“A what?” Chris giggled, her mood lifting from seeing the old lady being so playful. Her emotions were all over the place today, reminding her that a good night’s sleep was needed in her future.
“Andrew’s here, dear, and he’s asking for you.” She took the flowers from Chris’s hand and practically pushed Chris out into the front of the store.
Andrew’s face lit up as his eyes met Chris’s. He had thought about her constantly since he had left her by her car the previous night and wanted to kick himself for not being more forward. He’d had a nice time talking to her and, sure, he could have simply called, but he was already picking up his lunch at Rosie’s Diner. He figured he would drop by while he was on his way.
Excuses? Yes, but he liked seeing her every chance he could.
“Hi,” Chris greeted, finally finding her voice. She didn’t think she would be seeing him today and the sight of him in those tight, low-slung jeans and fitted T-shirt made her insides quiver.
“Hey,” Andrew countered, smirking as she smiled shyly, blushed, and then licked her lips. The effect he had on her was most definitely mutual.
“What are you doing here?” Chris asked, wanting to facepalm herself for being so lame.
Really, Chris? She mentally chided herself.
Well, it was either he was there to see her or order flowers.
He chuckled. “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by.”
She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “That’s convenient.” What she didn’t tell him was how much she had also wanted to see him.
“There was also this pretty girl I wanted to talk to.” He leaned on the counter and took one of her hands in his. This was one of his tells, something he did often since he had started coming into the shop.
It gave them a connection of sorts, something Andrew found he couldn’t resist.
Her palms were sweaty and she felt weird about that, but it was all his fault. He smelled so nice; it made her nervous with anticipation. She couldn’t help the way her body reacted when he was around.
“Oh, was there now?” she teased, her lips curling up in one corner. This flirting thing came easy to her whenever he was around. It felt so natural to be herself with him.
“Yeah, actually, I was going to call and ask if you wanted to come with me to visit Mom later. She’s been asking about you again, and when I told her about last night, she sort of begged.” His face scrunched up in the most adorable way, making it impossible for Chris to refuse.
He might have been a momma’s boy, but he was a damn fine one at that.
“That’d be great, Andrew; I’d love to see her.” She nodded and slid her thumb against his calloused fingertips.
“I’ll pick you up at seven?” he inquired, hopeful.
“Do you know where I live?” she countered. Teasing him had started to become one of her favorite things. She wondered if there were any other activities they could be doing together that would also become her favorite things.
“No, I don’t.” He frowned, looking at their joined hands. “Um, okay, where do you live?”
Giggling, Chris got out a pad of paper and pen and, with her free hand, scrawled down her address. “Seven?”
“I won’t be late,” he promised, kissing the palm of her hand, slowly letting it go before he left the store.
“Sweet Jesus,” Chris mumbled, watching him walk away. Both her hands laid flat on the counter, her body tingling in anticipation and her head swimming in what she could only describe as mush.
“You’re telling me, sweetheart. I’d let that boy talk the pants right off me if I weren’t old enough to be his grandmother.” Mrs. Davis guffawed as she noticed the look of shock across Chris’s face.
Really? Was she serious? Chris knew the old bird could be a little mouthy, but damn. Then again, she couldn’t blame her. After all, Chris herself had entertained the same thoughts.
Andrew Harris could charm the pants off her any day, too.
“Um, all right.” Chris stifled an awkward giggle and shook her head as she went back to work.
. . .
Andrew sat in front of his computer, a mouse in his right hand as the fingers from his left flew over the keyboard. He was working, creating the background to the newest website he had to design for an up and coming client, but tried as he might, his mind kept wandering off to thoughts of Chris.
What was she up to?
How was she doing this afternoon?
Did she also feel this uncontrollable, undeniable, unexplainable connection between them, or was it his overactive imagination playing tricks on him?
He sighed, rubbing his palms into his eyes, feeling them burn under his forceful grip.
“Why can’t I get you out of my mind?” he wondered out loud. His emotions had gone from one extreme to the other in the past few months. This new one, ever more confusing than the rest.
Seeing his mother ill had taken a lot out of him. She was the only birth parent he had left, and he felt as though it was his job to take care of her.
Julia’s husband, and his adopted father, Richard, was a godsend. He had taken a leave of absence from his stressful job as one of the heads of Chicago’s prestigious University Hospital, opting to take care of Julia around the clock. Richard didn’t want strangers and nurses taking care of his wife. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her and ensure she had the best care. The best, he felt, being himself.
When Julia had sounded out her interest in moving back to Westfield, Richard had taken measures to find an opening at the small, local hospital, and in no time the couple had made arrangements to relocate.
Upon hearing the news, it had taken Andrew less than a second to agree to the move. He was more than happy to follow. Momma’s boy through and through, he couldn’t see himself living far away from his family. Since Westfield had been in the forefront of his best childhood memories, this decision was the easiest one he had ever had to make.
Now, months later, after the ups and downs and ups again of his mother’s health, he had found Chris and was determined to try to make something of a life with her. He wanted to be her friend, but everything in him pushed for more. At first, he hadn’t tried to locate her because he didn’t think she would remember him, but now, whatever doubts he'd had were washed away.
