Steal My Magnolia (Love at First Sight #3) - Karla Sorensen Page 0,26

a draw."

I handed him a muffin and took the eggnog donut. As I took my first bite and tried not to emit a desperate, wholly unladylike moan at my first taste of the donut, I had to fight the urge to tell him that he'd probably seen a dozen of my family members that morning when he stood in line for some of Daisy's deliciousness.

I glanced around the office. He'd made excellent progress in the two days I'd been gone. The shelves I ordered from Merryville were already up and lined up neatly in the back.

"Shelves look wonderful," I told him. "Sorry I wasn't here to help."

"No problem." Before he dug into his muffin, he hefted a heavy box into his arms, the rounded curve of his bicep flexing wonderfully underneath his shirt. When he lifted it up onto the top shelf, the hem of his shirt lifted, and I caught a glimpse of a flat, muscular stomach and a line of dark hair disappearing into the dark waistband above the line of his jeans that had my face feeling hot.

"Lord have mercy," I murmured.

Grady turned with a grin. "The donut?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm."

He snatched the baked good I'd brought for him and finished half of it in one wolfish bite. Grady did not hold back his groan. "Amazing.”

Grady wiped his hands on his dark jeans, and I stifled a smile at the streusel crumbs he had stuck to the golden stubble lining his jawline. He glanced down. "What?"

"Nothing."

"It's something. You're trying not to laugh at me." He patted his shirt. "Did I spill something?"

"I don't think you chewed that muffin long enough for anything to hit the ground," I teased, then made a vague gesture at his face. "You've just got a little stuck ... on your jaw."

His cheeks flushed as he wiped it away. "Ahh. Yeah, I've always been a fast eater. Drives my sister crazy. I'll have my meal finished before she's finished with her third bite."

The casual reminder of Grace had me turning away from him. What was it about this whole thing that made it so easy for me to forget how much I still had to tell him? I took a deep breath and thought about what I wanted to say.

Grady, I have something a little crazy to tell you, but I think it'll be fine.

Grady, please don't fire me, but I spent the past seven years of my life and all my formative early adult years with your sister's boyfriend, but I promise it won't get awkward.

The next bite of donut stuck in my throat like cardboard. I couldn't leave today without telling him. I just ... had to make sure the timing was right.

"I thought if you wanted to work on some ads today and getting some new targets like we talked about, that would be great. And maybe work up some package descriptions for guided hikes that include a picnic lunch. I'm going to fill those shelves before I go do a hike. I think it would be good for younger families or inexperienced hikers."

I nodded. "That sounds just fine."

He waited until I looked back at him to speak again. "Wanna come with me?"

My answer came out before I could even question it. "Not even if you quadrupled my pay."

Grady's smile broadened, and I saw a hint of a dimple. "That so? Not much of a hiker, huh?"

With an embarrassed laugh, I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "Ah, no. Me and the outdoors"—I waved toward the window—"we don't go together so well."

"Someday," he murmured, "someday I'll get you out on a trail. I think we can find something to your speed."

"Well, it won't be today," I told him and lifted one foot behind me. "Not in these shoes."

Grady pointed at the shelves. "I’ve got boots."

I gave him a long, loaded look, and he was chuckling the whole time he walked back toward the shelves. I took a seat at the desk, which was much neater than it had been the first day, and pulled my laptop out of my purse. While it booted up, I took a sip of the coffee he'd brought me. My lips curled in a smile, because somehow, he'd picked the same one that I would've bought for myself and had from Donner Bakery. Black with a splash of cream and a couple of sugars.

"Oh," he piped up, his head sticking out from behind the first row of shelves. "There's a convention in Nashville in