Love Me: The Complete Series by Shelley K. Wall

or low? If you were choosing a plant, which one would you go for?”
    “Well, I’m not a good judge. I work here every day and can pamper them as much as they need.”
    “Do you?”
    She had the distinct impression he meant something else, and she wasn’t sure what. “Do I what?”
    Her knees wobbled when Carter strode closer, pulled the towel from her hand, and wiped the blood gently from her skin. “Do you pamper your plants? Do you give them the attention they crave right on schedule whenever it’s needed? Or do they suffer and wither, awaiting that precious care they yearn for, only to have it denied until they’re so shriveled they can’t function?”
    Abby swallowed the gigantic lump in her throat. His fingers were darker and rougher but they stroked intimately against the injury.
    “I always pamper the things I care about but, for the most part, I’m a low maintenance kind of person. Sooo,” she dislodged herself from his grasp and picked up a philodendron, “this is the only kind of plant I’d bother with at home. It’s easy, undemanding, and still perks up when I douse it with water. No matter how poorly I manage it. Here, at work, is a different story.”
    Carter tsked. “Sounds like you’re one of those lucky few that can keep professional and personal lives separate.”
    Okay, that’s it.
He made no sense and all of this tiptoeing around
something
was fun, but weird. “Okay, Carter, what exactly are you getting at? You want a plant, take this one. Or not. That money tree you had earlier was good too. And easy.”
    “Easy works.”
    “Stop it.”
    “Stop what?”
    “Aargh, you know what. Stop all this innuendo. Buy a plant. Or don’t buy one, but stop the word games,
capisce
? I’m busy.” She grabbed a water spout and headed toward one of the shelves. The plants didn’t need watering, but it kept her mind elsewhere.
    “You didn’t look busy when I got here, you looked—happy. Like you were in your zone.”
    She was glad he hadn’t mentioned the particular zone she joined included dancing and singing wildly to country music. “I was, thank you.”
    He lifted the money plant to the counter along with the philodendron. “Just curious, what happened with your blind date the other night? Did you ever figure out why he didn’t show?”
    Yikes. Am I really going to lie to him again?
No, it’s time he knows the truth. After all, it’s not my fault he texted. I just … answered. Tell him. NOW.
    Carter dug into his wallet for cash. “So, have you heard anything more from Amanda, our friendly lying, cheating ex-girlfriend? Does she want me back yet? Did she ask about me?”
    Okay, maybe not. He’d hate me and he’s obviously still into her.
Abby cleared her throat and shot a quick glance at the sky for forgiveness.
    “No. The blind date did show, though. I was with you.”

Chapter Eight
    Carter wanted to smile but didn’t. Would it be wrong to high-five a woman for getting ditched by a blind date? Probably.
    “He saw us and left?”
    “Not exactly.”
    It would have helped if he could read her expression but her back was turned. She was pressing keys and scanning the barcode on his plants.
    “Well, did you tell him you were there? Did you set up another time to meet?” He grimaced and pretended to sympathize. “What kind of man just leaves without at least
trying
?”
    Her shoulders hefted up and down as she slammed the drawer shut with his money inside. She held out a hand and dropped change into his palm. “Water these guys once a week. Keep them out of direct sunlight, maybe near a window but not right in front of it. There’s some plant food in the soil already, but you’ll need to add more in three months. Other than that, they should do great.”
    He lifted the plants and anchored one on each hip, realizing he’d made a slight tactical error. It was two blocks to his car and they were beyond bulky. Should have picked smaller pots. If he could get them there without