“Luke Pointer, are you actually a complete softie?” she joked, rolling onto her back as he reached over to shut off the bedside lamp.
“Something like that,” he murmured, amused, as he settled into the sheets beside her. “Don’t tell anyone, though. Don’t want to ruin my street cred.”
She laughed softly as Sadie jumped up and lay across their feet, and April couldn’t help but feel relaxed and at home in bed with Luke. Not something she’d ever imagined she would say.
“Goodnight, Luke.”
“Night, Jones,” he murmured and it was quiet until he shuffled closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and bringing her back against his chest. “Sweet dreams, April.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
April had never been much of a morning person, but when the light streaming in through the window woke her as the sun rose, she found that she was wide awake. Watching the beams of light creep farther into the room while Luke snored softly beside her felt otherworldly, like she was seeing a glimpse of the future of someone else’s life.
She sat up slowly and stretched, surprised at how rested she felt. Normally staying in a strange bed meant a fitful sleep tossing and turning. But whether it was Luke’s sinfully cozy bed or the soothing presence of him and Sadie, April wasn’t sure she’d slept as well as that in a long time.
Sadie yawned and then whined, sitting up on the end of the bed and moving closer so that she could place her head in April’s lap. She smiled down at the dog, charmed by the warmth and softness of her fur as she combed through the calico strands. When she’d first woken up, Luke’s arms had still been around her, like he’d held her all night, and the thought of leaving his peaceful little haven actually made her a little sad,despite her eagerness to get the shop finished and plan for the Spring Flower Festival.
In the golden light of the morning, Luke’s bedroom looked plusher than ever. The carpet and covers were the same shade of cream as the walls, and his wooden bedframe, nightstands, and the artwork on the walls added color to the space. He must have had a walk-in closet, because the room seemed to be missing one and sheknewhe had to have a closet at least as big as her own for his fairly extensive suit collection. The guy loved his suits—and he didn’t look half bad in them, either.
The only thing she found strange was that the large window to the left of the bed didn’t have any drapes. There was a set of gauzy curtains but they did little to stop the light.
When she glanced outside, she realized why. The view was … breathtaking. It was the same one depicted in the paintings on the wall, she realized. A tiny stream of water ran in the distance amid acres of grass, but closer to the house there was a riot of color so beautiful it made tears come to her eyes.
Luke woke up every day to a field of wildflowers outside his window and April was officially jealous.
“Morning,” he mumbled, the sleepiness in his expression fading fast when he saw the emotion on her face. “What’s wrong?”
She nodded to the window. “It’s beautiful.”
He relaxed, smiling as he eased back against thepillow, once again half asleep. “Mm, thought you’d like it,” he mumbled.
What?Surely he didn’t mean that he’d planted them for her? He probably meant that he’d thought she’d like the view, that it reminded him of her.
Nope.She had to ask. Otherwise it would drive her crazy.
“Luke,” she whispered and he blinked blearily. “What did you mean, you thought I’d like it?”
For a second, confusion lined his face, and then comprehension bled in. “Ah, fuck,” he mumbled, the pink in his cheeks looking bright against the creamy coverlet. His smile was a little hopeful and slightly guilty, like he wasn’t sure how to play this. “It was nothing. A slip of the tongue,” he said, and when he smirked she knew he was trying to change the subject. She folded her arms across her chest and he sighed. “You’re as stubborn as your brother.”
“Did you plant a field of flowers for him, too?”
Luke rolled his eyes and she glowered, hating the way his eyelashes curled perfectly around his denim-blue eyes. “I didn’t plant all of them. It’s not a big deal, OK? I found this place when I was about twenty and it needed a lot of work, so Noah and I fixed it up. But yes, when I saw the field of flowers, I thought of you. Even then.”
A tingle swept through her. What was she supposed to say to that? “You … liked me?”
He laughed and Sadie lifted her head from April’s lap to pant at him excitedly. “I’ve been half in lovewith you since we were twelve, when Lucas Broom pulled your pigtails and in retaliation you punched him in the balls.”
She grinned at the memory, smile fading as she tried to comprehend what he was saying to her. “But I thought—”
“I know what you thought,” he interrupted. “But I’d rather have your hate than nothing, April. At least when you were insulting me you were talking to me, breathing the same air as me.” He rolled his eyes. “You were oblivious, and that’s OK. This doesn’t have to change anything.”
But it did. For her, at least, it changedeverything. Every interaction, every moment of tension, the vibe her friends were convinced she and Luke gave off …
Fuck.
Sadie whined and Luke sat up. “OK, OK. Come on, then.” He got up, pulling a pair of checkered pajama bottoms from his drawer and putting them on before leaving the room with Sadie at his feet. A few seconds later she saw Sadie run out the door and into the grass below.
It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes that passed as she watched Luke and Sadie from the window before he came back up the stairs.