Lacey was startled when Brody walked into the Home Pro office the next day. She said, “I thought you were off. You told me you couldn’t wait to see Dak, and I thought you were spending today in the Twin Cities or maybe Galena. Did something go wrong?”

Brody wasn’t sure what to tell Lacey. He rolled it around in his head all the way across town as he drove to the Home Pro store. He didn’t want to say the relationship with Dak was over because he didn’t believe that it was. He thought about avoiding Home Pro and staying home, but Brody needed something to take his mind off the absence of Dak.

“I forgot that he had things that he needed to take care of. I guess I should have talked it all through with him before he got off the boat. We had a good night together, but I’d jumped ahead a little too far with my plans.” Brody smiled remembering what it was like before his comments made matters go south. “Did I miss anything notable here?”

Lacey pointed to the far corner of her desk. “That arrived yesterday afternoon.” Brody saw a sparkle in her eyes when she pointed. Lacey was excited.

A large vase stuffed with at least two dozen red roses stood on the corner. Brody inhaled and finally noticed the sweet, slightly spicy, aroma that filled the air. He was too preoccupied with his own issues when he first arrived to be aware of the heady fragrance. “Who gave us those? They are beautiful.”

Lacey giggled and said, “Seb. Isn’t he a sweetheart?”

Brody’s jaw dropped. “Seb? The two of you are an item? I had no idea. When did this happen?”

“It’s been going on for quite a while, but we’ve kept it in here.” She pointed to her chest. “We didn’t want to cause any commotion here at Home Pro until we knew for sure.”

“So you kept it all private.” Brody shook his head. He marveled at how so many things moved and shifted behind the scenes while remaining invisible to casual observers. He said, “Congratulations! I think the two of you will be great together.” Brody leaned over and sniffed at one of the roses. “They smell amazing.”

“I know,” said Lacey. “It’s a little overpowering. I think I’ll take them home after today. I’m starting to smell roses in my sleep.”

Brody took a deep breath and backed away from the desk. He was happy for his employees just setting out on a new relationship, but he couldn’t help the envy he felt inside. “How long have you been dating?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice. Nobody else picked up on it either. He asked me out the first time about four months ago. We’ve been having dinner together at least once a week since then.”

“Oh, I remember the two of you going out together. I assumed you were just friends. Seb’s a lot of fun for hanging out. He knows so many stories.” Lacey did, too. He wondered what all they shared back and forth. If they joined forces, he was sure that little local news would escape their attention.

Lacey cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure everything is okay, Mr. Sexton? You look a little…off.”

Brody knew that Lacey was trying to be helpful, but he wasn’t ready to talk. He waved her off saying, “I think I’m still a little shocked about Dak’s return. I need to get to work here at the desk. It looks like I’ve got a pile of email and snail mail to sort through.” Brody was still shocked about Dak’s return. In fact, he was reeling. Life went from sensations of floating on a puffy, romantic cloud to tumbling back to cold, hard earth in minutes. He stared at his computer screen and tried to concentrate.

Lacey said, “Oh, and Mr. Sexton, don’t worry that this will cause any problems with our work. Seb and I have talked it through more than once. Work is our priority when we’re here. We’ve done a good job keeping them separate so far, and we plan to keep doing that.”

Brody wished that he could keep his own personal life out of work. He said, “Thank you for that, Lacey. I trust both of you. I don’t think it will be a concern, but I do hope I get invited to the wedding.” He chuckled softly.

“Oh, we’re a long way from that,” said Lacey. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about it. You know I’ve never been a bride.”

“I didn’t know that for sure. I don’t think I ever asked you directly. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the future.”

Lacey giggled softly and returned to her work. Brody told himself that the conflict with Dak just a speed bump on the way to the future. He successfully shifted his attention away from his worries and checked his bank account. He stared at the screen and could not believe his good fortune. If everything fell through with Dak, at least he had money to invest in starting a new life. Brody lowered his head into his hands on his desk knowing that he would take Dak any day over the money.

The day moved slowly. Brody guessed that it was like dragging your feet through a massive slick of molasses. It was close to the Labor Day holiday, and families in town focused on their back-to-school activities instead of home projects. He helped a few customers during the day who asked for home plumbing parts and advice on the best table saws for a particular job.

Brody was relieved when the clock approached 5:00 p.m, but he was also frustrated trying to figure out how he would spend his evening. For the last four weeks, he expected to spend it with Dak, and he’d heard nothing from Dak all day.

When he arrived home, Brody gave in. He decided to call Dak and hoped that he would get an answer. After the third ring, Dak said, “Hey, Brody, how are you?”

His voice was calm and relaxed. Dak sounded like nothing unusual had happened. Brody said, “I’m okay, but I’ve been wondering about you. I’m sorry for what happened. Is there anything I can do to make it better? I didn’t expect this.”

Dak said, “Just relax for me, okay? I need space. Just back off for now and give me that space. Are you okay with that?”

“Not really, but do I have a choice?”

“No.” The phone connection clicked off.