Three Rules I’d Never Break by Remi Carrington

Chapter 10

On Friday evening after locking the door and closing the blinds, I walked around the racks and made sure items were where they were supposed to be. Doing this at the end of the day made opening easier in the morning.

Once the store looked spotless and ready for business, I turned off the lights in front and walked back to the bedroom. As I changed out of my work clothes into leggings and a t-shirt, my phone buzzed.

Eli was making use of my number. Do you have any siblings?

Two half-sisters. They’re quite a bit younger than me. I gave him the concise version, not the full sad story. That wasn’t something I shared with many people. Even Tessa had only heard bits and pieces.

I wasn’t very close to my sisters. They were ten and twelve years younger than me, and I’d always felt like I was an extra in my dad’s second family, his happy one.

Are you on shift tonight?I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

His reply popped up right away. Yep.

Be safe. When he worked nights, I didn’t sleep as soundly. It wasn’t so much that I worried, but every noise woke me.

He sent a thumbs up.

I slipped on my now-clean tennis shoes, thinking about where I should grab dinner. Having a kitchen again would feel like a luxury.

Why don’t you come over? I made meatloaf. Tessa’s text was proof that she never rested.

I tapped out an answer as I ran toward the back door. Sounds delicious. On my way.

When I arrived, I knocked as I pushed open the door. “Your timing was perfect. I was just thinking about what to eat when you messaged.”

“Good. Have a seat. I can’t eat all of this by myself. How did last night go?” Poor Tessa had been waiting for an update. Her shop had been too busy this morning for us to talk.

I loaded food onto my plate. “He asked for my number.”

Smiling, she lifted her eyebrows. “Has he made use of the number?”

“He texted me a few minutes ago. It’s not much, but it’s something.” I took a bite and sighed. “This is so good.”

“Glad you like it. Eli likes you. That I know. Give him time.”

All my attempts at pushing the relationship forward hadn’t worked out that well. “Yeah. How do you have time to make doughnuts, run the shop, and make dinner?”

“You’ve just described my entire life. It’s easy to do all that when I have nothing else to do.”

“Maybe Eli has a friend.”

Tessa shook her head. “I like the way things are right now.”

While we ate, we chatted about plans for summer, how my house was coming along, and bits of local gossip. After dinner, I helped her clean up before heading back to the store.

My phone rang as I walked in, but I didn’t let it distract me from turning off the alarm. “Hello.”

“Hi. Delaney. Just calling to check in. We haven’t talked in a while.” Hearing from my dad was a nice surprise.

I tossed my purse down and flopped across the bed. “I’m good. Business is going well. Work on the house is progressing. How is everyone there?”

“Busy, as you can imagine. Lucy is rehearsing for a ballet performance, and Lacey is involved with art camps. She has a gallery showing at the end of the month.”

“Wonderful.” I loved that my sisters were happy and doing well. “Have you given anymore thought to coming for a visit when the house is finished?”

“I want to. We’ll have to see if schedules will allow for it.” He sighed. “I miss you, Delaney.”

“I miss you too. I’ll keep you posted on the house progress. Hopefully, it works out for you to come.” If I didn’t expect it to happen, then maybe I wouldn’t be too disappointed when he said he couldn’t make it.

“Well, I’m being paged. I should go. Love you.”

“Love you too. Bye, Dad.”

Things with my dad weren’t perfect, but I knew he loved me. I’d learned to be content with that.

Eli’s knock was the perfect distraction.

I pulled open the back door, not hiding my eagerness to see him. “Hi.”

He tipped his hat. “Miss Carter.”

That little greeting would work its way into my dreams for sure. “How are you?”

“Not bad. Can’t really stay to talk, but I wanted to make sure things were quiet around here.”

“Uneventful. I was going to do a little reading before bed.”

“Anything good?”

“Tandy gave me one of her books.”

Eli rolled his eyes. “That woman and her books. I think she asks every man she meets to pose on her covers.”

“Every man? I think maybe just the ones who look good without a shirt.” It should’ve occurred to me based on his comment that he’d been asked to pose for a cover. I might’ve phrased my comment differently.

He kicked at the rock he’d pulled out of the doorway days ago before looking up. “You think so?”

“Absolutely. Have you seen her covers?” I pointed back toward my room. “Let me grab the book.”

“No. There’s no need. I believe you.” He stepped back. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Thanks for stopping by.”

He nodded. “Thanks for the compliment.”

After that conversation, I’d be doing a lot more wondering about how Eli looked without a shirt and a lot less reading.

* * *

The next night,just after closing, Eli texted again. Where did you grow up?

I stared at the question, wishing he hadn’t asked a question that was hard to answer. The answer is sort of complicated, but I graduated from high school in a suburb of Dallas. My dad and stepmom now live in Colorado.

Hoping he didn’t ask any follow-up questions on that topic, I sent him a text. Tessa mentioned that y’all grew up together, so I guess you’ve lived here a while.

All my life. I won’t be making the rounds at the strip mall until late, so I’ll just drive by without knocking. That wasn’t good news.

Hope work goes well.

He sent a happy face. That was new.

* * *

Sunday morning,I slept in. It was a rare treat. Usually, my brain wouldn’t let me stay asleep that long. The downside was that the doughnut shop was packed. I grabbed a coffee and doughnut to go.

Scrolling through decorating ideas online, I tried to decide what to do with my day. Going to the house was on my agenda, but otherwise, I had nothing to do.

A text from Eli popped up on my screen, and it made me smile. What do you put in your coffee?

His random text questions were entertaining.

Cream, no sugar.

Eli texted again. I’m about to turn into a pumpkin, so I’m crawling into bed, but I’ll message later if that’s okay.

I’m enjoying your questions. I watched for a second, waiting for his response. But it never came.

He was probably one of those guys who fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Later that evening, he texted as promised. What’s your favorite color?

I might as well give him the full answer. Blue. I prefer the shades on the green side of the spectrum more than those on the red side.

A laughing emoji popped up before his reply. Very specific. I like blue too. And I like the color of your hair. It’s especially beautiful when the light hits it.

How could he send such charming messages and be so limited with words when he was around me?

I sent a heart, then followed up with another text. I like the way your stubble feels against my lips.

I’ll keep that in mind. Have a good night. Had he wrapped up our text conversation early because of what I’d sent or was this just part of the little dance?

* * *

For the next few days,Eli messaged me every day. The texts were short, usually just one question. But this ongoing communication made me happy.