Page 23 of Reece & Holden (Gomillion High Reunion #6)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Holden

“Hello, stranger.” Clara greets me when I walk into the store after dropping Reece off.

“How’s it been?”

“Fine,” she says breezily. I look around and everything looks okay, but I knew it would be, which is why I’m more than happy for Clara to manage this store while I set up a second one.

“Eww, you look . . .” she starts. “Are you sure you haven’t been sleeping rough for the last two days?”

“I don’t think I look that bad,” I protest. “I hadn’t planned on staying one day, let alone two.”

“Yeah, about that.” Her eyes shine. “How was two nights with mister handsome and sophisticated?”

My cheeks almost hurt with the grin that spreads across my face. One that gives far too much away, but I couldn’t hide it.

“Oh my god, you didn’t?”

“No.” Well, not really.

“You totally did. You need to spill the tea.” She wrinkles her nose. “Maybe you should go and wash up first . . . No, spill now.”

“I’ll be back in an hour,” I say, taking her advice and walking back out of the store. I do need to change and tidy up, and it’ll give me time to decide what I’m going to tell her, because she’s certainly not getting the truth.

When I get home, the first thing I do is shower, and my mind flits back to the one I shared with Reece this morning.

I’m not going to be able to shower ever again without thinking about it.

I’m not complaining, though. I make it back to the store in under an hour feeling fresh and clean.

The store’s quiet, so Clara makes us coffee and flops down into an easy chair clearly waiting for me to tell her everything.

I give her a very watered-down version of events.

I don’t even mention that we shared a room or a bed, but I do tell her we kissed and that we have a date.

“So a kiss is one thing, but you’re dating sharp and sexy, who just a couple of weeks ago you were having a panic attack about seeing?”

“Yes,” I say bluntly, because I don’t need her to psychoanalyze my decisions. “I’ve been waiting twenty years for him to ask me out.”

“That sounds dangerous. Twenty years is a long time to hold an image in your head of what people are like. They rarely live up to expectations.”

I think about her words and what I’ve seen of Reece so far. “You’re right, I think he’s even better than I could’ve imagined.”

She throws her hands up in the air. “You’re a lost cause.”

“Aren’t you just a tiny bit happy for me?”

“Yes, of course. But I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t tell you to be careful.”

“I know, and I’m grateful. I truly am.”

I find it hard to keep calm the next morning knowing Reece is going to visit. I’m not sure how I’m going to last until our date on Friday.

He comes in a little after ten, while I’m serving a customer, so he pretends to browse until they leave. He comes over to say hi and I see he’s empty-handed.

“Hello. No pastries this morning?” I quip and I see him mock frown.

“So, was it me or the pastries you were most looking forward to seeing?” he says. “Because a guy could get a complex about that sort of thing.”

“Oh you, it’s definitely you,” I say quickly and his face lights up with a smile.

“But I didn’t have breakfast.”

“Oh, did you forget?” This time his frown is full of concern and I nod apologetically.

“Okay, give me a few minutes.” He disappears and returns a short while later brandishing a bag.

“A got you a breakfast burrito. You need to eat properly.”

“Thank you,” I whisper. That he cares enough to want to make sure I eat fills me with a warm fuzzy feeling and my heart feels full.

Unable to speak around the lump in my throat, I go through to the back room.

He follows me, and as I start the coffee machine he stands behind, snaking his arms around my waist and nuzzling into my neck.

“Mmm, you smell nice,” he breathes.

“Just my usual shower gel,” I croak, trying to sound unaffected by his actions and words, and failing.

He breathes me in again. “You’re all earthy like a forest after the rain.” He mouths the words against my neck and I shiver slightly and lean into him.

“Damn. I should’ve asked before mauling you,” he says and goes to release his arms, but I hold him in place.

“I like it.”

“Good, because I’m a really tactile guy and I won’t be able to keep my hands off you. But if it becomes a problem, just let me know.”

“It’s definitely not a problem, I love it.” I remember the sorry state of the knitted heart. “Is that why the heart is so worn?”

“It’s my little slice of you.”

“Is that what you thought of it? As a piece of me?” I think of him over the years, worrying the heart with me in his mind.

“It’s much better to hold the real thing.”

I have no defense against that. I twist in his arms to face him and kiss him deeply. I’m falling hard for him and I don’t care.