“I just don’t understand. He’s the one who was so excited to go check out the old deck Cliff Thompson supposedly built.” She scowled at her phone. “He was going to bring dinner. I sent Hudson to stay with Mom for the night. I don’t care if we don’t walk up the hill, but him saying don’t stop by bugs me. And he’s not responding to my calls or texts.”

“Maybe he had a family emergency, or he doesn’t feel well and he’s sleeping, or, you know, he’s actually busy.” Tani nudged Andrea’s shoulder. “Girl, you’ve got it bad for this guy, don’t you?”

She chewed her lip for a moment before replying. “It sounds crazy, but I think I’m falling in love with him, Tani. Like...for real.”

Her friend’s expression went soft. “Good for you. Have you told him yet?”

“Not in those exact words, no. But we’ve been so great together.” She grinned. “And I’m not just talking about the sex. Even if I’m just sitting in the shop watching him work, it’s...great. We talk, although sometimes we don’t say a word. We’re just together and it feels...”

“Great? Yeah, I’m getting that.” Tani took a sip of her wine. “But does he feel the same way?”

“I thought he did.” The way he smiled when she walked in. The gentle touches—and the scorching ones. The fire in his eyes when he held her. The way he was with Hudson, teaching him how to put spindles together in patterns, laughing when he set him high on his shoulders as they walked around the farm. His lips on her skin... “I’m sure he did. Does. I mean... I really thought we had something going.”

“You still might, Andrea. It’s one lousy text. It is way too soon to assume he’s ghosting you. Especially if nothing happened between you—no fight? No weird conversation?”

“No! Hudson and I were at the farm last night for dinner, and we worked on a puzzle afterward, and it was all so relaxed and happy. I wonder...” She paused. “I wonder if it scared him a little. Maybe we’re moving too fast...”

She tapped out another text to him.

A: Call me when you want to talk.

Tani chuckled. “Maybe what’s scaring him is you stalker-texting him every five minutes. I’m going to take that phone away...” She looked over Andrea’s shoulder. “Oh, hi, Vickie.”