Page 109 of Cowboy Daddies

Roses are Red

Violets are Blue

We’ve been looking for someone

We now know is you.

Call us- Levi and Tripp.

555-6756

Room 231

“They sent all of these?” I gasp. “What am I even… How do I… What? Why?” I can’t even manage a full coherent thought as I look around the diner that now has more flowers than all the flower shops in town combined.

Sadie steps up beside me, grabs the note from my hand, scans it and hands it back with a grin. “I believe this is what they call a grand gesture.”

I whip to face her. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Call them.” She taps the note. “Or you could not call them, and see what they think of next.”

Oh god. I can’t even imagine. This is over the top and embarrassing enough. I don’t even want to think about what they might do next.

“You don’t think if I ignored this, it would just… go away?”

Calliope raises her eyebrows. “A gesture like this? Not likely.”

Sadie puts an arm around my shoulders and squeezes gently. “It’s okay. Just hear what they have to say and tell them how you feel. What’s the worst that could happen?”

I stare at her, frozen like a deer in headlights. The worst that could happen? Did she really want me to answer that? Does she want to know the thousands of actually insane thoughts running through my brain right now?

She nudges me with her shoulder and says gently, “Remember what you said about being more adventurous going forward? This seems like a good place to start.”

Dammit. She’s right. I look over and see Calliope nodding, along with a handful of diner patrons I recognize.

Fuck. I guess I’m doing this.

Chapter Thirteen

Tripp

Levi spent all his rodeo wins on flowers. Hundreds upon hundreds of flowers. It’s silly, crazy, and wildly romantic. I never would have come up with it, and now that I know about it, I can’t decide how I feel.

I stare at his phone on the table in my hospital room and will it to ring.

It doesn’t.

I’m still not sure that staying in Blue River is the thing to do, but I love Levi and I respect him, and I know it took a lot for him to lay down the law like that. But I can’t imagine staying here without Marci, watching all the happy throuples build their lives and knowing that we let our perfect girl slip through our fingers.

I’m still staring at the phone when there’s a knock on the door to my room. I look at Levi. We don’t know anyone here and the nurses don’t usually knock. He shrugs.

“Come in,” he calls.

I see the flowers before I see her. A huge vase of them. At least five dozen. They cover her face but I know it’s her. Who else would come through looking like a walking flower arrangement with legs?

“Marci.” Levi rushes to her, grabs the vase and sets it on the counter. Without it, she stands there awkwardly, looking first at me, then at him, then back at me.

“You’re okay, then?” she asks. “You’re gonna be all right?”