Page 32 of The Risks of Reuniting (Love Connections #1)

Her face splits into a grin. "Good point."

"Your grandma would put you in a dog's house?" Cesar asks, his face scrunched up as he processes.

The rest of us laugh as I hurry to explain the saying in quick Spanish .

"Grandma Sue?" Rachelle questions from the front seat, talking over me to Chloe.

I jump in, though, with, "She's sassy and classy and she will expect a gift.

" Rachelle raises her eyebrows at the way I'm obviously familiar with Chloe's family, and my stomach dips as I wonder if she's told them about me or not.

How did the Hayes family react to our breakup?

I'm in danger of going down that rabbit hole when I'm determined to keep it light and so I redirect.

"There are a few stalls with some items I think Sue would like .

. . assuming she's still into expensive things. "

Chloe's eyes are bright with humor. "She's timelessly vain."

It's an old joke. Sue loves nice things, but she's warm and lovely too.

"In fact," I press on, "I could see your mom and cousins, and Allie too, really liking some of the necklaces and earrings.

" Excitement has my words speeding up. "Maybe a T-shirt for your dad and Gavin?

" I ask. "Something about terrible Peruvian plumbing?

" I turn slightly to face her. "And Rachelle is right about the blankets. You'll at least need one for yourself."

Chloe looks directly at me and her eyes are so deep brown, and rounded, and she looks . . . I don't know . . . happy? Maybe all the things I'm spouting about her family are reminding her of our connection? If so, I'll keep it up.

"Sounds like we have a plan," she states after a pause.

"Yeah, we do." Her eyes draw me in and I have to wonder if my plan is the same as hers. Does she wish we were alone like I do?

Thirty minutes later we pull up to a curb and I watch as multicolored flags wave in the soft breeze along the top of the walls.

There are open-air stalls as far as one can see, with a walkway down the center, all offering colorful items, and I've wanted to share this with Chloe for so long that I don't even know where to begin.

I pay the driver and we all pile out, our gazes pulled every which way, mine mostly watching Chloe's reaction to it all. She has a soft smile on her face and shakes her head slightly, like she simply can't believe what she's seeing.

"It's so exciting, and amazing, and nothing at all like home," Chloe breathes at last.

"Ah-maz-ing," Rachelle squeals. "Seriously, so cool.

" Her phone is out and she videos herself turning in a circle, slowly, surrounded by the stalls.

As she catches us on camera, I throw out a big smile and Chloe and Cesar copy me.

"Perfect," Rachelle giggles when she's done.

"My followers are going to eat this up."

I'm relieved that they like it. Cesar is beaming, too, and tells me in rapid Spanish that he hasn't been here before and wants to find some things for his grandparents and the lovely Ana he's hoping to woo when he returns home.

I love that he's excited enough to forget his goal to only speak in English.

"You ready?" I ask Chloe.

I reach for her hand and thread my fingers lightly through hers, letting her know she can pull away if she wants.

But she smiles up at me, a faint blush rising, and settles her palm against mine.

She looks away, toward the stalls, and I lead the way into the organized chaos.

Friendly vendors immediately leave their stalls to gesture to their goods and encourage us to come in.

They aren't pushy, simply giving a smile and nod when we answer " no, gracias, we're only looking" if nothing has caught our eye.

We drift apart, all of us walking slowly and taking things in, and we're down our second row when I see a stall filled with jewelry. I call to Chloe, and when she comes to me I instinctively place my hand on her lower back, lightly pressing to turn her in the direction of the display cases.

"Let's check this out. "

There are glass cases housing more expensive pieces, shelving filled with trays of rings, and hanging trees full of earrings.

Everything is brightly colored, with beautiful stones and gems. It's perfect eye candy – and maybe for a minute I forget I'm supposed to be helping her look for other people, and I start looking for something that would suit her.

My eyes are immediately drawn to a set of llama earrings.

The llamas are colorfully striped with stones and I reach for them and show her as she looks in a case of necklaces.

"Chlo," I call. "These are a must." I smile and make them dance and she grins back at me, reaching for them.

"They're perfect."

"How much?" I ask the proprietor, and he knows enough English to answer that question. It's one he's most likely asked often. He replies and I make the adjustment between Peruvian soles and US dollars. "Fifteen dollars, US." I tell her.

"I can't imagine not bringing home a pair of these for all my ladies," she responds with a grin.

So, together we pick up one for her, her five cousins, one for Allie, one for her mom Jenny, one for Grandma Sue, and because we're on a shopping high you'd better believe Rachelle is getting a pair as well.

Ten llama earring sets. We choose various colors that we think everyone will like, and then I make the vendor's day by adding in a super skinny silver chain with a Sol de Mayo – The Sun of May – hanging at the end.

I want it for Chloe. Its representation of the Incan empire speaks to me, and having something of mine hanging around her neck again is enticing.

The fact that it's silver, and will stand out, has me feeling things.

"And this is for you, from me," I tell her, letting it hang off my fingertips.

She looks at it and her mouth rounds. "Me? "

"Yeah. Do you like it?" The answer matters, and I hold still as she looks at it.

