Little Lost Love Letter: A Romantic Comedy Novella by Shari L. Tapscott

Author:Shari L. Tapscott [Tapscott, Shari L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-04-05T23:00:00+00:00

10

Ryland

Mom walks out to greet us, carrying Hayden.

“You made it!” she says, beaming. Then, to Lucy, she says, “I love your skirt.”

Which, of course, makes me look at it too, not that I hadn’t noticed it already. It’s long, just brushing her ankles, and the shade is somewhere between pink and red. The cotton fabric is a bit clingy, too, subtly hugging places my eyes shouldn’t wander.

Lucy wears it with a simple, fitted white T-shirt, and her hair is down in carefree waves. It’s a different look than what I usually see her in at the office.

She wears casual exceptionally well—which is likely what her neighbor thought, too.

I would bet my car he didn’t drop by just to be neighborly.

“Come on in, Lucy, and we’ll get you something to drink,” Mom says. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

I follow her and Lucy inside.

There’s already copious quantities of food spread out on the counter, and Dad hasn’t even started the grill yet.

Tyler preps the steaks, and Carina tosses a salad.

“There are jalapeño poppers,” she says, gesturing toward the plate.

“Are they spicy?” I ask, taking one and sticking the entire thing in my mouth.

“Probably not enough for you, but I think they’re plenty warm.”

Carina’s right—they’re relatively mild.

“Try one, Lucy.” Tyler nudges the plate toward her. “They’re my specialty.”

Lucy takes several steps back, shaking her head with a smile. “I don’t like spicy stuff.”

“You seem like the kind of girl who can handle a little heat,” I say, meeting her eyes, keeping my expression neutral. “Am I wrong?”

Carina and Tyler exchange a look, but my attention is on Lucy. Her mouth pinches slightly as she acknowledges the challenge.

“It would be a shame not to try them,” I tease, taking another from the plate. “They’re one of the few things Tyler does well.”

“Hey,” Tyler protests.

I smile the moment Lucy accepts the bait. She gingerly chooses the smallest pepper from the tray and raises it to her mouth. She stares at it like it’s a snake for several seconds before she takes the tiniest nibble.

“Oh, come on.” I step forward to snatch another popper from the tray. “You need to take a real bite.”

Instead of eating it myself, I hold it up to her mouth. It was supposed to be funny—like she’s a picky child.

But she licks her lips, and my pulse jumps. Suddenly, I think of her note. I think of kissing her.

Unfortunately, I also think of my family. Standing right there…staring at me like I’ve grown an extra head.

Clearing my throat, I try to act casual. I have no choice but to play this through. “They’re not that hot.”

Lucy’s eyes dart to mine, and her eyelashes flutter. Then she’s leaning forward and snatching the popper from my hand. Her lips barely brush against my thumb, but it’s almost too much. I’m playing with fire.

I don’t know when or where, but I’m going to kiss this girl.

Lucy’s eyes are on mine like she, too, knows it’s only a matter of time. Heat travels between us, an undeniable spark.

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