“Next weekend is the last flea market for most vendors, so I’m not sure if he’ll be back or not.” She smelled the bouquet of brightly colored flowers and felt a little guilty for not telling him about Carey kissing her. “I need to tell you something.”
“Uh-oh. Your voice has that worried sound to it.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “That night after Carey and I went to the beach, we went to the Beachcomber restaurant, and I drank too much.”
“This doesn’t sound like something I want to hear.” Kurt’s eyes filled with worry.
She touched his hand. “It’s not bad, and I don’t even know why I didn’t mention it before, except that it didn’t mean anything.” She held his gaze. “Anyway, that night, he kissed me.” She felt his arm go rigid, and she decided to continue so he understood what really happened. “I didn’t kiss him back, I mean, how could I? I had thought about you all night. Anyway, I told him I didn’t like him in that way, and he was fine with it. He didn’t push for more or try anything else, and when I saw him the next weekend at the flea market, I told him about us.”
He had that look of contemplation again.
“I didn’t mean to hide it. I honestly just brushed it off and didn’t think anything of it.” The tension in his hand and arm relaxed.
He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you for telling me.”
She looked up at him with a hopeful heart and a storm of worry in her stomach. “Are you mad?”
“No, babe. I’m glad you were honest with me, and quite frankly, he did what any guy would do. How could anyone go to the beach with you and not want to kiss you?” His gaze softened, and the edges of his lips curled up again. “You just scared me for a minute. The worry in your eyes had my mind running in some pretty dark directions.”
“Oh, Kurt. That’s because of those dark and scary thrillers you write. I’d never do anything to hurt you. I’m not even the one who kissed. He kissed me.” She hugged him around his middle. “Thank you for not being mad.”
“I would have been mad if he’d pressured you or if you had done something more and kept it from me. But really, even if you had slept with him, we weren’t really dating at the time, so while I might have been jealous, I wouldn’t have had the right to get mad.”
“Are you always this rational? Because I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that if another woman kissed you, I’d be mad. Even if I didn’t have the right to.”
He leaned in close and kissed her. “Then it’s a good thing that you’re the only woman who has access to these lips. Now, let’s change the subject before you convince me that I should be mad.”
She had to smile, because that was a very practical, very Kurt thing to say. “I love these beautiful flowers. Thank you.”
“I thought you might like them.” He crouched to pet Pepper. “Does he need to be walked, or do you want to go over your stuff first?”
“Why don’t I walk him first? That way we won’t be interrupted.”
A group of thirty-something women wearing colorful beach cover-ups and big floppy hats browsed the table.
“Don’t these look delicious?” said a plump brunette.
“There are tasting spoons in the basket.” Leanna pointed to a basket full of tiny plastic spoons. “And these are the tasters.” She pointed to six open jars. “Feel free to sample as many as you like, but please take a new spoon for each taste, and when you’re done, just drop the little spoons into the trash bin to your left.”
“Hey, babe?” Kurt stood with Pepper’s leash in his hand. “Why don’t I take Pep for that walk? Do you want something from the snack bar?”
What I want, they don’t serve at the snack bar. “I’ve got ice water in the cooler, but thanks.” She noticed the women stealing glances at Kurt, and after a second of jealousy, a sense of pride replaced the unfamiliar emotion.
She helped a number of customers, and fifteen minutes later, when Kurt and Pepper returned, she was still answering questions. Kurt sat with his computer on his lap and wrote. She glanced at him a few times and was happy to find him engrossed in his writing. She didn’t get a break for another half hour, and she felt a little guilty for keeping him waiting.
“Sorry. Today has been insane.” She picked up a pad of paper from the table. “Look at this. More than fifty names and email addresses.” She set it back down and shook her head as she sat beside him. “I don’t even have a website, so that’s on my list now, and I just started collecting names for a mailing list. All these things keep popping up, which means more work, but…”
He closed his laptop and set it beneath his chair. “I love watching you with the customers. You have such a pleasant way with them, and you really listen to everything they say. It’s easy to see why your customers return. Besides your jam being luscious, you’re warm and friendly, and it’s hard not to want to be around you.”
She thought he’d been writing, not paying attention to what she was doing. “You see all of that in me?”
“Leanna, I see so much more than that. You had hoped this would pan out, and it looks like it is. You did this, Leanna, and it’s wonderful.”
“I know. I can hardly believe it.”
“Let’s go over your brochures and everything before you get swamped again.”
She pulled up the files on her laptop, and they reviewed them together.
“I started a marketing plan, if you can call it that, but I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m just listing places I can reach out to.” She clicked on the document.
He scanned the information. “I’d say you know exactly what you’re doing. You’ve got thirty-two stores here, with real research. Location, staff names, phone numbers, email addresses.” His eyes widened. “This is very good. It looks like you’re taking this much further than just flea markets and a few grocers. This could really get big. Is that what you want?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, to be honest. I’m kind of going with the flow of it all. I may get turned down by every place I contact, so it’s more of a wish list. I’m just happy to have found something that doesn’t leave me wanting more.” She leaned against him. “And someone who accepts me for me and doesn’t leave me wanting more…or want more than I can give.”
“I’m not surprised at all. You’re talented and you’re smart. I know you like to be a free spirit, but you’re also very driven. Look at this, babe.” He pointed to the list. “This…This is passion.”
Guilt swept through her. Here he was being supportive, and she wanted to respond with, I’ll show you passion, and kiss the heck out of him.
They finished reviewing the documents, and her mind drifted to thoughts of Kurt leaving and them being separated by all those empty miles.
“I’m really sorry about the wedding.”
“I know you are, but there’s no need to be. You’re going to be so happy when Daisy Chain accepts your proposal. In eight more days, we’ll be together again in New York, starting our life together.”