Chapter 2

Evangeline frowned. Her brain seemed to lag at what the man in front of her had just said.

"They never told me we'd be delivering to someone so beautiful."

She looked at him in confusion. She couldn't tell if he was being serious or just flattering her. His grin stretched almost to his ears, and the way he looked at her felt like he was teasing.

She was no stranger to compliments. Even at forty-two, her heart-shaped face still held a natural beauty. Her shoulder-length haircut made her look even younger. People often told her she could outshine the younger women in their town. And she believed it—before she got pregnant with her ex-husband’s child, she had been the school's top beauty contestant.

Even after giving birth to five children, she never gained weight. She never used beauty products, yet her tanned skin remained smooth.

She swallowed hard and looked away, feeling a strange flutter in her chest. She was used to compliments, even ones that were just flattery. But for some reason, hearing them from this man made her heart race.

Still, she raised a brow at him. He was unfamiliar to her. "Who are you? Are you new here?" she asked sharply.

"Ate Vangie!"

She turned to see Banjo approaching.

"Who’s this, Banjo?" she asked.

The man rubbed his chin and smirked. "Interested in me already, huh?"

Her raised brow furrowed into a glare. "Watch yourself, kid."

Banjo winced. "Come on, Bert, let’s go," he muttered, but she still heard him.

Banjo had been delivering to her for a long time and knew she didn’t tolerate disrespect.

"Alright, Ate. We’ll start unloading your orders," Banjo said, tugging at Bert, who refused to move.

"Hold on, Banjo," Bert protested. "Why didn’t you tell me there was a beautiful woman here? I would've dressed better!"

She rolled her eyes. "Banjo, is your friend crazy? Or just blind?"

Banjo scratched his head. "Sorry, Ate, just ignore him. He’s from Manila."

Bert cleared his throat and locked eyes with her. "I’m not crazy. But now? I might go crazy because of you," he said, winking.

Her mouth fell open. She looked between Banjo and Bert, suddenly feeling uneasy. If she were younger, maybe she would have found it charming, but now? She felt all the blood rush to her head.

"What?" She frowned at him before turning on her heel and heading inside. When she came back out, she was holding a broom.

"Behave yourself!" she warned, swinging the broom at him.

"Ouch!" Bert yelped, laughing even though she hadn’t hit him. "You can’t take a joke, huh, Vangie?"

Her irritation spiked at the way he called her. "Vangie?! Are you messing with me? Get over here, kid! Don’t you know how to respect your elders?!"

Bert just laughed harder. "Age doesn’t matter!"

Banjo sighed and rubbed his temples. "Sorry, Ate Vangie, that’s just how Bert is," he said apologetically. "Bert, enough!"

Bert chuckled. "I was just joking, Vangie. Sorry."

"And you’re still calling me that?!" she snapped.

"Why? What do you want me to call you? Love?"

Her jaw dropped. This guy is insane. He was handsome, sure, but clearly missing a few screws. She shot him a glare before focusing on Banjo, who looked like he wanted to disappear. She had no time for this nonsense—she was too old for childish games.

"Banjo, just unload my orders already," she said, marching back inside. She headed straight to the kitchen for a cold drink.

She was annoyed by Bert’s teasing, but for some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She was too old for this kind of thing. But… she couldn’t help but smile.

She had only ever loved one man in her life—her ex-husband, Fredo. He was her first everything. She loved him so much that she made him her whole world. And when they separated, she never loved anyone else. Many had tried to court her, but she chose to focus on her children instead.

But for the first time since her marriage ended, her heart fluttered because of a man.

She sighed and shook off the feeling. She was too old for this. Especially with someone who was probably decades younger than her.

After finishing her drink, she put the pitcher back in the fridge and headed to her store. She took a different route, avoiding the entrance, knowing her orders were probably blocking the doorway.

Inside, she saw that the boxes had already been placed inside. She had ordered a lot since it was vacation season, and many people were returning home. She trusted Banjo, so she let him inside, but Bert? Not a chance.

She peeked outside to see if they were done.

"Hi, Vangie!" Bert greeted with a grin, balancing a box on his shoulder, sweat dripping down his face.

She sighed. If he wanted to call her that, she’d let it slide. She just rolled her eyes and turned toward the freezer. She grabbed two bottles of soda, stuck straws in them, and checked outside to make sure Bert wasn’t looking.

Once she saw he was back in the truck, she quickly placed the sodas on top of a box near the gate and hurried back inside. She did this often, but somehow, she felt like she was making a mistake if Bert saw it.

"Ate Vangie, I’d like to buy something," a young girl called out.

She quickly went to the counter to assist her.

"Hey! Thanks, Vangie!"

She turned and saw Bert holding one of the sodas, sipping through the straw with his eyes closed, as if savoring the cold drink.

She froze, staring at him. Why did he suddenly look so… handsome?

His curly hair was damp with sweat. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he drank. She swallowed hard as she watched a bead of sweat slide down his neck to his well-built chest.

She swallowed again. Why is it suddenly so hot in here? She licked her lips, feeling a strange warmth spread through her.

She saw shirtless men all the time—her store was across from a basketball court. But for some reason, she felt drawn to his sweaty body. Her gaze followed the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

God, what is happening to me?

She had seen and met many men since her divorce, but never had she reacted like this. She never thought she’d feel attraction again, except when watching romance dramas.

"Vangie?"

She never thought she’d—

"Vangie!"

She snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh?" She blinked and realized Bert was now standing close, smiling mischievously at her.

She quickly stepped back. "What?" she asked sharply.

Bert smirked. "You were fantasizing about me, weren’t you?"

She glared. "You’re full of yourself!" She turned away, unable to meet his teasing gaze.

"Relax! It’s fine."

She sighed, exasperated. "Are you done yet?"

"Admit it. You have a crush on me, don’t you?"

She stopped in her tracks and glared at him. "You’re such a troublemaker!"

"So, that’s a yes?"

She rolled her eyes. This guy is going to give me a headache. The moment they left, she was going to request a different delivery guy.

She turned her back on him and walked to her table.

"I heard from Banjo… you don’t have a husband anymore?"

She hesitated, glancing at him. He was looking at her, but this time, there was no teasing in his eyes.

She took a deep breath and focused on counting her money.

"So that means you’re alone now, right?"

"Why? If you’re planning something bad, don’t even think about it," she warned.

Bert chuckled softly. "Not bad… but maybe something good."