“I hope your mother appreciates these,” Vicki said as she handed Samson Cornwell his credit card. “It’s sweet of you to buy her a dozen roses just because.”
“I thought it would be nice to brighten her day,” Samson said. “And you do such an amazing job, Vicki. These roses are just amazing.”
“I can’t really take the credit. I just arranged them. Mother Nature did the hard work.”
His roaring laugh echoed against the walls. The effort it took for Vicki not to roll her eyes was downright admirable.
“Did you have this sense of humor back in high school?” Samson asked, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “Who knew you were so funny?”
Vicki hunched her shoulders in a “who knew?” gesture. She pushed the vase filled with blush-colored Antique Silk roses and baby’s breath toward him, hoping he’d take the hint and leave. He didn’t.
Sam rested an elbow on the counter and leaned in close. “When did you get interested in flowers?” he asked. “You know, I read somewhere that there are over twenty different species of roses. That’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“Try nearly two hundred,” Vicki said.
His eyes went wide. “Really? Two hundred? That’s amazing.”
She wondered if he would be offended if she threw a thesaurus in with his dozen roses. That was the fifth amazing since he’d walked through the door.
The phone rang. Vicki decided then and there to give whoever was on the other end of the line a free centerpiece for their holiday dinner table.
“I have to get this, Samson. Thanks again for utilizing Petals for your floral needs. I hope your mother enjoys her roses.”
“Oh, I know she will,” he said. He winked at her.
It took everything Vicki had in her not to groan. She answered the phone. “Petals.”
It was Declan. As she listened to his apology and explanations for canceling their date tonight, her spirits deflated. Well, there went her big plans. Maybe she should run outside and stop Samson before he drove away.
The door swung open and Samson rushed back in. She immediately regretted the thought she’d just had. She so was not going out with Samson Cornwell. She didn’t care how amazing a date with him would be.
“My wallet,” Samson said, retrieving it from where he’d left it on the counter.
Vicki walked him to the door, then turned and spotted Sandra, Jordan and Mason marching down the stairs.
Sandra pointed to the door as she reached the landing. “Let me guess, another new male customer who suddenly has a penchant for flowers?”
“Samson Cornwell,” Vicki said. “You remember him?”
Sandra pulled a face. “That fool who nearly blew up the chemistry lab at Wintersage Academy?”
“The very one.”
“Don’t tell me he asked you out.”
“I didn’t give him the chance,” Vicki said.
Jordan stood there with Mason, his gaze volleying back and forth between her to Sandra.
“The men of Wintersage have developed an amazing interest in flowers this week,” Sandra explained to him.
Vicki groaned. “Please don’t say the word amazing.” Sandra’s forehead dipped in question. “Don’t ask,” Vicki added.
“Anyway,” her friend said, turning once again to Jordan, “one came in yesterday and bought a bouquet for his dentist. His dentist. It’s ridiculous.”
“Petals appreciates it,” Vicki said. “Petals’s owner, however, is so over it.”
“Wait.” Sandra frowned. “Why are you still here? Don’t you have a date tonight?”
Vicki tried to keep the defeated sigh from escaping, but failed. “Declan had to cancel. He was called in to cover the E.R. Apparently they just got slammed with food poisoning from a birthday party.”
“Aw, honey, I’m sorry.”
“There’s always a next time,” she said, hunching her shoulders. She turned her attention to Jordan, who was now fighting to put Mason’s jacket on him, a battle he was clearly losing. Vicki bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. “Do you need some help?” she asked.
He held the jacket out to her and let out a relieved sigh. “Please.”
Instead of taking the jacket, she took Mason. The little boy leaned his head on her shoulder and stuffed his thumb between his lips, and Vicki’s heart instantly went the way of ice cream on a hot summer day.
Her heart did something all together different when she looked up again and found Jordan with his bottom lip between his teeth, concentrating hard as he threaded Mason’s chubby arms through his jacket sleeves. She absolutely hated that everything he did looked so damn sexy on Jordan. And that she couldn’t help but love it.
She suddenly discovered a bright spot to her canceled date.
“I’m free to babysit tonight,” she said to Jordan.
His head popped up. “You sure? What if your date manages to get away from the hospital after all?”
“From the way things sounded, that doesn’t seem likely. Besides, you look as if you can really use the rest.”
“I told him he looks like shit,” Sandra said.
Vicki covered Mason’s exposed ear. “Not in front of the baby,” she admonished.
“Don’t waste your time,” Jordan said. He hooked a thumb toward his sister. “I’ve already accepted that this one will teach my son every swearword there is by the time he turns three.”
“That’s what aunties are for,” Sandra said, giving the baby a kiss on the cheek before heading back up the staircase.
“So are you really up for babysitting tonight?” Jordan asked. “Because if you are I won’t turn you down. Sandra’s right, I do look like shi... Crap,” he finished.
“Saying crap isn’t much better,” Vicki said, unable to hide her grin. She jiggled Mason’s chubby cheek. “Just wait until his grandma Nancy hears those swearwords coming out of his mouth. Then both your daddy and Auntie Sandra will have some explaining to do.”
“Don’t remind me,” he said.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Vicki laughed. She turned her attention back to Mason. “What do you think of me coming over, huh? We can play games, or watch a movie, or even make a snowman while your daddy gets a little rest. What do you say about that?”
The little baby teeth that peeked out as his face broke into a smile was hands down the most adorable thing she’d seen in months.
“I think he’s okay with it,” Jordan said with a grin of his own.
Her reaction to that smile was wholly uncalled-for. Maybe if she refused to acknowledge the flutter that swept through her stomach, she could pretend it didn’t really happen. Because, seriously, how could a simple smile give her butterflies?
She could not wait until the day she was past this ridiculous infatuation—if she could ever move past it.
No. There was no if about it. When it came to her feelings for Jordan, the new Vicki was not going down the same road the old Vicki had traveled. She’d come to that decision after Sandra’s wedding. It was the reason she’d signed up on that dating website: she was done pining for Jordan Woolcott.
Yet she’d just agreed to babysit for him tonight. What in God’s name had