Chris didn’t know everyone in town. She had lived there her entire life, but in the years where she left to attend college, things had changed. People had moved in and out of town and she had lost touch with most of her childhood friends. When she did return, after living and working in the city, she had taken the job as a secretary. Chris hadn’t had the chance to put the new names with the new faces, some of whom she crossed paths with daily. She guessed the Harrises must have been part of those new ones she had yet to meet.
“Okay, how’s this?” She showed Mrs. Davis the bouquet and grinned when the quirky, but happy, sweet old lady gave her two thumbs up. Chris was proud of herself. She had managed to learn so much in so little time, making her confidence soar.
. . .
At exactly twelve fifteen, the bell over the door rung loudly throughout the store, alerting the two women there was a customer out front.
“That would be Mr. Harris. How about you get it, dear?” Mrs. Davis waved Chris off as she went in the back storage room to gather ribbons for their next order.
Chris shrugged as she practically skipped to the front of her soon-to-be store. She was happy for the first time in forever and her attitude showed it. She had served customers throughout the past three days and knew how the cash register worked, but finally doing it without Mrs. Davis clapping and talking non-stop to the customers, was a blessing.
Chris stopped dead in her tracks as she eyed the young man on the other side of the counter. He was tall, with broad shoulders, both attributes accented perfectly by a dark grey Henley and low-slung jeans. He also worked a panty-melting, crooked grin that was surely meant to make Mrs. Davis have a heart attack in her old age.
Squinting and tilting her head to the side, she eyed him speculatively. “Andy? I mean, Andrew?” She smiled to herself, remembering the nickname he hated so much and calling him by his real name.
Mr. Harris chuckled at the lovely girl behind the counter and shook his head as he smiled in return. He hadn’t seen her in years and wouldn’t have recognized her if it weren’t for her eyes, which had remained the same soft shade of chocolate brown they had been when they were in fifth grade together. “Christina?”
“Everyone calls me Chris now, actually.” She grinned, her teeth digging into her bottom lip as she tried to keep her eyes on his face and not the rest of him. Shaking herself out of it, she took a deep breath and asked distractedly, “Oh, my goodness, I haven’t seen you in years. How are you?” Chris remembered how Andrew’s father had passed, and then his mother had taken him and moved away when he was only ten years old. When her own mother died, she had thought of him and his pain, and how she had wished he was still around to talk to.
Andrew stepped closer to the counter and inspected the flowers in Chris’s hands. “I’m good, thanks. I moved back not too long ago to be closer to my parents.” His eyes met hers in understanding and the two smiled; both relieved there was no need to talk about some of the tragedies in their lives. For the most part, they knew and understood each other’s pain.
“Oh, and how is your mom?” Chris remembered how kind and giving Julia Miller was to everyone. Andrew Sr.’s death had been devastating for her.
“She’s...okay. She’s stable now. My father takes care of her at home.” Chris frowned, and Andrew quickly understood that Chris was not aware of his familial circumstances. So much for her knowing everything. “Oh, she got remarried, ages ago. He adopted me, Dr. Harris; he works at the hospital,” he explained as simply as he could. He didn’t want to go into too many details, but for Chris, he would. There was something in the way she looked at him, or the way she made him feel as he stood there with her that spoke volumes to him. She was familiar. Even after all these years, seeing her made the heaviness in his chest feel lighter.
“Oh, oh yeah.” Chris recalled her last visit to the ER with a broken toe when she had stubbed it on the coffee table. “He’s such a nice man.”
Andrew smiled kindly. “Yes, he is. He’s been...very good. Mom, on the other hand, has been sick. She had a stroke a while back and her left leg is pretty much useless at the moment.” Andrew didn’t think twice about his words as they left his mouth.
Chris swallowed and brought both hands to her mouth; her eyes wide and watery as she processed Andrew’s sad news. These people were always so good, yet all those bad things kept happening to them. “I’m so sorry, Andrew.” Surprised, she couldn’t recall speaking about any of this with her father. Such an event, she mused to herself, would be something I would remember.
