Know Me Well (Wishful 3)

Crap on a cracker.

“Good morning, lovely lady.” With a sheepish smile, he held a bouquet of bright yellow tulips out.

Autumn reached to take the flowers automatically, though a part of her instinctively recoiled. She couldn’t stop the flinch as her hand curled around the stems. “What’s this?”

“I saw these and they made me think of you. A little spot of sunshine. I went by the library to deliver them. Livia told me you were out shopping, so I took a chance that I could catch you.”

Autumn made a mental note to murder her friend. She forced a smile and focused on the gesture rather than the flowers themselves. There was no possible way Mark could’ve known she loathed yellow tulips. They’d been her mother’s favorite flower. “They’re lovely.”

She waited, watching splotches of color rise to Mark’s cheeks as he shifted from foot to foot. Please don’t let today be the day he finally asks.

Mark finally seemed to register Judd’s presence, which said a lot about the man’s focus on her, as Judd had been looming behind her like a guard dog since the moment Mark had shown up.

“Hi. Mark Caulfield.” He offered his hand.

Judd stepped forward to take it. “Judd Hamilton.”

“And you’re—”

“The best friend,” Judd supplied. His gaze swept Mark from head to toe and clearly found him lacking. Not that anyone who wasn’t well-versed in the microexpressions of Judd would notice.

“Ah,” Mark said.

The silence spun out. One beat, then two.

Ordinarily, Autumn would’ve jumped into the breach, tried to put Mark more at ease with the scripted niceties used by all women in the South. But she wanted—needed—him to go away. So she said nothing, employing the same tactics she knew Judd used in interrogation, hoping Mark would be so acutely uncomfortable, he’d lose his nerve.

“Well, I—you’re in the middle of something. I just wanted to give you the flowers. I’ll let you get back to your shopping now.”

“Thanks.”

“I guess I’ll see you when those interlibrary loans come in.”

“I’ll be sure to let you know,” she promised.

Mark gave a little wave and shrugged his messenger bag higher on his shoulder, heading back across the green.

Autumn turned back toward Judd. She felt the weight of his gaze—those eyes that always saw too much and not enough.

“Do you want me to take them?” He knew. Of course, he knew what these would mean to her. It was just one of the many reasons she loved him.

“No. They’re just…flowers. I can deal. Just…just tell me when he’s gone so I can find somewhere to dispose of them.”

Mark’s interruption had seriously thrown Autumn off her game. Because the moment to speak had passed, she didn’t resist when Judd took her arm. “C’mon. Let’s walk.”

“Let’s swing by Brides and Belles. I’ll give them to Babette. Someone might as well enjoy them.”

“Sure. I’ve got something to pick up in that area anyway.”

Dimly, Autumn wondered where, but was too rattled to ask. She’d find out soon enough.

She felt better once the flowers were out of her hands. Steadier. She joined Judd back out on the sidewalk. “Okay, List Master, where is our first stop? You said you had something to pick up over here.”

“This way.” He headed down the block. As she fell into step beside him, he said, “Hey what was it you were going to say earlier? Before we were interrupted. You seemed pretty serious.”

“I was. I…” Autumn trailed off, staring blankly at the display window he’d stopped in front of. “What are we doing here?”

“Oh, I’ve just got to run in and pick up something for Mary Alice.”