Page 10 of Love Notes
Ryan appeared in the doorway, raising a hand to shield his eyes as he looked out into the sunlight.He really was gorgeous with his dark eyes, his olive skin, the scruff that wasn’t quite long enough to call a beard, and the wavy dark hair that was just begging for someone to run their fingers through.
Well, if he’s taking applications…
Shut up, libido.We don’t even know if he’s interested.
“Hi,” he said, sounding a little wary.
“Hi.”
“Uh, do you wanna come in?”He stepped back from the doorway, and I followed him into the shade of the workshop.
“Oh, wow!”I said as my gaze fell on the workbench that ran the length of the place.“Did you make all these?”
A row of about a dozen roses, intricately carved from wood, lay on top of a green cutting mat.It was a stupid question to ask Ryan, probably, because what was the alternative?That he’d magicked them into existence?
“Yeah,” he said softly.“For Founders Day.I have a stall.”
“Can I?”
He nodded, and I reached out and picked up one of the roses.
“This is amazing.Where did you learn to do this?”
“YouTube.”
“I thought you were going to say you studied under some master craftsman or something and he taught you all his secrets.”
He ducked his head when he smiled.“Nah.Everything is on YouTube nowadays.That’s where all the master craftsmen are hanging out.”
I rolled the stem of the rose between my thumb and forefinger, making the flower turn.“Wow.How much do you sell them for?”
“Twenty bucks each.”
I blinked at him.“That seems like not enough for something handmade.”
He shrugged.“I charge tourists more.And assholes.”
“Oh, so do I get slugged double tax because I’m both?”
He laughed softly.“Nah, just the twenty bucks for you.”
I set the rose back down.“I’ll have to catch up with you on Founders Day.Do you only make roses?”
“I do other things too.Small pieces, mostly,” he said.“Kitchen stuff is always popular.Book stands for recipe books.Cheese boards, bowls, pestles and mortars.That kind of thing.”
“What about your animals and your aliens?”I asked.
A flush climbed his throat.“Yeah, I take some of the animals along.”
“Not the aliens?”
He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck.“Nah, not really.”
“Why not?They’re adorable.”
His flush rose.“I guess they’re not what people are after, you know?People like animals.They probably like to think of whittling as kind of folksy and old fashioned, and aliens don’t fit that vibe.”
“I like them,” I said, and his mouth quirked.“Um, so I came over here to ask you something.”
