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Arrow smiled at me, waiting for me to answer.I’m gonna kill him for putting me on the spot.

“I’m not ready for a relationship yet,” I said.

Vera placed a hand over her heart. “Did he do something to make you unsure, sweetheart?”

“Unfortunately, I did. And I’m sorry for it.”

Vera elbowed Nora, and they both grinned.

Vera looked at me. “Forgive him, dear. Life is too short. Give him a chance. He stole our cart as a prop to woo you. That deserves something.”

Were these women his sidekicks or something? Did he hire them for this act? I narrowed my eyes at him. But his attention was on the women, full of amusement.

“You make a lovely couple,” Nora said and pushed the cart down the aisle with her chatty friend.

For a moment those women reminded me of the girls. Would we act like them someday? Would we interrupt people’s business in public like that?

Amusement sparked in his eyes. “They’re not wrong. You should listen to your wise elders.” His eyes bored into mine. “Give me a chance.”

I didn’t know how to act today when so many unexpected things were tossed at me.

“Did you hire those women?” I studied him.

“Absolutely not.” He gave a weak laugh. “I wouldn’t even know where to find outspoken old ladies.”

“How did you know I was here?” I asked. “Are you stalking me?”

“It’s not ‘stalking.’ It’s research when I’m monitoring surveillance around my properties. I saw you leave the complex and head this way.”

I wanted to ask how he could access the city’s traffic cameras too, but decided against it. A manlike him could buy anything.

I had a lot of questions for him, but one blazed through my mind.

“Why did you give me a piggyback ride?”

“Because you asked for one.”

Embarrassment flushed to my face. My body should be used to this emotion by now, but it wasn’t. I covered my face with both hands as my cheeks inflamed.

He gripped my arms, drew them away from my face, and pulled me into an embrace.

“It was the best evening I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “I’ve never given anyone a piggyback ride before. It’s reserved only for you.”

I veered back to look at his handsome face. A sigh escaped me when I saw baby blue specks in his irises.

His thumb stroked over my cheek. Energy zigzagged down my spine and back up.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It was the highlight of my evening after the kiss you gave me.”

I gasped. “What? Ikissedyou.”

Laughter flashed in his eyes as he pointed to his cheek. “It was wet, loud, and sloppy.”

“We love wet, loud, and sloppy, don’t we?” Vera said as she and Nora strode by and winked at us.

“I’m going to give my Frank a wet, loud, and sloppy kiss when I get home,” Nora said.

“My Ed would take that as an opportunity to get a little saucy.” Vera held up a bottle of hot sauce to her friend.