that weird dizzy feeling again, like I was the center of a tug-of-war between two versions of reality. He didn’t look like the kind of boss who’d make unwanted passes at his employees during business hours, and he certainly didn’t seem like someone I’d be so desperate to flee that I’d trip on the stairs and nearly fall, but that was how I remembered it.
“Okay, then,” Owen said with a nod, and he turned away and headed down the stairs.
“I’d better stay with you for a while,” Josh said, “just to be sure.”
“I’ll look after her,” Florence said.
“No, I think I’ll stay.”
I got the impression of conflict between them, but I wasn’t sure what it could be. I recalled her warning me about the boss and how I shouldn’t get my head turned by his good looks while I had a nice, solid man like Josh around.
I forced myself out of the chair. “I’m fine. I didn’t actually fall, so no harm done. And now I have to get back to work.” With what I hoped came across as a saucy wink and not a nervous twitch, I said, “You’re welcome to hang around awhile, but you’ll have to buy some coffee first. Don’t worry, it’s much better than it used to be.”
Without waiting for his response, I headed back to the counter and put on my apron. “Do you want the usual house blend or the special of the day?” I asked him.
“Surprise me,” he said, leaning forward, his elbows on the counter. I had a vague memory of Owen doing the same thing, back when I’d thought he was just another customer and I’d warned him about the coffee, but then the image shifted so that he was leering instead of smiling and I was telling him about the nasty coffee to get rid of him. Yes, that was what had really happened. I must have tried remembering otherwise to make it easier to work with him.
Josh hung around for a while, chatting with Florence and me when we weren’t busy and staying to the side when we were. After lunch, he said, “Well, I’d better get going. I have some things to do to get ready for tonight.”
“Tonight?” I asked, but then the memory came flooding back. “Oh, yes, tonight, that special dinner you’ve got planned. You still can’t give me any hints?”
“Nope. Just wear something pretty.” He grinned. “A manicure might be nice if you’ve got the time.”
“A manicure?” I asked, but he was already gone. Then I figured it out. People would be seeing my fingernails if I were showing off a ring. “Florence, I think he’s planning to propose tonight!”
“Yeah, I bet he is,” she said dryly.
I examined my nails. “I don’t think I have time for a manicure.” Holding my hands toward Florence, I asked, “Do I need a manicure? Or can I maybe get by with a quick file and buff?”
She glanced at my hands before gently pushing them away. “You’re fine, and I don’t think you need the manicure for getting the ring slipped on your finger, just for showing it off afterward. You could get the manicure tomorrow. That is, assuming you say yes and will be wearing the ring.”
“Of course I’ll say yes. Why wouldn’t I?”
She stared at me silently for a while, then said, “Just be sure that’s what you want, okay? Think about it long and hard before you go to that dinner, and then don’t let anything that happens sway you. Go with your gut, with your first strong impulse, not with any afterthought that might hit you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? We’ve been talking about getting married for ages. This is only going to formalize it.”
“I just want you to get what you want—what you deserve,” she said, turning away. She looked troubled, with frown lines between her eyes, tension around her mouth, and, if I wasn’t mistaken, tears in her eyes.
“Florence, what is it?” I asked, catching her arm before she could move away from me. “Is there something you know that you aren’t telling me? You haven’t seen him with another woman, or anything like that, have you? I can take it, whatever it is, and I’d rather know now before I make any major decisions.”
As she faced me, Florence seemed to be in real pain—agony, even. She took a deep breath, started to say something, then squeezed her lips shut and shook her head. After a long pause, she said, “I just