AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You two did this?” she cried, yanking us both into her warm embrace, and I still remember the way she smelled—like fresh-cut grass and lilacs. “Sneaky rascals. I can’t believe you hid it for so long.”
In the years that followed, she filled this greenhouse with color and life until eventually, she and Dad opened Hart’s Blooms.
Not relying on a flower wholesaler was one of her greatest accomplishments. And sure, she didn’t have the flashy touch that Lisa has, but she could charm the pants off anyone she met. Her plants and flowers were more vibrant, more beautiful, and lasted twice as long…
Now all I have left of her legacy is a tiny packet of seeds that I don’t even have the confidence to try to grow.
* * *
I squint at my attempt at a ritzy centerpiece as the sun finally sets on Rainy Street. Most of the shops have closed for the day, and I said goodnight to Piper after sending the girls home for the evening nearly an hour ago.
I thought finishing up my closing chores and stepping away from this disaster would somehow transform it into something beautiful, but the revolting feather- and glitter-covered display makes me wince.
My brain feels like scrambled eggs after hours of sorting through ways to make more money. Apparently, the best I could come up with was remodeling our shop and inventory to appeal to a more creative, edgy market in hopes of booking bigger events like Lisa’s place. But who am I kidding? That’ll never work because that isn’t what Hart’s Blooms represents.
When a daisy falls limply under the weight of a clump of ruby sparkles, I sigh. “Well, it was nice knowing you guys.” I spread my arms wide, talking to the room. “Jerry, Gertrude,” I address the green pothos plants I’ve managed to keep alive longer than three months, “I really wish I could’ve pulled through for you. But as you can see, I’m cursed.”
Hopeless, I heft my creation off the counter.
“Good evening, kitten,” a velvety rich voice drawls from behind me.
I jump, clutching the monstrosity as I stumble over the stray sprigs, feathers, and dried fruits falling to the floor.
“What are you doing here?” I ask as the can of spray glitter I had in my back pocket rolls across the concrete floor.
Rowan stops it with the toe of his shiny leather shoe and kicks it away before helping himself inside.
“Sure, yeah. Come on in,” I grumble while shifting the vase in my hands.
I’d practically sprinted from his car last night as the embarrassment of the auction settled in. Rowan’s slight show of compassion was admirable, sure, but it doesn’t change anything between us.
“Nice place you’ve got here,” he says as he picks up a black-and-yellow-striped pot from Nadine’s bee-themed display.
He’s dressed nicely in a black blazer, gray shirt, and black pants. Not quite as formal as his navy three-piece, and unfortunately for me, no less sexy.
Rowan halts his perusal of the sickly-looking succulents I accidentally over-watered. “So, it’s true. You really are a florist.” Waving a hand at the piece I was Frankensteining, he adds, “And from the looks of it, a pretty bad one.”
I’m filled with dread at the reminder of what the auctioneer told the crowd.
“This was my mom’s shop. I’m simply the woman trying to keep it afloat.” I narrow my gaze. “And this happens to be a Molly Hart original, thank you very much.”
He’s entirely too close for comfort when he walks over and swipes a fingertip across a silver-paint-soaked leaf. “No, this is a tragedy.”
I jerk the vase out of reach. “In case you didn’t notice, we’re closed.”
“Interesting. I must have missed the sign.”
“Well then, read my lips. Go. Away.”
Only, he does more than just read them. His eyes trace a path from one corner to the other, pausing at the center where they’ve parted.
Pulse hammering, I step around him once more.
He easily blocks my path, standing—towering—over me with his arms crossed. “If you’d like to be alone while you torture more innocent plants, then just say so.”
“Think I’d just like to be alone, thanks.”
Flicking a plastic card between two fingers, he says, “I have something of yours I wanted to return.”