Andrew shrugged and balanced himself on his heels nervously. Chris had always been that girl for him. The one he considered the pretty girl in class. The one whose braids he pulled.
He remembered how, as kids, when it rained, they used to sneak off to the school library together to read Goosebumps during their lunch breaks, instead of playing board games with the rest of their classmates.
Before tragedy struck their families, Chris and Andy had been the best of friends, practically glued to the hip as their parents visited each other and did outings together. It had been a blow to both of them when Andrew had moved away, but with Nana’s help, Chris had made other friends and found new interests, always keeping Andrew in the back of her mind among her fondest childhood memories.
Memories of a younger Chris, giggling and running through his backyard filtered through Andrew’s mind as she smiled softly; reminding him she was now a grown woman with curves in all the right places. He hadn’t seen her in years, but that was something he was looking forward to changing.
“It’s okay, Chris. She has good days and bad ones. She loves flowers and misses gardening, so I bring her different flowers every Wednesday,” he explained and leaned over the counter to place a gentle hand on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly. He could see by the pained look on her face how upset she was and felt bad there wasn’t much he could do to make her feel better. “It’s not so bad. She’s still here and that’s what counts,” he added, giving her a kind smile, trying to make it sound less tragic. He had experienced what it was like to suddenly lose one parent, so the fact his mother was still here, in spite of her illness, left him feeling hopeful instead of angry or sad.
She nodded and swallowed the tight ball in her throat that threatened to make her cry. She had cried enough in the past few days and didn’t want to be doing any of that at work, certainly not in front of a customer.
“I’m so sorry, Andrew. I...I really didn’t know.” Chris knew very well what it was like to feel great loss, and knowing that Andrew—the same Andrew she had known when they were kids—had also gone through all these things, made her much more sensitive to the issue. Her heart had broken and mended itself so many times, she didn’t know if it would ever feel whole again.
“Not too many people do, actually. We all came back to Westfield about three months ago because that’s what she wanted. City life was going by too quickly for her and she grew tired of it. I had nothing keeping me there, so I followed.” His disarming smile and sweet demeanor had her swooning. He was still a momma’s boy through and through, but it was the nicest thing she had ever witnessed.
Not many thirty year olds would sacrifice so much. “Aren't you married or...something?” Chris asked but closed her mouth in a tight line as soon as the words had left her lips. She was fresh out of one relationship and couldn’t understand what the heck she was thinking at the moment. Flirting with a man was definitely not something she should have been doing, but Andrew was easy to be around and it felt natural for her to be herself with him.
Andrew chuckled at her unease. Not in a mean way, mind you, but the way she asked had left him hopeful that maybe there was still a chance for him to ask her out sometime. Shaking his head, he took out his credit card and laid it on the counter for her to take. “Nobody caught my eye, yet.”
Taking the proffered payment, Chris rung up the correct amount and handed him his receipt along with his card. “That’s too bad, Andre
w. Maybe someday, someone will.” She sucked in her bottom lip and nervously chewed on it. She hadn’t meant to be so...gahh, what was it with this guy? Even when they were ten years old, she couldn’t be mad at him when he pulled her pigtails. He had always had a special place in her heart.
“Maybe someday, Chris. See you next week.” He winked, and she rolled her eyes playfully, as he added, “I’ll be watching you.”
She waved him off, her cheeks red and her heart beating out of her chest. The last thing she saw was his lips curl up into a knowing smirk as he exited the shop door.
. . .
As Chris did her best to maintain and understand everything Mrs. Davis was trying to instill in her, Andrew was doing his best to rein in his desire to stalk the poor girl. He had been beyond ecstatic to have run into her when he had.
Chris Laurence had walked back into his life, and this time he would do everything he could to keep her there.
“You seem happy, Andrew,” his mother commented as he dropped off her flowers.
