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Maybe I was just too much.
CHAPTER 17
Marigold
Everything was wrong.
In my head, at least. Or maybe it was my heart. I wasn’t sure.
I was nestled on the couch at Audrey’s house, her dog Max—the sweetest dog in the history of ever—cuddled up next to me. Her other dog, Maggie, slept near the fire. It was raining outside, but we were cozied up with tea and cookies, and my binder for their wedding was open on the coffee table.
It had been a few days since I’d seen Zachary at the store, but my feelings remained a constant distraction. It wasn’t that I was angry at him—not exactly. I just didn’t know what to think.
My date with Preston last night hadn’t helped. The date itself had been fine. No squirrels, no surprise double date, no electricity issues. He’d brought flowers to apologize for being short with me on the phone when he’d had to cancel—unnecessary, but nice of him—and taken me to dinner. Good food, handsome man, pleasant conversation.
What more did I want?
“Mari?”
I blinked. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”
“No, but you were staring out the window.”
“Sorry. We should be talking about your wedding and here I am zoning out on your couch.”
She smiled. She was so cute dressed in one of Josiah’s too-big-for-her flannel shirts. “I’m not worried about the wedding. It’s coming together. But what about you? Are you okay?”
“Honestly? I don’t know.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I pulled the knit throw blanket Marlene Haven had given Audrey into my lap. “You know I’ve been seeing Preston. And he’s great. He’s handsome and interesting. He’s exactly the sort of man I’ve always dreamed of meeting.”
“So it’s going well?”
“Yes.” My hesitation was obvious in how long I drew the word out. “But there have been a couple of things that have given me pause. Which is fine, we’re still getting to know each other. I just wish I could keep getting to know him without Zachary getting in the way. So I could really decide whether I want to continue dating him at all.”
She winced. “Has Z been causing trouble?”
“It’s Zachary Haven, when is he not causing trouble?” I sighed. “Apparently he teamed up with Gavin Bailey to fill Preston’s construction site with squirrels. All so Preston would have to cancel our date and Zachary could make it look like a coincidence when he called to ask if I wanted to hang out.”
Her eyes widened. “That was Zachary? I heard about that, but I didn’t know he was behind it.”
“Oh yes, it was him. He came over, promising we’d just hang out as friends, and the whole time it was a setup.”
Audrey smiled. “I’m sorry, but that’s kind of cute.”
“He pretended like he just happened to call me when he knew I’d be home because he’d made sure of it.”
“I know, I know. But the effort is impressive. Go back to Preston, though. You said there have been a couple of things that give you pause. Do you mean you’re unsure about him?”
It was hard to admit there were potential flaws in my dream man. But I wasn’t stupid. For one thing, everyone has flaws. For another, I didn’t want to be blind to his just because he looked great in a suit and opened doors for me.
“He’s been sending me flowers every day. The first few times, it was amazing. These big, beautiful bouquets kept showing up and it felt like wow, he really wants to make an impression. But it’s starting to feel like a little much.”
“Every day is a lot.”
“And he brought more last night when he picked me up. He said it was to apologize for being short with me on the phone when he had to cancel because of the squirrel problem.”
