“Longest two weeks of my life,” Molly muttered, and Jagger flashed her a satisfied grin.
“Hell yeah, it was. I had the worst damned case of blue balls ever. But, when it was over, you knew I was serious about wanting more with you. I would like to point out that you insisted on ending the ban, not me. I would have held out as long as I had to, angel.”
She arched a brow and looked at him pointedly. “Well, I would have held out for another few days, at least,” he admitted with a shrug.
For some families, talking so openly about sex might seem strange. For bikers, it was no big deal. I wondered what Ella would think about this conversation.
“OK, so flowers, getting to know her, keep my hands – and everything else – to myself. Anything else?”
“Put the fucking bunnies in their place now rather than later. Lay down the goddamned law to them that you and Ella are off limits, period.” Rome followed up his quiet statement by leaning over and kissing Abby’s temple. She closed her eyes, then gave him a bittersweet smile.
“Absolutely,” Jagger agreed, and I nodded. I definitely didn’t want a repeat of any of the drama Abby and Molly had dealt with.
“What kind of flowers are you going to get for her?” Abby asked. At my blank stare, she and Molly traded looks again.
“Don’t worry,” I assured them. “The old lady who runs the flower will help me figure it out. Ella loved the flowers she suggested the last time.”
I should probably be insulted that the four of them looked relieved that I wouldn’t be choosing the flowers on my own, but they were right. I needed all the fucking help I could get.
Two hours later, I found myself at Dorothy’s shop, with Cowboy in tow. I wasn’t thrilled that he was here, but he’d shown up at my house shortly after the boys and their wives had left. I suspected that one or both of my sons had texted him to clue him in about their little relationship intervention, but the fucker wouldn’t cop to it. Short of knocking him off his bike – which I momentarily considered – I had no choice but to allow him to follow me to the flower shop.
Dorothy was finishing up with another customer when we walked in, but she looked up and gave me a wide smile when she recognized me. As soon as the customer left, I wasted no time getting to the point.
“I need another bouquet.”
“Oh dear, she didn’t like the first one you gave her, or is this for another occasion?”
“She liked it just fine. I just, uh,” I swiped a hand along the back of my neck as I glanced at Cowboy for help. He gave me a shit-eating grin, then answered for me.
“You see, ma’am, my friend here messed up again, so he needs somethin’ really nice to go along with his latest apology.”
Dorothy tsked under her breath, then gave me a disappointed shake of her head.
“Another butthead bouquet then, Mr. Morgan?”
Cowboy laughed so hard he almost choked on his own spit, and I glowered at him before flashing my most charming smile at the old lady.
“I’m afraid so, Dorothy. Any suggestions for something that says I’m sorry I fu – uh, messed up – and I’d really like to see you again?”
Dorothy pursed her lips to try to hide her smile, but Cowboy didn’t bother as he leaned on the end of the counter and laughed out loud.
“Well, you’re in luck, because I am a sucker for a good courtship. I’d be happy to help you find something to woo your special lady. Do you want to go with wildflowers again, or have you learned her favorite flower, by chance?”
I shook my head, feeling as useless as tits on a bull. I racked my brain trying to remember what kind of flowers she had in her front yard, but I could only remember what color they were.
“She likes red flowers. I’m not sure what they are, but she has a bunch of them planted in her yard.”
“Yeah, that’s helpful, brother,” Cowboy chortled.
“That’s something to start with,” Dorothy assured me, shooting a reproving glance at Cowboy. “Perhaps we can look at these catalogs right here, and something will jump out at you. Would you be interested in the symbolism behind the different kinds of flowers?”
She took in the blank look on my face, then glanced at Cowboy to see the very same expression, before trying to hide another smile.
“There are different meanings associated with different kinds of flowers, or sometimes with the color of a flower. Redroses generally mean romance or love, while yellow roses denote friendship, for example. Perhaps we can find something that conveys your feelings?”
Well, fuck. That would mean I have to know what my feelings are. Dorothy took pity on me, and started leafing through her flower book, stopping here and there to tell me what certain flowers were supposed to symbolize. Cowboy got in on the act, and we finally found something we could all agree on.
“Thank God that’s settled,” I said as I fished my credit card out of my wallet and handed it over. Cowboy suggested I have them delivered, so that Ella didn’t have the chance to throw them in my face. I took a second to mull over his idea, and decided he was probably right. Dororthy assured me she could have them delivered in just a few hours.
