across the kitchen the way they once did, celebrating his good news together, between kisses and laughter.
I wanted that for him, too, more than I could stand to remember.
“I’m going to shower. Go ahead and open that,” he said, leaving the kitchen.
So maybe life wasn’t totally perfect yet. It would never really be perfect again.
But maybe it was okay to be perfectly imperfect, and find happiness in the space my mom left behind.
Chapter 3
The only upside to working at the mall was that it didn’t open until ten. By the time I arrived at work the next morning, my hair had air-dried and I’d had two cups of coffee.
I’d needed that extra cup, since my sleep had been restless, filled with dreams of Landon Hill, and I’d woken up feeling like I wanted to sleep away the rest of the day if possible. But it wasn’t possible—I had work to do.
The herbal supplements kiosk I ran was around the corner from Cinnabon, so I had to walk through the cinnamon and noxious sugar fumes as I arrived at work. The kiosk had roll down doors on each side, so I unlocked them and shoved them up, exposing the little plastic bottles and placards proclaiming things like “Lowers your blood pressure!” and “Improves circulation!”
I didn’t really buy into that crap. I bought into a help wanted sign, nothing more. I wanted to be a chemist, not a natural remedist.
I wasn’t even sure if remedist was a word, actually. It seemed like it should be.
I busied myself dusting the bottles and arranging a new tower of zinc tablets, our biggest mover. It was a total crock, though, because according to one zillion studies, zinc wouldn’t actually cure a cold. One of these days, I was pretty sure I’d find a bottle of snake oil.
I opened the cash drawer, counting out the hundred dollars’ worth of bills and change I was supposed to start each day with.
And then I climbed up onto my stool and stared at my watch.
10:07. Only seven hours and fifty-three more minutes sitting there.
God, I hated my life sometimes.
I slid out an issue of Cosmo, even though I’d read it cover to cover at least a dozen times. Maybe this read through, I’d master “101 ways to show him you’re interested!”
Granted, the first tip was to blink a lot so he “Meets your gaze and notices your dazzling eyes!” and I wasn’t sure I bought that one. I tried it with a customer six days ago when I first read it and he asked me if I had something in my eye.
I flipped to the next page, which proclaimed that “Playing with your hair is sure to look flirty!” when I sensed someone standing beside me.
I set the magazine in my lap, glancing up at my would-be customer.
Except it wasn’t a customer at all.
It was Landon-freaking-Hill. Yet again.
I stared at him. Without blinking. I didn’t touch my hair. Or shove my shoulders back, which was sure to “draw attention to my best assets.”
“Welcome to Herbal Remedy,” I said, in the best faux-customer service voice I could manage. “Home of the immune system kick start, for the bargain price of $19.99. How may I service you?”
“I can think of a few ways,” he said quickly.
I stared him dead in the eye, disdain dripping from my words. My cheeks flushed as the double meaning sunk in. “We don’t sell a remedy for being an asshole, just so you know. And if it’s an ED pill you’re after, that’s prescription only. Can’t help you there.”
One side of his mouth quirked up, revealing a crooked smile. One that should’ve looked… I don’t know, something other than devastatingly handsome and maybe a little dangerous.
“What do you want?” I snapped, desperate to change the subject. “My boss should be here any minute and I don’t want him to think I’m just hanging out with old friends.”
His smile unfolded then, slow and lazy across his face, and dread spiraled through my limbs. He knew something I didn’t.
“What?” I asked, hanging on to what nonchalance I had left. I stared at the register, trying to stop the knots in my stomach from multiplying.
“See, here’s the thing…” His voice trailed off, and then, as if he realized I refused to look at him, he grabbed my chair on either sides of my thighs, twisting it around until I was facing him.
He took a tiny step back. “I’m your boss now.”
“You got hired at Herbal Remedies?”
He snorted. “God no.