Seeking His Love by Carrie Turansky Page A

from the dentist.”
    “Thanks. But…why don’t you keep the new one, and I’ll hold on to the one you gave me last night.”
    “Okay.” He dropped the shiny new key into his pocket. “So…is everything okay with Melanie and Lilly?”
    Her eyes widened. “Yes. Sure. Everything’s fine. No problem at all.” She looked around, snatched the plate of brownies, and held it out to him. “Would you like a brownie? Lilly made them.”
    “No thanks.” He tapped his numb jaw. “Don’t think I could taste anything right now.”
    “Oh. Yes. Of course. You should probably wait awhile before you eat anything.” She studied his face for a moment, concern filling her eyes again. “Sorry about your tooth.”
    “Hey, it’s okay. I’m a tough guy.” He chuckled, then rubbed his upper arm. “Except after a day of hauling boxes and furniture to the second floor. You should’ve warned me that you have a huge book collection.”
    She laughed, looking relieved, and it was the nicest sound he’d heard in a long time.
     
    “Knock, knock,” Melanie called.
    Cam stifled a groan and looked up from his computer. “Hey, Melanie.”
    She sauntered into the shop and sent him a slow, suggestive smile. Her clothes looked fine, but he couldn’t help noticing the large clumps of navy, green and pink beads danglingfrom her ears. They hung so low they almost touched her shoulders. Must be one of her new designs.
    How could she stand having something that heavy hanging from her earlobes? Didn’t they get in the way when she turned her head? And if the earrings weren’t enough, she wore a matching necklace and bracelet. The whole heavy jewelry thing made him glad he was a man, and he didn’t have to deal with that kind of nonsense.
    “Wait until you hear my news.” She laid a file folder on his desk and pulled up a chair so she could sit next to him, her beads jangling the whole time. A cloud of musky perfume settled around them as she scooted her chair closer.
    Cam sat back and tried not to breathe too deeply.
    She nodded toward the file. “Go ahead. Open it.”
    He did and found a list of donors and plants for the landscaping project. “Looks good.” He ran his finger down the page. “What about the larkspur and columbine? Do you think you’ll be able to get those?”
    A slight pout replaced her smile. “I thought you’d be happy to see how much I’ve done.” When that had no effect on him, her smile resurfaced. “I’ll make a few more calls. I’m sure I can get the rest. Paxton’s Garden Center is the main donor. They said they’d deliver and give us some free mulch. Isn’t that great?” She gazed at him expectantly. “When do you want it delivered?”
    At this close range he could see she wore contacts and way too much makeup. He rolled his chair back and got up. “Let me talk to Ross and the others about a date for a work party, then we can schedule the delivery.”
    His thoughts shifted to Rachel, and he frowned slightly. Hadn’t she promised to work on plant donations? Why hadn’t she followed through? Maybe she was all talk and no action. He shouldn’t be surprised. She probably wasn’t as committed as everyone else. Still, he had expected more from her.
    A squeal of laughter from the hallway pierced his thoughts, followed by the sound of running feet and more laughter. Cam scowled. What was going on?
    Two young boys dashed by—at least he thought it was two young boys. They ran so fast it was hard to tell.
    Melanie spun toward the door. “What in the world?”
    The boys darted by again, calling out as one chased the other in the opposite direction. Their squeaking tennis shoes, pounding footsteps and high-pitched voices echoed off the walls and tile floor, making the hair stand up on the back of Cam’s neck.
    Melanie clicked her tongue. “Where are their parents?”
    “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” Cam got up and strode out the door. Following the boys’ voices, he rounded the