The Remake (Second Chance Flower Shop #4) - Noelle Adams Page 0,31

She stood up and smiled at both the other women. “But thanks for the pep talk. I really do appreciate it.”

She left the shop, feeling better than she had when she entered, so that was something. But she was still more confused than ever.

BELINDA ENDED UP GETTING a coffee to go from Anna’s and walking over to the park to drink it.

She really should go back to her office or head home and focus on work. She had plenty to do, and if she started procrastinating in January, then she’d be working twenty hours a day in April to get everyone’s taxes done. But the sun was starting to peek out from behind the gray clouds, and the fresh air might help to clear her mind.

She needed clarity right now. She’d resigned herself to the thing with Fitz never going anywhere and sometimes even convinced herself it was for the best. But after her conversation with Skye and Ria, she was wondering if that was really the case.

They were so sure Fitz was into her. They’d said it was obvious to everyone but her. She’d picked up on those vibes sometimes. Of course she had. She might not be hugely experienced with men, but she wasn’t completely stupid. But she’d always told herself he just found it entertaining to rile her up because if he was really interested, he would have done something.

He definitely wouldn’t have told her a few weeks ago that they had no future.

She sipped her coffee and replayed Christmas night in her head, fast-forwarding through the sexy stuff since she didn’t want to turn herself on in a public park in the middle of the afternoon. He’d acted as though there might be a future. His eyes had promised all kinds of unspoken feelings of desire and affection and need that went far deeper than physical.

Then he’d told her the complete opposite. It really made no sense.

She wanted to go find him, make him explain himself. It wasn’t right for a guy’s eyes and hands and body to say one thing when his mouth said something different. She never would have believed Fitz was the kind of guy to lead a girl on, but how well did she really know him?

She didn’t even know his last name.

When a motion from the entrance to the park caught her attention, she turned to look. It was Theodore, Matthew’s dog. She recognized the animal first before her eyes moved over to see who was walking him.

Fitz. And he was looking in her direction.

He walked Theodore semiregularly when the dog needed exercise during the week but Matthew and Skye were busy with work. Belinda had seen the two of them walking around town before, so it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see them here today.

But it was. Her heart jumped and then started racing. Her palms got cold and damp.

Fitz was watching her as he stopped on the path. Theodore was pulling in one direction when Belinda was in the other. Maybe she should get up and go over to him so they could talk while he walked Theodore. Then she could get some of the answers she needed.

Instead, she stayed sitting on the bench, bringing her cup to her lips to take another sip of coffee. She wasn’t going to make the move here. She’d done that before—with other guys and with Fitz. After all, she was the one who had gone to his place on the evening of Christmas. She’d made that encounter happen. Fitz never would have made it happen himself.

She didn’t know what was going on here, and she didn’t know if there was any hope for more. But she knew one thing for sure. She wasn’t going to make it happen if Fitz didn’t want it enough to make the moves himself.

Fitz turned his head away from her, and she let out a slow exhale and looked away. She had her answer then. He didn’t want to talk to her. He wanted things to stay as they were.

It was fine. It would be easier this way. After all, a guy who went through life the way Fitz did wouldn’t be the easiest person to build a future with. He didn’t even have a full-time job—not because he couldn’t find one but because he didn’t want one.

A happy bark pulled her out of her reflections. She straightened up when she saw Theodore had recognized her and was trying to gallop in her direction now, restrained