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“She told you about that too? Daniel’s grandma?”
“She did,” Granny chuckles. “What a wild, wacky idea. I love that you got the wrong bouquet. That the curse still brought you together anyway. It’s just another funny quirk that will make for a great story one day.”
“What if he won’t forgive me? Again. This isn’t the first time I’ve freaked out.”
“Then he’s not the man I think he is. In fact, he’s a real poop head and you can set your brothers and cousins on him.”
I smile through the last of my sobs, let out a very un-lady like hiccup, and lean into Granny just a little harder as she pats my back and smooths her hand down my hair, and honestly, I didn’t plan on getting pregnant, but I’m so glad that my baby will know this woman. This strong, incredible matriarch of our family. If it had happened years and years down the road, like I was planning- well- I can’t think about it, but I know that Granny won’t be around forever.
Or maybe she will.
Stranger things have happened.
Maybe she’ll get a curse of her own. An extended life curse.
I don’t need my squishy place to tell me that if she did, it would be very, very good for the entire world. We all like to say she meddles too much, but the truth is, Granny kept this family together. She helped shape me into the woman I am today, and she’s always, always stood by me. She’s taught me so much and she’s here now, helping me through this. She might have cursed me, but maybe it’s not so bad. The curse brought us all together, my brothers and cousins with all of their soulmates, but it’s up to us to make the best life we can, to work our buns off every single day, as Granny said, and to live a life, to build a future, that’s been truly lived to the best of our abilities.
I just need to figure out which flowers say all of that the best way possible. Also, a few I’m sorry flowers would be a good thing.
I think I’m going to need a giant bouquet.
Chapter 16
Daniel
“Hey, Mr. Parton, we had a delivery for you. Should I hold forward it to your office?”
I pause the accounting that I was working on, somewhat gratefully. It’s not one of my favorite tasks. As my business has grown I keep promising myself that I’m going to hire more and more people to do this for the company, but it just feels wrong when I’ve always done it and can still do it. I don’t like it, but I am good at it. I would feel detached if I stopped. The thing I’m most afraid of, aside from getting cactus dick punched again, is not knowing what’s going on with my own company financially. Yes, it might be smaller in scale than a lot of operations out there, but we’re always growing, and that’s something to be proud of. I’m fully aware, as Wes likes to tell me, that this is a passion project, not an actual business, but because of Grandma’s money, I’m able to do it. Well, la-dee-freaking-da, one day and one day soon, I’m going to inform Wes that I’ve repaid every cent of that money (even though it was mine from a trust fund), and that the business is now wholly profitable. How many people can say that? Plus, did I mention we’re always growing.
“Uh, Mr. Parton? It’s flowers.”
That brings my attention back to the conversation in a hurry. Packages get delivered to the greenhouse by mistake all the time. If they’re for the greenhouse, I don’t put my personal name on them. Still, things do get mixed up sometimes. But flowers? I definitely didn’t order or send myself flowers.
I freeze, my heart making a movement in my chest that probably sounds like spa-luuuunkkkkk, and it’s a good long while before I can force any words out. “Uh- no. I’ll come get it.”
“Really? That’s a long drive. The delivery person is still here. I can send them your way.”
“No. No, that’s fine. I’ll come get them.” I’m already shoving back my chair and grabbing my keys. For some crazy reason, I want to get to those flowers, not have them coming to me here. It’s irrational, since the delivery person delivered them there, but now I know they exist and I need to know if they’re from Leandra or if someone else is sending me random bouquets.
“Okay. Sounds good. I’ll put them in the lunch room so they stay cool.”
After Shandra hangs up, I bang out the door, barely remembering to lock up after myself. I rent a single office in a large building, mostly made up of independent offices and small businesses. It’s important for me to lock the door, or anyone could just walk right in and help themselves to whatever they want.
