“Addie I’ll be back. I just want to run to the little girl’s room and call Luka and make sure the kids haven’t killed him yet,” Petal says.

“Are you sure you’re okay? We can stop—”

“Hush your mouth! I love shopping! I’m so glad you asked me to go with you. Luka helped make those kids, he can survive one evening with them.”

“If you’re sure,” I laugh. I really like Petal. I like all of Black’s family honestly, but Petal and I have hit it off somehow. She’s like that BFF I always wanted in school and never had.

“Positive. When I get back I’m dragging your ass back to the lingerie.”

“Petal—”

“No arguing! We’re going to find something to knock my brother on his ass!”

“We’ll talk about it when you come back,” I tell her, laughing, but nervous too. I watch as she walks away and then I turn to look at the dresses.

Petal’s bound and determined, but I’m nervous. I can’t seem to help it. Every time I go out with Black, I have so much fun. We connect somehow and in a way I’ve never had before. But it’s free and easy, joking, laughter… friendship. Since the fire, we’ve had a few intense moments, that never really panned out and we kiss… we kiss a lot… but it never seems to go past a boob grab. It has me frustrated, but it’s also got me wondering. I mean, I know Black and I don’t have our own places right now, so that is a drawback, but if he truly wanted me wouldn’t he have made it happen before now? There’s hotels, there’s blankets under the stars, for Christ’s sake. Instead, he volunteered to take a job that put him working nights.

What kind of man does that if he is interested in a woman?

Maybe I’m pushing myself where I’m not really wanted. Maybe Black only sees me as a friend, a girl to spend time with. The longer it goes the more worries I have.

“Oh that’s a gorgeous dress!”

I look around to see a woman standing beside me. She’s pretty, a little older than me, not by much—she might be Black’s age. She’s got jet black hair that falls into an asymmetrical bob around her face. She’s got almost black eyes and a pale complexion that looks so delicate and girly that I’m jealous. My skin is golden tan and it takes a ton of lotion to even be passably soft. That’s probably something else Black won’t like…

“This?” I ask, finally looking down at the black velvet sheath dress I’m holding.

“I love it! If that’s not made to drive a man insane, I don’t know what is!”

“I guess so,” I say, absently smiling. “It’s velvet though, that makes it kind of thick and it will be hot in this Texas sun.”

“Oh honey! That’s not meant to wear in the sun. That’s meant to wear to a man’s house and tease him until he rips it off of you.”

I wish.

“If only…” I mumble.

“You got man problems?”

“What? Oh… no. I don’t think so. I’m not even sure I have a man,” I laugh, though it’s not a joyful laugh. I’m overrun by worries and I know the real cause. Tonight at dinner with Black he kissed me on the forehead before he left me alone. I mean, I know my dad was there, but if a man wants you surely they would do more than that? That got me thinking about how things have gone since I’ve known Black…

“Girl, if you don’t know then chances are you don’t.”

“Well, I mean we just started dating.”

“Oh that’s different!” she says. “I’m Lynn by the way.

“Hi, I’m Addie.”

“Nice to meet you Addie. Sorry if I’m bothering you. I just moved into the area and I don’t know anyone. I guess all the alone time has me harassing people in the stores,” she laughs.

“I’m always up to meeting new friends. I’m kind of new to the area myself.”

“Well then! It must be fate we met!”

“Must be,” I say with a smile.

“And you already found a man!”

“Yeah, I wasn’t really looking for one…”

“Oh that’s the best kind! I envy you. The beginning of a relationship is the best. It’s all intense and heated. You can’t keep your hands off each other. I miss that…” she says with a sigh.

“You do?”

“Yeah. I’ve been with my man forever. Sometimes we hate each other, but we always find our way back. He’s the reason I moved here. He got a job here and like a crazy woman in love I agreed to follow him.” she laughs.

“Wow. That must be love.”

“It is. “How about you and your new man?”

“I’m not sure… I thought we were good, but now I’m wondering if he’s still attracted to me.” I feel like an idiot telling her that, but it’s weighing heavily on my mind and it just slips out

“Ouch. Well, if you want my advice buy that dress. There’s not a man alive that can see a woman he likes in that dress and not jump on it… if you get what I’m saying.”

