And it was mine.
For the first time since Alice died, I didn’t hesitate on the threshold.
I flipped the sign to OPEN and claimed the day.
At the counter, I set down the coffee and scones and peered at the mess of handwritten invoices.Rylyn had been busy the last few days while I was trying to save the town from impending doom.Guilt slashed through me at leaving her alone when she made her promise to stay through the summer.
Then I wandered to the back to check inventory.The coolers were filled with the usual.Roses, lilies, carnations in various colors.The work table in the back was littered with greenery, baby’s breath, floral tape, and flower petals.As if Rylyn didn’t have the wherewithal to clean up after a long day.
More guilt.
The bell signaled an arrival.I turned toward the door and saw Rylyn standing there staring at me with an unreadable expression.She was still dressed in the goth attire.Black clothes from head to toe, black choker.Heavy eyeliner and black lipstick and her hair cascading over her shoulders.
“You decided to show up, huh?”
The girl wasn’t going to make this easy on me.
I walked from the coolers to the front of the store, the click-click of my kitten heels the only sound on the tile.I regretted the shoes immediately.
I’d been thinking about what to say to her since last night.I could make excuses and tell the girl I’d been busy, but excuses were no longer going to cut it.
“Rylyn, I’m sorry,” I said and meant it.“I should have been here.It won’t happen again.”
“You should have.”The girl gave a jerky nod.
I reached for the bag of scones and held it out toward her.Her gaze flicked to the bag then back to my face.
“A peace offering,” I said.“Blueberry scones from Honey & Crumb.”
Her gaze went back to the bag as she considered the idea of what might be inside.Honey & Crumb had been in business since before I was born.It was absolutely legendary for its baked goods and run by Adelaide Collins for as long as I could remember.
“Honey & Crumb?”She stepped closer and took the bag from me.She opened the top, peered inside and then inhaled the buttery, sweet scent of blueberry.Then her gaze flicked back up to me.“My favorite.How did you know?”
The truth was, I didn’t.But I smiled anyway.
“Lucky guess.I promise to do better,” I said.
Rylyn reached into the bag and pulled out a scone.She broke off a corner and popped it into her mouth, closing her eyes and savoring the flavor.She chewed, swallowed, then gave me a nod.
“Good.Let’s get to work.”
While she went to work checking phone orders and printing delivery tickets, I moved to the back to check the coolers.
The stems stood in deep plastic buckets, each one labeled in a precise hand with the delivery date.Roses in tight spirals.Lilies still closed and green.Carnations fluffed and cheerful despite their reputation.
I tugged open the cooler door and cold air rushed out, carrying the sharp, green scent of fresh-cut stems.Condensation slicked the metal shelves as I checked water levels out of habit, topping off a bucket here, stripping a yellowing leaf there.
The cooler hummed steadily—a sound I’d grown up with, familiar as breathing.
Everything looked right.
Almost.
A flower at the back of the cooler caught my eye.With the door open, I stared at it for a long moment, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
It wasn’t anything I recognized.Not a rose, or a lily, or a carnation—or anything else I’d ever arranged.The neatly stacked stems sat in an unlabeled bucket.Several of the buds were still tightly closed, their petals sealed as if waiting.
But one or two were open.
