Here With You (A Laurel Heights Novel) - By Kate Perry Page 0,24

from your guy." The woman rolled her eyes. "Kooky celebrities."

She frowned at the flowers, knowing instantly who the florist meant. "Grif isn't my guy."

"Funny, since he wants flowers delivered to you every other day." She held her hand out. "Since you're just down the street, I'll deliver them myself, so I might as well introduce myself. Julie."

"Nicole, and I don't want flowers every other day."

"I know. Kooky celebrities." The woman gave her a crooked smile. "They have their own ideas. See you in a couple."

Nicole watched Julie leave. Then she turned around and stared at the flowers in her hand.

"You're going to need a whole bunch of vases," Marley said, sounding smug.

"It seems so."

"And a couple boxes of condoms, because no guy sends flowers to a girl he doesn't want."

She frowned at the tulips. They were her favorite.

"Just do it." Her friend sat back, looking eager. "You'll always wonder, and what do you have to lose?"

"I don't know. My heart?"

"No way. You're much too sensible to let it go that far."

Was she? She touched a flower petal and wondered if she'd passed sensible when she let Grif back into her life.

Half an hour later when she returned to Romantic Notions, the door was unlocked. Knowing she'd locked it, it could only mean Olivia, her boss and the owner, stopped by to check in. Eager, Nicole went inside.

Olivia stood at the counter, looking over the books, her baby boy squirming on her shoulder. Her hair was clipped back, a dark trail down her back. She wore dark jeans, a red top, and the most contented expression Nicole had ever seen. She looked up as the door chimed and smiled. "Nicole, you're a goddess."

"And I didn't even return with a latte for you." She hugged her boss, careful of the baby. "I didn't realize you were coming in today."

"Parker and I needed to get out of the house." She smiled softly at her son, running a hand over his head. "He's an adventurer, like his dad."

"May I?" She set the tulips on the counter and held out her hands.

"He's feeling especially rambunctious today," Olivia said as she passed him over. "He may spit on you, too."

Parker lunged at Nicole with a happy gurgle when she reached for him.

"Yikes." She caught him quickly, settling him on her hip.

"He moves a lot, but you won't drop him," Olivia said.

She hoped not. She bounced him a little, loving the delighted coo and the way his fingers caught her shirt and held on. She stroked his thatch of dark, downy hair and breathed in his baby scent, enchanted by the way he smiled at her. "I'm in love. He's adorable."

"I know. I tell Michael he's just like me." Olivia winked at her and then pointed to the books. "You're rocking the business. I think I should just take maternity leave forever and let you run the store."

She tried to imagine working there forever, but it didn't feel right. Sure, she'd been there the longest of any job, but forever was a long time. But to her boss, she just said, "I love working here."

"Let me put these in water for you and then we can go over the state of the union. I ordered a shipment of Chantelle that doesn't seem to have arrived yet." Olivia picked up the flowers and headed to the back. "And then you can tell me about your admirer."

"I don't have an admirer," she said quietly, not wanting to yell in Parker's ear.

She didn't think Olivia heard. Her boss came out of the back and set the vase of tulips next to a display of black satin Aubade and then immediately began quizzing her about what'd been going on since she'd been in a couple weeks ago. Nicole knew Olivia felt a little bit out of the loop, like she was abandoning her old baby for her new one, but Olivia managed to run things just as efficiently from home.

Nicole didn't mind. As far as she was concerned, she was happy to leave the business details to Olivia so she could do what she liked: sell romance.

"So." Olivia leaned her hip against the counter and crossed her arms. "Tell me about him."

She stilled, causing Parker to fuss. Patting his back, she rocked him back and forth. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're going to play dumb about all the flowers in here?"

"Yes."

"Then it's serious." Olivia pursed her lips. "You'll give notice if you decide to leave me, right?"

"I'm not leaving