“I think I do,” I laugh.

I stare down at the dress, still unsure.

“Addie! Look who I found!”

My head jerks around to see Petal and her sister-in-law CC walking towards me.

“CC! What a great surprise, I thought you said you couldn’t come when I mentioned it the other day!”

“No, if you remember that horn dog of a husband of mine said I couldn’t, because we had the house to ourselves. But, I felt the need for a little girl time.”

“How did you get away?”

"Hey you. I lied and told Gray there was a family emergency.”

“Why didn’t he come with you?”

“I ran to the bathroom and grabbed some tampons. He asked no questions after that,” she says with a wink.

“What are you holding?” Petal asks.

“Oh. My new friend Lynn said it was the kind of dress a man would tear off…”

“Lynn?” her and CC ask in unison.

“Yeah, I—” I turn around but Lynn is gone. “Shoot, she’s gone. I didn’t mean to ignore her…”

“She probably just decided to finish her shopping,” CC replies.

“Probably,” I agree, still hating I forgot she was there for a minute.

“Whatever, that dress is a big fat no,” Petal says yanking it out of my hand.

“What? Why?”

“Black is allergic to velvet,” she says.

“Allergic? Like how?”

“It makes him break out in hives. No joke. His prom date wore a velvet dress once. It was bad.”

“Didn’t end well?” I ask.

“Girl, let’s just say while most men were getting into panties, Black was getting admitted into the hospital.”

“Oh shit.”

“I have pictures, remind me to show you. His eyes swelled shut and they looked like two giant tomatoes on his head.”

“Yikes.”

“Exactly, so no velvet. Now you leave it to me and CC and we’ll find you an outfit to make Black beg for mercy.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible. “Things have kind of cooled down lately,” I tell them and boy is that an understatement.

“Oh, trust me it is,” Petal giggles.

“Maybe not with me,” I mutter.

They both look at me and I blush. I feel the heat rise on my face.

“You mean he’s not been trying to hit it?” CC asks, disbelief clear on her face and I blush even more.

“When we had dinner together tonight… I mean my dad came by, but Black left early and when he did…”

“What?” they ask and I suddenly wish the floor would swallow me up.

“He kissed me on the forehead…”

“Oh snap,” CC says and I know immediately she sees it as a bad sign too.

“Oh you two, just stop! Her dad was there for Christ’s sake. Of course he’s going to be reserved,” Petal defends.

I like that she doesn’t see it as a bad sign, but I find myself wanting her to know more so she can tell me it’s all in my head too.

“He took a night shift job, Petal,” I whisper, the one thing that has me worried the most.

“Honey that’s just work, I mean—”

“He volunteered. He asked for night shift.”

“Shit.”

“Then, I’m right. Black doesn’t want me. He sees me as someone to spend time with… a buddy.”

“Bullshit. I’ve seen the way he looks at you,” CC argues.

“Then why?” I ask.

“Who knows. Men get weird. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s still gun shy from the breakup and fall out with Linda and he’s resisting jumping into a relationship,” Petal says.

“Maybe I should just move on. I don’t want to have my heart broken over a man who is still hung up on his ex.”

“He’s not hung up on her. He hates her. She was toxic.”

“I—”

“She was really toxic, Addie. So bad that she bled over into his work life and cost him a job he loved,” Petal says quietly.

“A job he worked his ass off for,” CC huffs.

“Exactly and if a man tangles with a woman and gets that burned, he has to be gun shy,” Petal adds.

“So, what do I do?” I ask, feeling completely lost.

“You let us take control of your shopping, because we know Black’s weaknesses.”

“And we will use them against him,” CC agrees.

“I don’t know…”

“For his own good, Addie. He’ll thank us for it,” Petal adds, patting my hand. Maybe she’s right, but I don’t want to manipulate, Black.

“Thank us? Hell, he’ll beg Addie for more,” CC says with a wink.

I look at the two women in front of me. I take a deep breath and then I let it out.

“Addie it comes down to one thing,” Petal tells me.

“What’s that?”

“Do you want my brother or not?”

It’s a simple question and one word literally screams inside my head.

“Yes…” I whisper.

“Then, we shop.”

“We shop,” I agree, and Petal and CC grin at me.

I hope I made the right decision.