He had to set aside this awareness of Cecilia—whether he’d suddenly noticed her on a whole different level or not.
Cecilia glanced over her shoulder. ‘Shall we visit the cold storage first?’
‘Yes. That would be...ah...great.’
They headed over there, and Linc forced his attention back to the tour. He noticed the amount of empty space surrounding the limited offerings of cut flowers.
‘How’s the cut-flower trade going?’
‘It’s going well.’
Her glance seemed only to calculate the empty shelf area. But her cheeks held a hint of pink that couldn’t be attributed to their brief walk.
Was she feeling this, too? This interest and curiosity that felt fresh and new and oh-so-tempting to pursue?
‘At the moment we’re keeping our stock orders tight.’ She waved a hand in the general direction of the shelves, and then shoved it into the front pocket of her cut-offs.
She’s as aware of it as you are.
Maybe, but that didn’t mean she wanted to pursue it any more than he did, Linc reminded himself belatedly.
‘Any special reason?’ He cleared his throat. ‘For keeping the stock orders tight?’
She tipped her head on one side and seemed to consider him for a moment before she responded. ‘It’s because Valentine’s Day is very close and we’ll need the space for all the cut roses.’
‘Right. It’s good that you’ve thought ahead to make as much of that day as possible.’ His voice was so deep it might have come from his boots. ‘I should have thought of that straight away.’
‘It’s a very special day.’ The pink in her cheeks deepened. ‘For—for the customers, and very much for the nursery.’
And most of all for lovers.
She didn’t say that. Instead, she drew a deep breath, as though to try to compose herself.
In Linc’s experience women seemed to expect a very emotional expression of love on that particular day of the year. To show a love that encapsulated exactly the kind of commitment that would never be part of Linc’s own life.
He was grateful his brothers had found such love—that their lives had turned out okay in the end. However, Linc would never deserve—
‘We’ll be getting in red roses, predominantly.’
Cecilia’s words drew him back from the dark thoughts as she led the way out of the cold storage area and, once he’d joined her outside, secured it.
‘We’ll stock other colours of roses, too. There’s a growing percentage of buyers who will purchase something other than the classic red—particularly when purchasing for friends or family rather than—’
‘The romantic loves of their lives?’
There. He’d said it and the sky hadn’t fallen in.
‘Yes.’ She glanced at him and quickly away again. Her chin tipped up. ‘Roses are lovely at any time of the year. My favourites are the creamy white ones. They have a beautiful, subtle scent.’
She led the way through a section of potted seedlings and, as he came to her side, gave him the benefit of a determinedly work-focused gaze.
‘Hopefully this year’s sales of roses will prove to be as lucrative as last—if not more so.’
The words made Cecilia sound as unromantic as they came, and she was a great businesswoman. But one who’d managed to bring romance right to the heart of her working life through her instigation of this year’s masked-ball event. Not to mention all the flowers she stocked for Valentine’s Day, and the flowering maze she had designed and nurtured to fruition.
‘Given your track record over the last six years, I have no doubt that the Valentine’s Day trade will exceed all expectations.’ He made the comment matter-of-fact, but his thoughts were not pragmatic.
She’d been in a relationship a few months ago. His brother Brent had mentioned that it had ended.
So she’s single.
Why would Linc even consider her availability?
She may be hurting and still love the guy.
‘Thank you.’
For a moment Linc didn’t know what she was thanking him for, and then he remembered. He’d paid her a compliment. A business one, about her ability to do a great job as plant-nursery manager.
Which was true.
‘You’re welcome.’
They moved between rows of gardening supplies, through arrays of flowering plants and herbs, potting mix and foliage. Linc began to find his focus again, and the colour in Cecilia’s cheeks returned to normal.
So it was fine. He’d been foolishly carried away—imagining things, nothing more. Flights of fancy weren’t Linc’s style. He would make sure it didn’t happen again.
Cecilia’s love of her work shone through more and more as she talked avidly, explaining the progress and plans that related to each area.
‘What’s happening in that shed?’
He asked the question as they walked towards a shady path, far into the back section of the nursery. Access to the shed was gained through a locked gate. There were no customers to be seen or heard, and it truly felt secluded and private.
In fact, it was the perfect setting for a man to steal a kiss. Assuming that a man would choose to do something so unprofessional.
So much for him returning his thoughts to nothing but business.
‘I’ll show you.’ Cecilia led the way to this final shed on the property and unlocked and opened the door. The tour with Linc had proved productive so far, but she had been oh-so-conscious of him the entire time.
This sharpened interest towards Linc needed to stop.
She felt a moment of nervous anticipation as she prepared to reveal this part of the business. It was working well, and she was proud of it, but what would Linc think of the concept?
‘I hope you’ll approve of this aspect of the nursery.’ She tried to imbue nothing but confidence into her tone as she went on. ‘This is where I work on my repurposing projects. I get some of my best ideas for the future direction of the business when I’m working here, too.’
With this statement carefully delivered, and avoiding the thought that she also came here when she missed her sister the most, Cecilia glanced about the area.
Sunlight streamed through skylights in the roof into a large open-plan area that housed projects in various stages of completion. Old boots with creepers growing out of them...a rocking chair that had been painted orange and black, its seat area filled with a large planter of pumpkin vine... Demand for this kind of repurposed item was growing.
‘I didn’t know about this.’ Linc’s gaze moved about the area before it returned to her. ‘How long have you been doing this work? Where did you get all these items?’
He wouldn’t realise it, but the sun coming through the skylight above had cast his profile into sharp relief. Every strong feature and every subtle nuance was there for her to see. Right down to the length of his dark eyelashes and the way they curled slightly at the ends. And the shape of his lips...
Cecilia struggled to remember his question. He’d asked something about where she got the items for refurbishment. It was one of her favourite aspects of the plant nursery, which showed how easily being around Linc could throw her completely off her guard.
‘I