Chapter 6Ruth nodded to the man in the suit as she passed him on her way into the shop. She stopped just inside the entry, the smile still plastered to her face, as the door clicked shut behind her.
She shrugged, throwing up her hands. “Why am I here?”
Samuel was laughing before Ruth even realized she’d said the words aloud.
Embarrassed, she scrambled for a save. “One might ask . . .”
“One might.” His laughter carried on—exuberant, genuine, contagious.
Ruth couldn’t help but join in. By the time they came to their senses, Ruth’s heart had settled back into a nice, steady rhythm. She stepped forward. “Well then.”
“Well then.”
With a fair amount of effort, she tore her eyes away from Samuel’s and moved farther into the warmly lit shop, with its light hardwoods, cherry ceiling beams, a
