Her brown eyes crinkled with amusement. “Not in the least.”

“This could be worth a fortune.”

“Hardly. Now, if I’d invented sticky notes—that would be a fortune.” She patted his arm. “You’re sweet to worry about me, but I meant what I said. I did this for you because I like to solve problems. It’s your design to use. Consider it a gift.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to get home to walk Belle. Let me know when you run the numbers on the holders. I want to know if you’re going to do them or not.”

With that, she shrugged into her coat, put on her gloves and scarf, then headed out of the store. He was left alone in the back room of his pie shop, holding the design she’d just given him, as if it was no big deal.

As he took the last of the holders up to his office, he admitted to himself that he didn’t get it. Not her, not what had happened, not any of it.

When he reached his desk, he sat down and stared at the holder. He wanted to tell himself it was just folded paper, but he knew it was more than that. Reggie had seen a problem and then had decided to figure out a solution. She’d put time and effort into the project. He would guess there were multiple attempts to get it right, and the whole time she’d been working, she’d never even hinted at what she was doing.

Even more astonishing was the fact that a couple of nights ago, she’d pretty much told him she wanted them to start dating. Meaning she was interested in him romantically—something he was still trying to ignore. Instead of accepting her enticing offer, he’d told her he couldn’t take the chance and had let her walk away. A reality that had kept him up for the past two nights.

But even after all that, she’d still shown up here and had given him the pie holder design. For nothing. Who did that? No one he knew. Why wasn’t she mad at him? Why did she ever want to see him again?

He crossed to the window, hoping to catch sight of her, but she’d already left The Wreath. He stared out at the other stores, at the bright blue sky, as if the answers to his questions were hiding somewhere.

He knew Reggie well enough to believe she wasn’t trying to trick him. Instead she was just being herself. Giving, generous, honest. If he were to ever trust another woman, she would be on the short list. But to take the chance was to risk too much.

Or was it?