counter slowly, as if reluctant to do so, and approached the entrance. He tried to ignore the fact that she didn’t look at him. Not until she’d unlocked the door. “Hi,” she said.
He told himself the reason she didn’t smile was because she was clearly exhausted. “Good morning,” he said. “Merry Christmas Eve. I come bearing gifts.” He handed her one of the coffees.
That brought a slight uplifting of one corner of her mouth. “Thanks.”
Unable to keep from touching her, he brushed a fingertip over the violet shadows beneath her eyes. “How’s it going?”
“If nothing disastrous happens, I’ll finish about thirty seconds before the van arrives to pick up the order.”
“And you thought you’d be crunched for time.”
She gave a weak laugh. “Yeah. Silly me.”
“Is Jayne here?”
“She stayed until I left for the flower mart a few hours ago. The poor girl was exhausted.”
“You must be, too.”
