Pocket Full of Posies

Chapter Sixteen

 It took more than a day for my computer to get fixed. Honestly, I hadn’t missed Natas at all. Internet hadn’t taken me captive like it seemed to have done with….everyone else. Seriously, though, what was the obsession with instagraming everything? It was annoying after a while.

  Landon had called yesterday to let me know something had come up and he hadn’t been able to finish it in a day. I told him—again and again—that it was no big deal, but he sure seemed to think it was. When I asked him what else was wrong with my computer, he assured me my computer hadn’t done anything else. So I assumed it had to do with his personal life. In any case, he was bringing it to me today.

  So that was why I was in such a tizzy. The house was a huge mess—everyone was swamped at work and exhausted when they got home—and Landon was coming over. I would have recruited the twins, but they always did more damage than help. Sally was at the shop with Aunt Nelly, Uncle Harmon was at work, and Liss was on a date. So basically I was alone in my furious clean upage. But did I panic? Of course not.

  “Crazy lady, crazy lady!” Joey chanted at the top of the stairs.

  I paused in my sweeping to glare up at him. “Crazy lady’s gonna come upstairs and kick your little asses if you don’t quit!”

  Instead of being afraid, they simply roared in mocking laughter. “You said a swear!” Carson scolded.

  “Did I hear y’all volunteer to help me clean up?”

  I heard a few gasps before the thundering of footsteps quickly retreating to their room.

  Please with myself, I went back to scrubbing. For about two seconds before the doorbell rang, that is. Swear, that doorbell! It was hilarious when it decided it wanted to work. It must like Landon or something…if that even was Landon at the door.

  Regardless, I shoved the broom in a closet before going for the door. I probably looked like a total mess. I could feel the fine hairs sticking out of my headband, tickling the corners of my eyes and nose. But it didn’t matter what I looked like so long as the house of presentable.

  When I answered the door, sure enough there he stood; my computer and charger safely tucked under his arm. It never ceased to shock me how good he looked. I seemed to always forget until I actually saw him again.

  “Hi!” I burst…way too loudly.  Clearing my throat, I tried again, “So, uh…that’s my laptop.”

  The right side of Landon’s mouth lifted in a slight grin. Apparently I was as off to an obnoxious start as I thought I was. Fabulous. “Well, lookie there. I reckon that is yours, ain’t it?”

  I gave him a flat look. Although, to be fair, that had been a ‘here’s your sign’ moment.

  Landon’s grin widened. He held out the laptop to me. “Good as new. Literally. All your files are wiped. Sorry it took me so long. I, uh, got sidetracked.”

  “Oh, you’re fine,” I said, taking the laptop. “I haven’t really been in a hurry to be reunited with Natas.”