His fingers longed to touch her; his lips longed to kiss her, and his entire body buzzed with anticipation to get closer to her. Whenever she was in the same room as him, he felt as if she was his Magnetic North—whatever direction she went, he needed to follow, regardless.
The cursor blinked on the computer screen, and Andrew tried to make out what he was looking at. The colors melded together, browns and gold, swirling into a pattern of curves which ebbed and flowed off to the sides of the screen. Hair? Irises? Whatever it was, it was soothing and beautiful. Andrew had no idea how he had even created it while his head was busy thinking of the girl who had captured his heart.
. . .
At seven on the dot, Chris found herself staring out the window, praying she hadn’t imagined the whole interaction with her “gentleman caller.” She had spent the rest of the day with her head in the clouds and a smile on her face. This, of course, only served to amuse Mrs. Davis, who kept making sly comments about Andrew.
As it turned out, Mrs. Davis remembered Andrew from when he was a young boy and loved seeing the interaction between him and Chris. Westfield was a small town, so Mrs. Davis knew everyone there, including Christina and Andrew.
Their connection was palpable; even at a young age anyone looking on could imagine them being together as adults. The thought of young love made her old heart swoon and reminded her of her own past; one that involved a certain Mr. Davis.
Andrew drove up to the neatly groomed townhome Chris had been renting for several years. He hadn’t expected her to be living so close to his old childhood home. But as he looked at her neat scrawl and back at the numbers on the house, he knew he was indeed at the ri
ght place.
Chris watched with rapt fascination as Andrew parked the car and opened the door. He stepped out into the late July sun wearing the same jeans as he had on earlier in the day, but Chris noticed he had changed his shirt to something dressier.
“Damn, he makes plaid look good,” Chris whispered under her breath, then begrudgingly pulled herself from her spot by the window in order to greet him at the door.
He barely had a chance to knock before Chris flung open the door and greeted him with an excited smile. “Hi.”
He looked her up and down for a moment, processing the change from the casual jeans and T-shirt to this sundress with bare legs and flimsy sandals.
He decided he liked her legs. A lot.
“Hey.” He grinned and held out his hand for her to take. She locked up the door, took his hand and walked with him to the car.
“Did you have trouble finding the place?” she asked, as he opened the passenger side door for her.
He looked around at the complex that consisted of an array of townhomes all lined up in neat little rows that made up a crescent. The landscape was beautifully surrounded by an abundance of trees and hidden far away from the main road. “Not really.”
“These didn’t exist when we were kids,” she explained, folding herself into Andrew’s fancy sports car.
He held the door open and leaned on the roof while he asked, “Do you remember where I lived as a kid?” She nodded, so he continued, “This whole land used to be sort of my backyard. There were trees and a stream here, and well, I guess it doesn’t exist anymore.” He shrugged, pushing himself off the car. He tapped the roof a couple times, then gave her a wink before closing the door and making his way around to the driver’s side.
When he got inside and started the ignition, Chris turned to him. “That’s too bad, Andrew. I bet you had great memories there?”
“I did.” He smirked, his face softening as he remembered going for hikes with his father. “But it was a long time ago. Besides, Mom made a killing when she sold the land.” He chuckled. “My memories will always be here—” he pointed to his temple “—regardless.”
He didn’t remember his mother selling it, but when the decision to move back to Westfield was made, Andrew had inquired into the possibility of trying to buy his childhood home. He was told by Julia it had burned down years prior and none of it had belonged to them for years anyway, putting the issue permanently to rest.
“Very true,” she agreed, as they drove down the wooded lane and onto the main road. “Where do you live now?”
“I bought Mr. Green’s old house down on Melbourne Avenue. Remember the one with the bright pink shutters his wife had painted?”
Chris’s face scrunched up in recognition. The house was close to the school and they both walked by it every day as kids.
“Yeah, let’s just say they’re not pink anymore,” he added.
With wide eyes and a teasing smile she answered, “Thank God for small miracles.”
Andrew broke out into a loud guffaw and took Chris’s hand in his, resting their joined hands on the gear shift as he drove across town to his mother’s home.
The pair discussed the changes to the town as they passed by landmarks that had made their childhood what it was. They were both sad their reminiscing had to come to an end when Andrew parked the car in front of a rather large, colonial style home.
“So, this is their house.” He gestured toward the imposing structure, which Chris eyed dubiously. “It’s not gonna bite, I swear.” He chuckled, pulling her into his side and kissing her cheek.
Chris blushed as her entire body broke out in goose bumps. It was a small kiss on the cheek, but it left its mark on her soul. She remembered when he had done that at the store, and once in a while when she thought of him, she could still feel the lingering touch of his soft lips to her cheek. This second kiss only served to remind her of how much she wanted to be more with him.
“I’m not worried about it biting, I’m worried about getting lost on my way to the bathroom,” she replied flatly, making him chuckle. He loved her sense of humor and found it refreshing. The Christina he knew always said what was on her mind. He admired how this older, more mature version of her had a knack for the same thing.
