Shannon’s stomach grumbled at her as she watched Jeremiah walk by with the blonde woman she’d spoken to earlier. She hadn’t caught the woman’s name, and the way she touched Jeremiah’s arm suggested they might be together.
Her eyebrows pulled together. “Then why did he ask you to the recognition dinner next Saturday?”
And why hadn’t she answered him yet?
“What?” Riley asked from a few feet away. Before Shannon could answer, Riley got up from her desk and approached the window where Shannon stood. She was waiting for Ash to finish up a dress consultation so they could go out to her husband’s flower farm.
“Are you watching Doctor Yeates?” Riley’s voice held entirely too much surprise.
“He asked me out this morning,” Shannon said in a near-whisper.
Riley met her eye, and Shannon was so glad she had friends she could talk to about things like this. “And?”
Shannon quickly relayed what had gone on that morning, then she shrugged. “And I don’t know. I haven’t answered him, though next Saturday is open.”
“Why not?” Riley demanded. “He’s gorgeous, and he’s a doctor.”
“Yeah, a doctor who analyzes people. I don’t need him…shrinking me up, you know?” Shannon wound her fingers around themselves. “So I don’t know.”
“You think he’s going to ask you all kinds of questions?”
“He already did, on the short drive here.”
“What kind of questions?”
“You know, siblings, if I grew up here.”
“Oh, wow,” Riley said, with mock horror in her voice. “Definitely don’t go out with him. I mean, how dare he try to get to know you?” She giggled and quickly returned to her desk when a door opened.
Charlotte, Hope, and Ash came spilling out of Charlotte’s office, along with a bride and her mother. Everyone was all smiles and white teeth, and Shannon stayed off to the side, out of the way. She had perfected blending in, only appearing at the exact moment Hope needed something.
“So we’ll see you next month,” Hope said. “Thanks for coming in.”
The bride and her mother left, and Ash handed an armful of dresses to Shannon. “Ready?”
“Yep,” she said.
“So you’re going to source the flowers for the Bower event,” Hope said.
“Right,” Shannon said. “I’ll text you pictures of everything, and we can get this done today.”
“I’ll keep my phone on.” Hope turned back to Charlotte, and the two women went back into the office they’d just come out of.
Shannon turned to Riley, and said, “Bye, Rye. See you tomorrow.”
“You’re not coming back?”
“Not today,” Shannon said. “Vivian Bower wants flowers on everything, and we have to select blooms for the trellises, the altar, the table settings, the wedding party.” She looked at Ash. “It’ll take hours, right?”
“At least,” Ash said. “And we’re stopping for lunch on the way, because I’m starving.” She stepped over to the door and pushed through it, letting in some of the Hawaiian heat.
“Text me about the doctor,” Riley said, shooting a look toward Charlotte’s office, which still had the door open. Shannon watched it too, then she nodded and followed Ash outside.
“The doctor?” Ash asked almost as soon as the door had closed behind Shannon.
“How did you hear that?” she asked, sending a quick laugh into the air. “Riley practically whispered it.”
“I hear everything,” Ash said with a laugh of her own. “So, tell me about this doctor.”
And since Shannon didn’t know what to do or how she felt, she laid it all out for Ash. She pulled into the parking lot at Petals & Leis with a “Wow, Shannon. You think too hard about stuff.”
Shannon left the wedding dress samples in the back of Ash’s car and joined her on the sidewalk. “I do?”
“Do you like this Jeremiah Yeates?”
“I don’t even know him.”
“But you’ve seen him around. You’ve spoken to him. He drove you to work today. Is he a nice guy? You could get to know him and not want to stab out your own eyeballs?”
Shannon chuckled and said, “Of course.” He was a nice guy. Incredibly dressed. Tan and toned and totally datable.
“Then you better text him that you’re available next Saturday, or he might ask that woman you saw him with on the boardwalk.” Ash gave her an encouraging smile. “I mean, he has to have a date, right? He can’t wait forever.” She pulled open the door and went inside the building.
“Okay,” Shannon said. “All right. I can text him.”
Ash laughed. “It’s a text, Shannon. It’s not a boxing match.” She paused and added, “Just don’t say you’re engaged when you’re not. Trust me, that is not worth it.”
Shannon barely heard her, but she nodded anyway. “Okay, can I have a minute?”
“Sure, I’ll go say hello to Burke.” Ash walked off in pursuit of her husband, and Shannon stared at Jeremiah’s messages on her phone.
It might not be a boxing match, but it certainly felt like one. Because Shannon hadn’t been on a date—a real date—with a man in a very long time. Her schedule at Your Tidal Forever was insane, and she had the two cats, so she wasn’t terribly lonely. And she honestly didn’t know if she could trust a man again after what had happened with Richard.
Her nerves seemed to be firing cannons, and she couldn’t get her thumbs to land on the right letters. She looked up and drew in a deep breath. “Come on, Shannon. You can do this. He isn’t going to know about Richard, and you don’t have to tell him.”
The man was a doctor, yes. And yes, he was a child psychologist. But that didn’t make him a mind-reader.
Saturday’s wide open. She read over the text. Did it sound desperate? She quickly deleted it and tried again with, I am available Saturday night. Let me know the when, where, what, and how, and I’ll be there.
Satisfied that her answer wasn’t over-eager, she tapped on the button to send it to him.
Great, came back almost immediately. Did you get your car figured out?
She groaned when she realized she hadn’t even had time to make a phone call since arriving at Your Tidal Forever. No, she tapped out. Could I possibly get a ride to work in the morning?
Before she could lose her nerve, she hit send. After all, she had a number of girlfriends she could ask for a ride. She could call her father that evening and he’d let her borrow his car until hers was fixed. She could call a car service or take a taxi.
