Sisters In Love (Snow Sisters, Book One: Love in Bloom Series)

Chapter Twenty-Four & Twenty-Five, Sisters in Love

Chapter Twenty-Four

Blake spent Sunday at AcroSki, weeding through the mounds of files that Dave had kept track of and trying to figure out what had gone wrong with Danica. He’d thought she would fall into his arms, given the chance. All the signals were there. He’d never felt about any other woman the way he felt about her, and he was sure he read the same message in her eyes. Could he have been that wrong? Had he lost his touch? Damn it. He didn’t want to think that way anymore. It wasn’t about his touch. It was about who he was. She liked him—that was pretty clear—and he liked her. But she wasn’t like any other woman. Danica was smart, savvy, and she’d sooner disappear than tie herself up with a guy who played around—a guy like him. Damn it, Danica! She’d fucked with his mind and now with his body. Ever since that kiss—that hot, sensual kiss—just thinking about her brought an erection. But he also needed her. Desperately.

When the usual time for his appointment came around, he’d sat and stared at the phone, paralyzed. He fought the urge to call her and apologize. What would he say to her? I’m sorry I made out with you? I overstepped my bounds? I want you? Any way he looked at it, he’d crossed a line, and she was too professional to let that slide. She would never forgive him. First, he elbowed her; then, he kissed her. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d never felt so conflicted about, and drawn to, a woman at the same time. Shit. How would he figure out how to handle things with Sally? How could he spend time with Rusty if all he thought about when they were together was that other woman and her son, who had also lost Dave? Shit. He should have kept his lips to himself. He really fucked up.

Alyssa peeked into the office. “I’m leaving. Are you okay to close up?”

“Yeah, sure. Thanks for your help,” he said.

“Oh, there was some red-haired lady looking for you earlier, but since you said you couldn’t be disturbed, I told her that you weren’t here.”

“Great, thanks.” That’s all I would have needed. Blake realized, as he pondered Red, that more than needing Danica’s advice, he missed talking to her. He could have sex with any woman. He wanted more than that with Danica.

“She told me to give you this.” She handed him a business card. “It smells like perfume. I think she likes you.” She smiled.

Blake took the card and set it on the desk. “Good night, Alyssa,” he said.

“See you tomorrow afternoon.” Blake was thankful she’d taken on extra hours until he could hire another employee. She closed the door, leaving him alone with his thoughts, a stack of bills, and Red’s phone number.

He picked up the card and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply. He brought his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. He reached for the phone.

Sally opened the door with a curious look in her eyes. “Blake?”

“Thanks for letting me come over. I really needed to talk to you.”

She motioned for him to come in. He followed her to the living room, noting that she didn’t look quite as tired as she had the last time they’d spoken. “Can I get you something? You sounded so serious on the phone.”

“No, I’m fine.” He sat down in an upholstered armchair. He looked toward the stairs. “Is Rusty here?”

Sally shook her head, her ponytail swinging from side to side. “He’s out with friends. Listen, if this is about me asking you to spend time with him, I’ll understand if you’ve decided not to.”

“That’s not it at all. I just…I went to Dave’s grave the other day.”

Sally cocked her head and drew her nearly transparent eyebrows together.