“I am. You won’t believe who I just ran into.” He smiled and kissed his mother’s cheek, taking a seat on the sofa across from hers.
“Mrs. Davis can be quite the flirt, Andrew, but I think she may be out of your league,” she replied with a smirk playing on her lips, while examining her roses carefully. She couldn’t help the swell in her heart every time her son walked into the house and handed her a bouquet of flowers. She was proud of her only son for turning out to be such a good man, but the way he kept himself so busy by taking care of her, left her worried about his private life.
“Christ, Mom, that’s...don’t even joke about something like that.” His face twisted up and they both started laughing.
“Okay, okay,” she conceded, placing the vase on the table next to her, not trusting her bad leg to support her weight while she had something in her hands. “Who did you see? I have to say, you look like you’ve got an extra bounce in your step today, son.”
He nodded. “I probably do. Christina Laurence, Mom. I saw Chris. Can you believe that? She works with Mrs. Davis.”
Julia’s eyes widened. She hadn’t seen that girl in about twenty years, but she remembered how close Christina and Andrew had been as little kids. A pang of sadness hit her as she remembered the reason why they had moved away. “I was supposed to come for a visit when Eva passed away, but you were sick with the flu and I couldn’t make it. How is she? And Henry?” She took a deep breath and frowned, saddened by these unpleasant events. “I should have tried to contact him when we moved back, but it almost felt like opening new wounds. For both of us.” She whispered the last few words, but Andrew caught on to what she meant.
“She’s great, Mom. Beautiful. She was always so beautiful.” Andrew momentarily got lost in his head as he recalled more glimpses of their shared childhood. Sun shining above them as they swam at the lake and shared ice cream by the beach, while their fathers fixed Henry’s boat.
“Well, you sound smitten, honey. This move might not be all bad for you, then.” Julia had a difficult time convincing herself that Andrew had told her the truth about his wanting to move. She felt as though she had been the one to pull him out of his home to drag him here, even though he insisted he loved Westfield and wanted to come back for his own good.
“Mom, I told you I wanted to stay close. I have wonderful memories of living here and I did this for me, not just to be closer to you. Although, once you can get back into that kitchen and bake me something, I’ll be a very happy boy.” He gave her a boyish grin, looking as charming and cute as ever.
“Soon, sweetie.” She sighed, her lips curving into a smile. “I wish this recovery were faster, but I’m slowly getting there.”
“I know, Mom,” he agreed, and swiftly changed the subject. “How’s Dad doing with the move now?”
As the two discussed the changes happening at the hospital, Andrew helped his mother to the kitchen where he made them lunch. They also happily discussed Andrew’s current business transactions, while he tried to keep the thoughts of a certain brunette tucked away in the back of his mind.
Chapter 3
During the next couple weeks, Chris worked hard, and in no time noticed Mrs. Davis stepping back and letting her deal with orders, deliveries, and customers.
Their helper, Amy, who came in each afternoon for a few hours after school and most days during summer vacation, was a floral arranging genius. That girl could whip up a beautiful, original, colorful arrangement in no time. Come September, she was going to be a senior in high school, but promised to keep her job at the shop for as long as she could. Luckily, Chris enjoyed Amy’s company and the two made an interesting pair as they worked together.
“You should have used the fuchsia daisies, Chris," Amy suggested, sighing as she eyed the flowers in Chris’s hands.
"I’m not a big fan of fuchsia," Chris replied, sticking to her current selection. “But maybe adding more greenery in the back would cut the monotony and make it flow together better.”
Amy’s smile was a mile wide as she helped Chris pick out leaves and ribbons to complete the arrangement. “That’s a great idea. This looks amazing.”
Amy’s excitement and praise made Chris feel proud as she looked over her bouquet. “Let’s just hope Mrs. Donnelly likes it, too.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. She usually loves whatever we do, as long as we use daisies,” Amy explained. She had been working there long enough to know who liked what and was usually great at making up something pretty on the spot.