But there was a growing part of Shannon Bell that wanted to get to know more about Doctor Jeremiah Yeates. So she sent the text, hoping he’d say yes.
Of course, he said. You tell me what time to leave so we get the good spot in line at Roasted.
Shannon giggled, quickly glancing over her shoulder to see who’d heard. But there was no one there, and she allowed herself a moment to bask in the glow of seeing Jeremiah again.
Then she tapped out, 8:20 is the best time to show up at Roasted. So come get me at 8:10.
With another opportunity to be with Jeremiah, Shannon turned with a smile on her face and a bounce in her step that hadn’t been there before. Maybe this long afternoon of flower finding wouldn’t be so bad now.
By the time Shannon kicked off her heels and closed her front door behind her, a headache pounded behind her eyes. Jean Luc purred around her calves, and she gave the orange tabby a quick pat before heading into the kitchen for painkillers and something to drink.
Sure, she knew the orange soda she favored made her palette that of a ten-year-old, but she didn’t care. She loved the smooth taste of a melted popsicle as the carbonation burned her throat.
After tossing back a handful of pills with several gulps of orange soda, she was feeling better already.
Good thing too, because within moments of her collapsing on the couch, someone banged on her door. Her father proceeded to enter the house with, “Shannon? You home?”
“Right here, Dad,” she said, falling back to the couch cushions. She didn’t need to get up to entertain her father.
“I have Roy taking the car over to Larkin’s to get a new tire and a new spare.”
Shannon managed a smile. “That’s great, Dad. Thanks so much.”
“You okay?” Her dad peered at her with knowing eyes.
“I’ve been home for about five minutes,” she said. “And it was just a long day.” Walking through flower fields should not happen in three-inch heels, but Shannon hadn’t had any other footwear. She leaned back and closed her eyes. “I’m fine. I just need some dinner, and I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll call Mom.” As well-versed with technology as he was cars, her father called her mother and asked her to bring sushi.
“Not sushi,” Shannon said. “If she’s going to Sea Street, I want something from Mama Chu’s.”
Her dad related the message and hung up. “So, which wedding are we working on now? I thought all of your high-profile shindigs were done.”
“They are,” Shannon said with a sigh. She opened her eyes to look at her dad. “All of the weddings at Your Tidal Forever are high-profile.” At least it felt that way. Hope wanted it that way. She wanted every bride to feel like they were the gold standard, even if they chose the least expensive package.
“I’m not sure why you’re still there,” her dad said. “You could work for anyone on this island. Or open your own organizational consulting firm.”
“I like working at Your Tidal Forever,” she said. The job was tiring, yes. A bit stressful at times. But Shannon got paid well, and she loved all the people she worked with. She couldn’t imagine leaving it for something else, striking out on her own or having to meet new people and make new friends.
Fear bubbled up in her bloodstream just thinking about it. So she put on a smile and said, “Do you want coffee?”
Her dad followed her into the kitchen, where she bustled around to make the brew and get out the flavored creamers she had. Then she went into her backyard and cut several lengths off her rose bush, replacing the old flowers on the island with the fresh ones.
She pulled out her plates and mugs, and by the time her mother walked in with the food, Shannon’s headache was partially gone, and she hadn’t had to answer any more questions about why she stayed at a job that did leave her physically and mentally exhausted most days.
But it was better than any alternative she could think of, and if her mind stayed busy, she didn’t have to think about why she’d left her old job and gone to Your Tidal Forever in the first place.
The next morning, she felt like she had dozens of very hungry caterpillars eating their way through her insides. She couldn’t believe she’d asked Jeremiah for a ride, even if he was handsome and available.
With new clarity this morning, she also wanted to cancel their date for next Saturday. No way she could go out with him. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten in the car alone with him yesterday, and now she had to do it again?
She wrung her hands together as the clock clicked closer to eight-ten. She’d already fed her cats and made sure every little item was in its proper place, from her earrings to her sandals. She stood on the front porch, so she saw Jeremiah’s car as it eased around the corner and continued toward her house.
“Go on,” she told herself, especially when their eyes met and that crackle of attraction sparked within her. So maybe she could like this guy. Maybe he wouldn’t turn out to be a creep. Maybe he’d be every bit the gentleman he seemed to be.
“Morning,” she said as she moved down her front steps. Her voice sounded normal despite the caterpillars.
Jeremiah didn’t get out of the convertible, but simply grinned at her and said, “Good morning, Shannon.”
She got in the car and fastened her seatbelt, her huge bag at her feet. “Thanks for doing this. My car should be ready today.”
“It’s no problem,” he said. “I literally live three blocks over.” He glanced at her as he flipped the car in reverse and pulled out of her driveway.
“So I have one more favor,” she said.
“Anything,” he said, and then jerked his attention back to the road. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and Shannon wondered what was going through his head.
“Could you drive me over to Larkin’s tonight to pick up my car?”
“Oh, sure,” he said. “That’s easy.”
“Did you think it would be something hard?” she asked, surprised by the teasing quality of her voice.
Jeremiah chuckled. “Well, when a beautiful woman says she needs a favor, a man’s mind can go in a lot of directions.” He checked left and then right before pulling onto the main highway that would take them into downtown Getaway Bay.
Shannon’s mind stalled on the word beautiful. She blinked a couple of times and said, “I think that was a compliment, Doctor.”
“It was.”
“Then thank you.”
Without warning, he reached over and took her hand in his. Shannon panicked, though his hand was warm and big and fit against hers just right. She pulled back, her heart racing. Her mind was desperately trying to catch her pulse, and she couldn’t make sense of anything.
“I’m sorry,” Jeremiah said, his voice soft and full of awkwardness. “I thought….” But he didn’t finish, and Shannon didn’t know what to say to explain her irrational behavior.