Page 58

EMILY

“Uh!” I slam the phone down and am so happy that this place still has a landline. There is nothing more satisfying than banging it into the cradle when someone pisses me off.

Sam’s head pokes out through the hanging beads that divide the front from the employees-only area.

“What’s going on?”

“Davenports can only give me half of the white roses needed for Rob’s funeral, and they won’t have them here until Thursday. I checked with Petunias and Clearview. Both are sold out. I don’t know what to do.”

“What about the lilies?”

“They will arrive today from Mama Mums.”

Be careful what you wish for.

That’s how the saying goes, right? I’ve spent months praying to be busy. Insisting that I’m happier being run off my feet than hoping someone stops and walks in the door. Now, I can’t fulfill the most important order for the most important person of all.

How do I call Alden and tell him I can only provide half of his order?

Sam steps out from the back, the beads rattling as she does, and hugs me from behind.

“It’s going to be okay. Let me make a call. I know one supplier who might help us last minute,” Sam says, and I turn my head to look at her.

“You can’t mean…” Sam bites her lip. “But, Sam, that’s got to be so uncomfortable for you. I don’t want you to call Mario.”

Sam was dating the owner of Fresh Blooms, one of our area’s largest suppliers. We’ve boycotted his business since he never mentioned his wife, who he has no interest in divorcing. He’s just leading poor Sam along.

I’ve contemplated putting him on Alden’s radar somehow. I’m sure his alter ego would love to play with Mario.

I can still remember as clear as day the first time I followed Alden out to that old ghost town and snuck around trying to figure out where he spent his time. He vanished as if the town swallowed him up. He eventually emerged hours later from the back side of the funeral home. It took me four more times, following his every step, before I saw him kidnap someone and take them to that place. Once they go in, they never come out.

But there is no easy way to sneak into the old funeral home, despite the dilapidated look from the outside. Everything is state-of-the-art. I can hack into almost anything, but I won’t even try this…at least not yet.

I can guess what he does in there and why. I love it.

“No, I want to. This is business, and that happened over a year ago. I’m a big girl, and I can do this. He still has a sweet spot for me and sends me messages and random gifts from time to time.”

“You didn’t tell me that?”

Her cheeks redden, and she glances away before biting her lip.

“Please tell me you haven’t been messaging him back?”

Sam crosses her arms.

“Sam,” I whine.

“I know, I know. It’s stayed professional. He hasn’t asked me out or anything.”

“Okay…you know I love you, but I need you to do me a favor,” I say, suddenly terrified that Alden will snatch her instead of Mario. “What if you were his wife? Tell me how you’d feel, even if the conversation is now platonic? Wouldn’t you feel betrayed?”

Sam looks down with a heavy sigh.

“Yeah…you’re right. I really hate that I still care about him, but I’ll cut off all personal contact.”

Standing, I grab her hands and force her to look at me.

“Sam, you’re an incredible person. You have the biggest heart, and you are worth so much more than what he is offering. Don’t settle for being anyone’s second choice.”