57. Scheming
FIFTY-SEVEN
Scheming
TARA
It was closing time at Between the Lines Bookstore and the sun was just beginning to set. Tara was working in the office when her mom’s voice called from the front of the bookstore. “Tara?”
Her mom called her name again, this time from right outside the office.
“Yeah, Mom.” Tara closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She’d been working on monthly projections for the last hour and was happy for a distraction. She moved her eyes away from her color-coded spreadsheet and took a sip of water.
Helen’s head peeked around the door. “There’s a delivery for you, honey.” Helen disappeared behind the wall and spoke to someone Tara couldn’t yet see. “You can go right in.”
“Thanks, Helen,” a man’s voice answered.
Tara’s heart fluttered upon hearing that familiar, albeit scratchy, voice. She had just brought her water bottle to her lips when a hand wearing a black wrist brace appeared in the doorway holding a bouquet of seasonal flowers in red, yellow, orange and purple, including her favorite African daisies and a large sunflower. She tilted her head to the side and slowly placed her drink on the desk.
Tara pressed her lips together, unsure if she needed to laugh or cry. While her competing emotions duked it out, she stood up and took a few cautious steps toward the beautiful flowers. She stayed inside the office, not yet crossing the threshold into the hallway where the mysterious flower delivery person stood.
Just as she reached out her hand, Steve filled the doorway. “Hi.”
He stood there wearing dress slacks and a button-down shirt and tie, which appeared incongruous to the rest of him, considering his face still sported a bruise, stitches, and a butterfly bandage in one corner from the accident the previous weekend.
“Hi.” Tara curled up her lips in return. Her eyes scanned his face. She couldn’t stop herself from taking inventory of all his injuries.
“Uh…” He awkwardly held out the flowers. “These are for you.”
“Thank you.” She inhaled the lightly scented flowers. “African daisies are my favorite.”
“I know.” He licked his bottom lip. “Celeste told me. Well, she told Kiro who told me…”
Tara shook her head. “Steve…”
“I’m sorry,” he said, cutting her off. “I’m sorry I was an ass on Halloween and stepped in the way I did. I didn’t want you to get hurt and then I assumed the worst. You didn’t deserve that, and it’s…”
He closed his eyes and took a moment to take a few breaths. “In my experience, the worst usually tends to be true.” He dropped his chin and stared at the floor for a few moments. “But assuming the worst, well, I’m going to do my best to break that habit. For you.”
Tara pulled the flowers closer, focusing her attention on them. Steve wasn’t accustomed to being nervous. She knew that. He was strong and sometimes arrogant. Cocky, even. But nervous? That wasn’t him. That wasn’t normal.
But it was kind of sweet.
“Steve, I’m sorry, too.” Tara stared at her flowers. “I didn’t handle myself well that night either.”
“You had every right to react the way you did. I didn’t...” He reached his hand out and paused long enough for her to sense his hesitation. “You were so beautiful that night.” He touched her cheek with the back of his fingers. “You’re so beautiful now.”
Tara closed her eyes and leaned into his hand until he pulled it away. She blinked her eyes open.
He cleared his throat. “Anyway.” He teetered back on his feet and stretched his arms, gripping the door frame for a few seconds. “I, uh… came here to ask you out.”
“Ask me out?”
“Yes. Uh…” He dropped his hands from the doorframe. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Tara smiled.
“Tonight,” he added nervously.
“Tonight?” Tara’s eyes widened. “I still have to work and finish these projections….”
“I can finish those, honey,” her mom’s voice called out from down the hall.
Tara narrowed her eyes at Steve. “You’re not scheming with my mom, are you?”
He flashed her a brilliant smile. “It’s possible.”
“So, this would be a proper date?”
He shrugged. “Mostly.”
“Hmm.”
“You’re killin’ me, Sugar.”
She couldn’t resist laughing. “Then, yes.”
“Grab your coat.”
Tara’s eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. “Wait. Now?” Her hands rushed up to her hair. “I have to… And my…” She touched her fingers to her lips.
“I already said you look beautiful.”
Tara stopped moving and stared at him. Her cheeks flushed.
“Trust me?”
After a few seconds, she smiled and turned to grab her coat off the back of the desk chair. Steve reached around and helped her put it on.
“Did she say yes?” Helen called out.
“Oh, my god.” Tara brought her palm to her forehead. “Yes, Mom!” Tara answered with an exasperated grin.
Steve held out his good hand for Tara to take, passing his warmth to her the moment his skin touched hers.
Helen greeted them both as they walked out. She held her hands out for the tulips. “I’ll put these in water for you. They’ll be here when you get back.”
Tara glanced up and extended her hand toward another bouquet of flowers on the front counter, this with more lighter colored daisies and some mums. “There are more?”
“I was told you liked them, and I didn’t know which kinds to get you.”
“I love them.”
Her head turned as they walked by since she couldn’t pull her gaze from the flowers.
“We won’t wait up for you, honey.” Helen couldn’t resist saying as they walked out.
Tara’s cheeks flushed at her mother’s implication. Steve was still chuckling as he held the door open for her.
“Where are we going?”
Steve pointed across the square. “Just over there.”
“Over where?”
“You’ll see.