battle in convincing his business-partner children that the line could be successful in their store and in the catalog. Amanda was certain that Linc had been right. She expected their product line to be very popular at the store—and especially in the catalog.
Funny how much had happened since she first met Colton in New York. Now she was staying with his brother after another of his brothers had nearly been killed saving her. Speaking of Lucas, she was long overdue to thank him in person for saving her life. Maybe she could get Landon to take her to see him later.
She glanced at the clock on the stove.
Landon ought to be home by now.
She immediately dismissed that thought. Was that what it’d come to? Her life revolving around his comings and goings? Well, sort of… There was no need to worry about him driving on mountain roads, as he was an expert at such things, but since the fire, she felt anxiety over the dumbest things. Add Landon being late coming home from a night shift to the list of things that had triggered her lately.
When noon came and went with no sign of him, she figured out he’d probably gone to work at the tree farm for the day.
Hours later, she was standing by the window, watching for him, when the big black truck made the turn into the driveway.
Amanda breathed a sigh of relief. In this cell phone wasteland known as Butler, Vermont, it was stressful not to have a way to check on someone when they were running late. Would she have checked on him if she could have? Well, probably…
How long would this new sense of impending doom last? She had no idea, but as Landon came into the cabin, bringing the scents of pine and woodsmoke with him, she was pouring herself a cup of coffee and trying to act nonchalant. He didn’t need to know that she’d worried about him all day. In the seconds she had left before she had to talk to him, she was determined to shake off the freaking doom. Enough already with that nonsense.
“Hi there.” He dropped his boots on a mat by the door. “Where’re your crutches?”
“I threw them out the back door.”
“You did not!”
“I didn’t, but I wanted to. I’m fine without them if I walk on my toes.” She glanced at him and did a double take when she saw the huge bundle of flowers he’d brought home. “Those are beautiful.” The brightly colored blooms were a combination of lilies, roses and some others she couldn’t name.
“For you.” He handed them to her and then groaned. “I knew I forgot something. I don’t own a vase.”
“We can improvise. Get one of your beer mugs.”
“Wait, what?”
“Oh, come on. You have, like, three dozen of them in the cabinet.”
“They’re collector’s items.”
“You don’t want my flowers to die, do you?”
“No.”
Could he be any cuter? Nope, not possible. And of course he knew it as he sent her a pathetic look and went to decide which of his precious mugs he could sacrifice for her flowers.
“I guess you can use this one.” The mug he handed her had the logo of a bar on it. “I don’t go there anymore.”
“Reminder that it can be washed after use as a vase.”
He gave her a withering look. “I know that.”
She took the mug from him and went to the sink. The mug was too small for the bouquet, but it would keep the flowers alive. “Why don’t you go there anymore?”
“There’s a waitress there who got it in her head that we were a thing when we were never a thing.” He shrugged. “So I stay away.”
Amanda shook from the effort not to laugh in his face, but a gurgle escaped the hand she’d put over her mouth.
“Stop. It’s not funny.”
“Oh, yes, it really is. You’ve probably left a million broken hearts in your wake, haven’t you?”
“I have not!”
“Yes, you have.”
He took a step toward her. “No, I haven’t.”
“Yes.”
Now he was standing right in front of her, looking down at her with those beautiful golden eyes framed with lavish lashes. “No.”
She nodded even as her breath got caught in her throat. That seemed to happen any time he was near.
He shook his head. “Not a million. Not even close.”
“Thousands, then.”
He smiled, and dear God, her knees went weak. “Are you done?”
“I’m just getting started.” That’s the way, Amanda. Grab life by the horns, and don’t leave anything on the table. That needed