The Remake (Second Chance Flower Shop #4) - Noelle Adams Page 0,23

to get it.

When he returned, breathless from more than his race down and up the stairs, he pulled off the pretty green wrapping paper and then opened the box.

He stared for a minute, processing what was inside. Then he started to laugh in breathy huffs as he pulled out the grooming set in its brown leather pouch. Most of the items were chrome plated—razor, comb, scissors, nail clippers. There was also an electric trimmer with two different beard attachments.

It must have been expensive. The leather and craftsmanship were fine quality. Definitely not something she could have just picked up from Target. But her tongue must have been firmly in cheek when she’d bought this grooming set for him.

Smiling foolishly, he carefully picked up each item and admired it before sliding it back into its slot in the pouch.

Maybe she’d been partly teasing in giving this to him, but it was still a thoughtful, intentional, and personal gift. She’d had to care about him at least a little to take the time to pick this out and spend this much money on him.

He was still smiling as he lay back on the bed. He needed to thank her, but it probably wasn’t a good idea to text her right now. While she was on her date.

She might misunderstand his intentions.

Hopefully she wasn’t having too good a time.

No, that was wrong. He couldn’t be selfish that way. Belinda liked Charles, and if Fitz cared about her, then he should hope it was going well. She deserved to be happy, and Fitz himself could never make her happy.

His smile had turned into brooding when there was an unexpected knock on the door.

It was the evening of Christmas day. Who the hell was paying him a visit? No one ever came by his place.

Since there was no other way to figure out who it was, Fitz hauled himself up and swung open the door.

Belinda.

Still dressed in her black leggings and soft, touchable Christmas top. Her cheeks were red from the cold. Her dark eyes were big and questioning.

“Is everything all right?” he asked, feeling immediately urgent since he couldn’t imagine anything other than an emergency would bring her to his door right now.

Belinda lifted a small box that he just now realized she was holding. It was the Christmas gift he’d left on her doormat. It had been unwrapped and opened.

Inside was a delicate antique enamel pendant of cherry blossoms on a gold chain. It had belonged to his grandmother and was one of the few things he’d taken with him from his family.

He wasn’t sure why he’d given it to Belinda this year. Maybe because part of him knew the time was coming soon when he’d have to give her up. He’d wanted her to have it—one tiny part of him and his family—before she was lost to him for good.

Her big eyes were moving from the pendant to his face and back again. Bewildered. Emotional. Wary. “Why... why did you give me this?”

He swallowed hard and forced himself to sound light and casual. “I thought it was nice. Don’t you like it?”

“Of course I like it! It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. But why... why...?” The hand that was holding the box was shaking.

His heart was hammering now. She’d obviously recognized the significance of the gift even though she didn’t understand the motivation. Everything was hanging in the balance in that moment. He needed to either convince her the gift was no big deal or else admit everything.

Everything.

He couldn’t do that. His whole world would change—the tidal wave would come crashing down on him—and he wasn’t equipped for that to happen. So he used every acting skill he possessed to drawl, “You gave me a gift. A much more expensive one. Why shouldn’t I give you a little trinket too?”

She sucked in a breath and stared down at the open box. “So... so it wasn’t expensive?”

“No,” he lied. He in truth had no idea how much the pendant was worth now, but it was sure to be a lot. “Where would I get money to buy an expensive gift? I just saw it at the flea market a few weeks ago and thought of you. If you don’t like it, I can take—”

“No!” she burst out when he reached for the box. She drew the present toward her chest protectively. “I love it. I just wasn’t sure... So it wasn’t expensive or anything?” She still looked confused but a little