"Yeah," she says, a shy smile tugging her lips as she looks up at me. "I do."

I'd buy her ten more if she'd look at me like that again.

I busy myself handling the transaction and then take the bag from the seller and hand it to Chloe to tuck into the satchel she has strapped across her chest. The seller tells us gracias about ten times as we exit the stall and come to stand in the walkway between vendors.

"I love Peru," Chloe sighs, looking around her. "Love. It."

I smile and nod. "I knew you would."

She takes a deep breath and when I look down at her, she's scrunched up her face into a serious expression. "I'm sorry I never came with you." The words are spoken softly, but I know she means them sincerely. "Really sorry. It was a mistake."

Warm emotion washes over me and I have to touch her, so I take her hand once more. "Thank you. It's okay. You're here now, and I couldn't be happier about it."

It's only then that I notice our shopping buddies are nowhere to be found. "Wonder where Cesar and Rachelle got off to," I say, looking into the stalls nearby even though I know I won't see them. "They can't have gotten far."

Chloe chuckles. "You've spent three weeks with Rachelle and still don't know her at all. She's probably blazed a trail from here to the ocean by now, and bought out three stalls on her way."

I laugh. "Did you come up with a place to meet if we got separated?"

She shakes her head. "No. Getting lost at the Inka Market is part of the adventure. "

I'm so caught off guard by her relaxed attitude that I frown a bit. She laughs at my expression and I adjust my hold on her hand, threading her fingers between mine. I like the feel of her small palm pressed against mine, and I love that she doesn't tug away.

"Do you want to try to find them?" I ask, hoping she'll say no.

She bites at her lip in thought, and I don't dare interrupt. At last she gives me a playful look and squeezes my hand.

"Nah. Let's see what else we can find."

"Something about an alpaca blanket?" I respond, falling into step as she begins moving again. It feels natural to hold her hand while we stroll, and while it might be a small thing, it's the biggest thing to me. "And a T-shirt for your dad and Gavin?"

We continue along at a snail's pace, stopping in stalls that pull our interest. There are purses and coats, shirts and blankets, shoes and jewelry, and anything else you can think of.

She finds a tee for her dad and Gavin, and her Grandpa Tim, but she's having a harder time settling in on a blanket for herself.

They have them in every color and style imaginable, and she wants it to be perfect.

In the fourth blanket stall we try, I spy one that's white and pink and I do a second take. She's not a pink girl. She's more yellows and purples, but this is so soft and feminine and gorgeous that I can't help myself. I walk straight to it and put a hand on it, rubbing it between my fingers.

Chloe is still holding my other hand, and I've sort of dragged her behind me, unwilling to let go. She's reached for me every time we've left a stall, and I like it.

"Pink? I wouldn't have guessed this one would catch your eye," she says thoughtfully as she rubs a hand over it too.

I have to let go of her to pick it up and unfold as I look to her. "Is it weird? "

"What? That you like pink for me?"

I nod. "It's not your normal color wheel."

She smiles softly. "And Peru is not my normal comfort zone."

Before she can say more, I fling the blanket around to circle her shoulders, pinch it closed at the front and maybe purposely use that momentum to pull her in close.

She reaches up and puts her hands over mine, probably assuming I'll let go and she'll hold the blanket in place, but I keep my hands in place.

Her eyes bounce between mine and then fall to take in my entire face and I watch the color rise in her cheeks. I love when her face colors and her freckles pop, and her reaction to my closeness makes me smile.

"We've been wrong all this time, corazón. Pink is your color." My voice is low-pitched and meant for just her, and the intimacy of it runs right up my spine and back down.

"Oh, yeah?" she manages, a little off balance.

I lightly pull again and our toes are touching, our fists pressed between our bodies. "You should always wear pink from now on."

She licks her lips and my heartrate picks up. "I'd have to throw out my entire wardrobe."

"That would be a tragedy, all that money wasted."

She manages a smile even as my breathing grows tight. "The horror."

My expression becomes serious as one of my hands finds its way to her waist. "I owe you an apology too."

She tilts her head to the side. "Oh?"

"I'm sorry I didn't communicate better when I was applying to pharmacy school. You shouldn't have been blindsided. It should have been something we figured out together. "

Her face pales, her breath whooshes out and I step back to give her space. We're in dangerous waters now. She looks at her feet and takes the blanket off her shoulders, trying to act cool.

"It's not like we were engaged or anything. You were free to make your own choices independent of me," she states as she folds the blanket into a square.

I put a fingertip under her chin and tip it up to look at me seriously. "It was wrong of me."

I can see that she's affected by my words, but we can't fully address it right now in the middle of a vendor stall with sellers watching our every move. So, she gives a quick nod and holds out the blanket.

"I'll take this," she say. "Pink has now entered my life."

"Do you want to ask the price?" I ask, easily falling back into our comfortable shopping mode.

She shakes her head. "I don't think it matters."

I handle the transaction, and when she suggests we hunt down Rachelle and Cesar, I don't bat an eye. I'm not worried. She's still holding my hand, and I can work with that.