“Don’t worry; Mom gives out maps as soon as you walk in the door. It makes it easier.” He pulled her along, as she giggled, and they walked into the house without knocking. “Mom? Dad? We’re here.”
Chris looked around the impressive entryway, noticing at once how homey it felt. She instantly relaxed, feeling more at ease than she had moments earlier.
“Andrew, sweetheart, I’m in here.” A soft voice could be heard coming from one of the other rooms. Julia had heard her son and couldn’t wait to see Chris. Now, if only she could have pushed herself to get up, but her sick body was frail and she knew Andrew would understand her staying put.
Andrew held Chris’s hand as he led her down the hall into a large sitting room full of books. There were two big sofas facing each other and an imposing fireplace as their focal point across from the entry to the room.
Chris’s eyes lit up as she saw two of her bouquets adorning the room. One was fresh from the day before while the other was worse for wear as it was already more than a week old. Some of the flowers had started wilting, but the smaller flowers were still thriving.
“I keep them until the very last petal drops,” Julia commented, making Chris’s eyes snap back to hers.
Chris had been so busy admiring the decor she hadn’t noticed Julia sitting sideways on one of the sofas, her legs covered with an afghan.
“You have a beautiful home, Julia,” Chris replied, feeling sheepish for being caught ogling her hostess's personal effects.
“Thank you, dear.” Julia gestured to the sofa across from hers. “Now, how about you two have a seat.”
The couple sat close to each other, which made Julia’s heart clench in happiness. She smiled as she noticed their joined hands and something inside her sprung to life. She wanted Andrew to live his own life—to be happy with someone special—but he was such a nice, thoughtful boy, always putting his family first, no matter what.
He’d had many girlfriends over the years, but none of them had stuck around for too long. Julia had been pleasantly surprised when he moved to Westfield with them. In her eyes, he seemed to like his life in Chicago, but Andrew had simply told his mother he would much rather be surrounded by his loved ones than be alone somewhere he didn’t feel was his true home. This last part had reminded her of the tough decisions she’d had to face when her first husband passed.
Andrew had always thought of Westfield as his home; no matter how old he got or where life had taken him, part of him had always remained anchored in the small, sleepy town.
“So, Chris, Andrew tells me you’re the one responsible for these beautiful flowers.” Julia motioned to the bouquets Chris had been admiring moments earlier.
Chris nodded, smiling and relaxing as Andrew’s fingers entwined with hers. “Yeah, Andrew is Mrs. Davis’s favorite customer.” She didn’t elaborate on Mrs. Davis’s little crush on her...date?
Was this a date?
His fingers rubbing softly against hers were a delicious distraction from her thoughts. She had to take a deep breath and focus on what Julia was asking.
“I bet. Mrs. Davis can be...a little...flirty,” Julia declared, smiling. Julia had many memories involving Regina Davis. Most of which had the two of them laughing and having a good time.
Chris’s face turned beet red as she found herself without any words to counter Julia’s truthful statement. She couldn’t argue this, and apparently Julia was well aware of Mrs. Davis’s powers of perviness. “Um, yeah.”
“Oh, dear, I used to work for her after school when I was a teenager. That woman hasn’t changed one bit. If anything, old age has made her worse.” Julia laughed, remembering how Andrew Sr. used to come into that shop every day just to see her. “Andrew may
not even be here if it weren’t for Mrs. Davis meddling in my love life, so you’ve both got a lot to thank her for.”
“I didn’t know you worked there, Mom,” Andrew stated, regarding his mother with new eyes. She seemed lighter this evening, for some reason, and he figured it was due to the fact he had brought over someone new for her to talk to.
Since her move, Julia hadn’t been out much and missed a few of the social aspects she was used to. She spoke on the phone to her friends, but it was different. Their relationships were stilted. She almost felt as if they had rejected her when she fell ill and it only served to show their true colors.
A few times a week Cathy Keeley would stop by, and the two women would have coffee outside while they chattered about this and that. Cathy—who happened to be Amy’s mother—was one of Julia’s friends from way back in the day. The pair had taken up their friendship right from where they had left off twenty years prior.
“Oh, honey, it was a long time ago.” Julia waved him off and went on to ask Chris about her job. The two spent the next hour chatting amicably about the floral business.
Andrew sat next to Chris, adding his two cents every once in a while, and enjoyed every word spoken between the two women.
He could feel himself falling for Chris; there was no doubt about it. He had never felt anything like this for anyone else, and as much as he thought falling in love would scare him, he was pleasantly surprised how it simply didn’t. Chris was that girl for him, and deep down he knew it. He wondered if she saw him in the same way, but then time would have to tell. There was nothing gained in rushing matters of the heart. If it was meant to be, it would be.
He felt odd he hadn’t even kissed her yet, but had all these feelings swirling around his head. He swore to himself he would try to rectify that as soon as he could, come hell or high water. If kissing her cheek made his pants feel snug, kissing her lips would be the death of him. Sometimes being a man was a pain in the ass...or the groin, however you looked at it.
Man in the Moon (Sweet Escapes Book 1) Page 4