“I’ll make a note of that.” Chris smiled in appreciation as she made eye contact with a chuckling Mrs. Davis. “Thanks, Amy.”
Mrs. Davis stood back and watched the girls work as she filled out paperwork for the next week’s deliveries. She loved how the girls got along together and smiled with glee as she booked her tickets to Maui. Her head was now clear of any trepidation about leaving Chris alone for a few weeks as a test run.
True to form, Andrew called every Wednesday morning to place his order. Every week a different arrangement, and when he picked it up, he would talk to Chris as if they hadn’t spent close to two decades apart.
Chris liked him. He was charming, sweet, and genuine. His love and devotion to his mother was so thoughtful. Chris couldn’t help the way her heart clenched whenever she thought about him and everything he did for Julia.
She had found out, through one of his visits, that Andrew had his own online business, which could be run from anywhere, giving him the flexibility to move at a moment’s notice. He hadn’t elaborated much, which had left Chris wondering about exactly what it was he did online. The possibilities were endless. Chris figured she would get more details eventually, too distracted in the moment to dig any deeper.
It was also during these visits that she found out how adept he was at flirting—or at least with her he was. Andrew Miller-Harris was something else entirely as his fingers lingered on her hand when he handed her his credit card. He had left behind the urge to pull her pigtails, but he certainly hadn’t lost his boyish charm.
Chris found herself forgetting entirely about Frank. Getting over him this quick was a good thing and being single was refreshing. She liked it. She found it wasn’t that bad to dine alone or to go to the movies on her own. She had almost forgotten how nice it was to be able to curl up with a book and not have anyone question her about it.
She also loved her new bedding. It was pink with flowers on it. It was something girly, too girly for a strong man, the likes of Frank. She rolled her eyes at the thought and giggled every time she walked into her newly decorated bedroom.
Then, once a week, her heart would skip several beats as Andrew’s playful smirk and sparkling green eyes made an appearance in what was soon-to-be her shop.
“Gerbera daisies today, Andrew.” She grinned as she handed him his order.
Like a smoothly choreographed dance, he handed her his card and grazed his pinky against her palm. “These are bea
utiful, Chris. Thank you. You should come and visit Mom sometime. She’s asked about you.”
Chris rang up the order, wondering, “Have you been talking to your mom about me?”
She grinned as he looked away, the tips of his ears pinking in embarrassment. “I...um, I may have mentioned that you worked here.”
She handed him his receipt, grazing his palm with her own fingers this time. It was something she hadn’t done before, but wanted to do over and again. Everywhere.
“I’d love to see her. She knew my mother.” Chris’s smile faltered as the words hung in the air.
Andrew felt a pang of sadness as he recalled his own loss. “Yeah, she did. I bet she would love to reminisce. She could probably tell you some interesting things about her, if you’d like?”
Andrew leaned on the counter, his hands resting a few inches from Chris’s. He could see how sad she had become in such a short time and really wanted to remedy that issue, if he could. He didn’t want her to be sad—ever—and would do everything in his power to make her happy.
He needed to man up and ask her out. Properly.
“I’d love that, Andrew,” she answered with a tinge of sadness still in her voice, but her lips curving up. “It would be nice to see Julia again.”
Andrew, slowly but methodically, inched his hands closer to hers and covered her small hands with his larger ones, making Chris’s gaze meet his. “Go out with me?”
Unsure if she had heard him right or understood what he had meant, she asked, “On a date?” Her nose scrunched up in the most adorable way, and Andrew had to refrain from kissing her right then and there. She was too cute for words.
He shrugged, and as she turned her hands palm up, he threaded his fingers with hers, leaning on his elbows so they could stand eye to eye. “Yes, on a date.” He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows. “Come on, Chris. I want to get to know you again. As adults.” He pulled out all the stops, jutting out his bottom lip in a mock pout.
Man in the Moon (Sweet Escapes Book 1) Page 2