Chapter 4 #2
“I love it,” I tell her, my stomach growling at the mention of food.
Laughing, she replies, “Well, let’s grab food first. Then we can shop.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
* * *
“What about this one?” Allison asks, stopping in front of a red mower that looks a lot like the other four on display.
I look it over, wishing I knew what the differences were, besides the price.
The motor area looks completely different, and I’m not exactly sure why.
Not that I know anything about sizes of motors on push mowers.
I read over the tag, but it’s practically in a foreign language to me, and we have yet to find an employee who can help us.
“I’ll go look for someone to help,” Allison states, clearly reading my distress.
She walks away, leaving me to mull over the decision I face. Honestly, I could probably just buy one and it would be fine, but I’d like to understand what I’m spending my money on.
“You look lost.”
I spin around, recognizing that voice immediately, even though I’ve only heard it one night a month ago. “Hi.”
Cade flashes a sexy little grin, his blue eyes sparkling under the fluorescent lighting. “Whatcha doing?”
“Shopping,” I reply, catching the way his eyes slowly peruse down my body like a caress. Goosebumps instantly pepper my exposed skin, and I refuse to acknowledge what’s happened to my nipples. I just pray he can’t see them through my shirt.
“In the market for a new mower?” he asks, setting the handheld basket he’s carrying down on the floor.
“Yeah, I need one for my new place. Allison went to find an employee.”
He takes in the selection. “What are you looking for it to do?”
My eyebrows shoot toward the ceiling. “Uhh, mow my yard?”
He flashes a quick smile. “I know that, but each one of these is a little different.”
“I figured, but I don’t know what.”
“Are you looking for an electric mower?” he asks.
“They make those?” I ask, completely dumbfounded by this news. Not that I should be, considering they have electric cars and motorcycles, but I suppose I didn’t realize mowers can be electric too.
“They do. This model is electric. If you don’t want to deal with gas while you mow, it’s a decent option. It’s a twenty-inch cut, which is average for push mowers. The batteries last up to fifty minutes, so if you have a smaller to medium sized yard, that would be about perfect.”
I glance from the mower to the man standing beside me. “Are you a lawn mower salesman in your spare time?”
He grins widely. “No, but I know equipment. I’m a heavy equipment operator,” he states.
I read the tag details once more and check the price. “I’m not afraid of a gas mower, but it would be nice not to have to store a gas can and have to run to fill it all the time.”
“Agreed. If you like the electric option, this one is self-propelled. It’s more expensive, but you get the best of both worlds and it’s easier to use. Plus, electric mowers are considerably quieter.”
I nod in understanding, contemplating the choices.
I spend a couple of minutes looking them all over.
Cade stands nearby, but doesn’t say anything.
He lets me work through it in my head, which I appreciate so much.
I realize how important that is, and not just because of his push mower knowledge, but because he’s not overwhelming me with his own thoughts and opinions.
The man I won’t mention would have told me which one to purchase, whether it was the one I wanted or not.
“Found someone, finally!” Allison announces as she approaches. “Oh, hey, Cade.”
“Hi, Allison,” he replies.
The moment he turns back to the mowers, she smiles at me and waggles her eyebrows. I, of course, roll my eyes at the other woman and turn my attention to the associate who is trailing behind my friend.
“Can I help you?” the young kid asks.
“I’d like to purchase this mower,” I state, pointing to the electric self-propelled model.
“Okay,” he states, grabbing the tag. “I’ll take you at the counter.”
I start to follow but stop and turn around. “Thanks for your help, Cade.”
He flashes a quick grin and grabs his basket. “Holler if you need help getting it out of your vehicle. You have my number, right?”
My throat is dry, but I manage a nod.
“Good. Use it anytime you’re ready, Oaklee.” With that, he turns and walks off, his ass looking very amazing in the loose-fitting, well-worn jeans.
“Wipe your chin, girl,” Allison mutters beside me, causing me to blush.
I’m hit with a wave of guilt, and the realization of how unwarranted it is now is like a bucket of cold water over my head.
The reason I would feel guilty for checking out another man is gone.
He clearly didn’t have the same problem, not only looking but touching too.
Now, we’re not together, so I should have absolutely no guilt when it comes to checking out a fine man’s ass.
Holding my head up high, I shrug at my friend. “What can I say? He has a nice ass.”
She barks out a laugh and nods in response. “That he does.” Linking her arm through mine, we walk toward the counter where the sales associate went. “Let’s go purchase you a mower, shall we?”
“We shall.”
“And then we can talk about the number you have in your phone and when you’re going to use it.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not going to use it.”
She gapes at me. “Why not?”
“I’ve been single for like…forty-eight hours.”
“So? Single is single, my friend.”
“That may be true, but I’m not ready yet,” I insist, stepping up to the counter and pulling out my wallet. I’m going to need my credit card for this purchase.
I pay for my purchase and am told which door to drive to so they can get me loaded up.
Before we know it, we’re all set and heading back to Cooper Town.
As Allison talks about what she needs to do when she gets home, my mind drifts to the man who appeared out of nowhere earlier.
He was incredibly helpful when it came to talking me through the purchase, even though I probably would have gotten the same assistance from an employee.
I wasn’t lying when I told Allison I wasn’t ready for anything more. Not from Cade or anyone else. I’m two days out of a relationship I’ve had for most of the last six years. I’m not ready for anything more than a basic friendship, at least right now.
That doesn’t mean I can’t look, right?
Because Cade is awfully pretty to look at.
And I’m not just talking about his ass, which is pretty fucking nice.
His blue eyes are so alluring, and his smile is contagious.
He’s charismatic and one of the biggest flirts I’ve ever met, but something tells me there’s a lot more to him.
In a nutshell, he’s romance book-worthy eye candy.
What’s a newly single woman to do?