Rush

I swing open the door and find the face I was expecting.

Lester smiles. “Miss Owens, a good morning to you.”

“And to you.” I slide my hand into the front pocket of my jeans, hoping I have at least a few dollars in there.

I come up empty.

Lester watches my movements before he shoves a coffee and a bouquet of brightly colored flowers at me.

My heart skips a beat. It’s not because I’m in desperate need of a caffeine fix. It’s the flowers. They’re breathtaking. My gaze lands on the small white envelope. Case must have sent these. I’ve never received flowers from any man before other than my dad. He sent me a beautiful bunch of daisies the day I graduated from college.

“I took a walk over to Palla on Fifth and thought you might enjoy a coffee.”

Does that mean the coffee was his idea, and not Case’s?

“Thank you,” I offer because good manners are a gift to others.

I tell my students that. It’s wisdom passed on from my grandma.

“And these were just delivered.” He takes in the fragrance of the bouquet with a sniff of his nose over the blossoms.

Opening my palm, I wait for him to hand the flowers over.

“It looks like they came from Wild Lilac. It’s the favorite florist of many of our residents.” He glances at the flowers before his gaze settles on me. “The delivery person suggested I call you to come down to the lobby to get them, but I offered to bring them up.”

I don’t need to be hit over the head with a flashing neon sign. Lester wants a tip for his trouble.

I shift the coffee to my right hand so I can fish in my left pocket.

I tug on the bill I feel in there.

Before I have it out, Lester’s hand is in front of him.

My eyes drop to the twenty dollar bill I’m holding.

Dammit. I paste on a smile as I hand the ransom for my flowers over to him.

“Thank you very much,” he says, half-bowing in appreciation. “Enjoy the coffee and the flowers.”

With a kick of my foot, I close the door once he’s on the other side.

I place the coffee on the foyer table before I furiously rip open the envelope attached to the wrapping paper on the flowers.

With my heart pounding in anticipation, I read the card aloud. “Em. Consider these a thank you for keeping our secret. We can’t wait to tell the folks we’re married. Love, Drake and Jane.”

Disappointment mars my excitement over the floral gift.

I shouldn’t have jumped to the conclusion that Case sent the flowers. I can’t wish something into existence regardless of how badly my heart wants it.

I head to the kitchen with the flowers in hand, in search of a vase.

I rifle through the cabinets until I find a tall silver beaded trumpet vase. I had no idea my brother had such excellent taste.

After cutting the tips off the stems with a pair of scissors I find in a drawer, I arrange the flowers in the vase.

Standing back, I admire their beauty.

This calls for a picture.

I race to my room to grab my phone, stopping to scoop up the coffee cup off the foyer table on my back to the kitchen.

After I take the bouquet photo, I type out a text message to my brother thanking him for the flowers.

Emma: I got the flowers, Drake. Thanks to you and Jane. xo

Just as I’m about to drop my phone on the counter, it buzzes.

I pick it up and scan the screen, but the message isn’t from Drake. It’s from Case.

Case : Emma, how are you? How did you sleep?

There’s just enough concern in the message to suggest he cares, but not enough to indicate that the kiss has lingered with him the way it has with me.

I respond without putting any thought into it.

Emma: I’m good. I slept okay. How are you? Did you sleep at all?

I wait as he types out a reply.

Case: I’m fine. I squeezed in a couple of hours. It looks like I’ll be stuck at work for the day.

If he wasn’t facing an issue with the release of the new game app, I might think he’s avoiding me after the kiss.

But, Case is honest. I know he lives his life that way, so I need to accept that he’s actually focusing on work.

Emma: I’m going to hang out here.

When a reply doesn’t come, I tuck my phone in my pocket and head back to the guestroom with my coffee and the vase, debating whether to surprise Case at his office.

By the time the coffee cup is empty an hour later, I’m settled on the bed with my laptop, watching a movie.

I glance at the window and the rain beating down on Manhattan.

I take it as a sign that I need to stay inside today, so I snuggle under the covers and fall victim to a romance movie where the heroine falls in love with the hero in a small town with a big heart.