March had arrived and brought unusually warm weather for this time of year. When the chaos at Happy Flowers settled, I took a week off to show my grandfather around Brookline. I didn’t want him to wander off again. Grandpa was still weak after his surgery, but he believed he was as strong as ever. I didn’t want him to overexert himself and be back at square one. Fresh air and a walk around town would do him good. I had planned a fun day for him.
As I washed up, my phone rang. When I saw Morgan’s name, I prayed everything had gone well at her meeting with her divorce lawyer.
“Hi, Morgan.”
“Eva, I’m so sorry to do this to you, but is there any way you can cover for me this morning?” Stress strained her voice. “You can leave as soon as Erika clocks in. Sarah is here, but she has to do some orders. I’ve got a family emergency to deal with this morning.”
“Of course. I’ll be there soon.”
“Gosh, thank you so much!”
“You’re so welcome. Do what you need to do. Good luck.”
I could only imagine the stress she was dealing with. Working for Morgan had taught me so much—she was an incredible source of knowledge and a warm, wonderful woman on top of it. Her cheating husband, Gary, was such a jerk. Good riddance.
His mistress had the nerve to visit the shoptwiceto order flowers, fully aware that his wife owned the shop. Some people had no shame. Had I known, I would have added poison ivy to her arrangement.
A few minutes after I got to Happy Flowers, three customers entered and bought bouquets and potted plants. When they left, I helped Sarah prepare orders that were due to be picked up tomorrow. The phone rang, and I took down more orders for later in the week.
Based on the numbers in the system, the next few months would be far busier than in previous years. Morgan needed to hire another florist soon, but I knew the timing wasn’t quite right for that. I’d give it a few more weeks before asking her. Business was booming, and we had to keep up with the demand.
Watching what she was going through made me even more cautious about relationships. Were there still decent men around these days? Or were they an extinct species?
The door chimed, and I glanced up from the computer, and my heart sank into my stomach.
Wearing a black wool coat, Dennis approached the desk and offered an irritating grin. “Are you available for dinner tonight?”
He’d cut his blond hair shorter, making him appear more cultured. But I knew the ugly person underneath the polished facade.
“No.” A bitter taste filled my mouth. I needed him out of my sight.
What was wrong with him? I broke up with him over a year ago. There were other flower shops in the area, so why did he have to go to this one? Was his marriage over? I couldn’t see that happening. Laura Novak was from a wealthy family who owned a restaurant franchise, and Dennis worked for their management team.
“How ’bout tomorrow?”
“It’soverbetween us. There’s never going to be any meals with you.” I tried my best to contain my disdain. “Please stop bothering me.”
Amusement gleamed in his blue eyes. “It’snotover.”
What had I seen in this man who couldn’t respect my wishes?
My mouth hung open for a moment at his audacity. “Should I call your wife to let her know you’re annoying me?”
My patience for cheating men had been completely exhausted.
“She won’t care.”
How could she not? Unless she was cheating on him too.
A lady with a pink scarf entered, followed by a man in a red cap.
I looked at Dennis. “Please leave. I’ve got customers to take care of.”
“You’ll change your mind soon enough.” He flashed an arrogant smile, saluting my customers. When he left the shop, the unpleasant energy disappeared with him.
The man in the red cap walked over to the selection of roses. He’d been here before and always knew what he wanted, so I approached the woman instead. “Hello. Can I help you with anything?”
“Do you have any get-well bouquets?”
