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“And did you talk to Joanne about all the ideas she has for streamlining everything?” Luca asked, talking over me and catching me off guard with the question about Joanne.
“No… I, um… She hasn’t really mentioned streamlining anything before.”
Had she? I tried to think back over all the hours she and I had spent in the office, going over paperwork and procedures while Joanne had been showing me the ropes. Shehadtalked about replacing the ancient computer, and how wasteful they were with old stock, throwing out or donating hundreds of blooms a week. And then there was the fax machine that had to be as old as I was…
Maybe Joanne hadtriedto bring up changes to the place, and I just hadn’t been interested in hearing them?
“Henry was too old-school to take her up on much of anything that would’ve made things more efficient, but I thought maybe with you around…” Luca shook his head. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter much now, except…”
“Except what?” I leaned in, waiting for him to answer. He couldn’t leave me hanging like that, not after going there about Joanne.
“I just think there are always options, you know? According to just about everyone, I should’ve shut this place down a dozen times or more over the years. But I always found a way to keep going. And I just think that… look, those corporate people apparently think your flower shop is something special, or they’d just open up a new one, right?”
I blinked, letting Luca’s words sink in.
He did have a point about the corporate guys, and it was a little reassuring to know that he could sort of relate to the business decisions I had to make. And if he had found a way, maybe I could, too…
“Do you really think I stand a chance in the flower business?” I asked, more for my own benefit than actually expecting an answer from Luca.
“I think Joanne does. That girlknowsflowers. She lives for them. And she has good ideas. You should at least talk to her about it.”
“You should talk to her about more than that.” Naomi’s voice made I jump as I spun around to face my other soon-to-be-former employee. “Do you love her?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven - Brady
It was the last question I had expected Naomi to ask, but I answered without hesitating. Without even thinking.
“Yes. More than anything.”
It was the truth, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth, a wave of…somethingwent through me. Not fear. Relief? Sure, I’d taken Joanne on a date… But to just come out and admit my feelings?
It felt… good.
No. Fuck “good.” It felt kind ofamazing.
Naomi was staring at me, looking almost gleeful.
“What are you doing here, Naomi?” I asked after a minute, wondering if the silence had gone on as long as it had felt like… and if it had felt that momentous to anyone else.
Naomi grinned. “I came to see Luca. And to talk you out of selling the shop.” She took a step closer and lowered her voice a little, her bright smile replaced with a serious look. “I know that she loves you, too. I’ve seen it in her eyes, just like I can see it in yours.”
“Really?” I felt a pain in my heart as I thought about what a mess I’d made of things and how badly I’d hurt Joanne. “But what can I do now? I think it’s probably too late.”
“It’s never too late to do the right thing,” Naomi said.
“And it’s never too late for love,” Luca added with a wink.
“You know what you need to do, Brady,” Naomi said, raising her eyebrows. “Just do it. Go to her.Fixit.”
I nodded. Naomi was right, and so was Luca. For as complicated as I had been trying to make things, it really came down to something as simple as love. IlovedJoanne, andthatwas worth fighting for, worth holding onto until I couldn’t hold on any longer. It didn’t matter if I didn’t know how, or if I’d already tried and failed. All that mattered, like Naomi had said, was that I justdoit.
“Okay,” I said, nodding again, warming up to the idea. “O-kay. Yes. Thank you,bothof you, for saving me from a decision that I would’ve regretted for the rest of my life.”
Luca smiled and handed me the coffee I’d long-since forgotten about. “That’s what friends are for, Brady. We help each other out around here, so you’re gonna have to get used to it.”
“Thank you,” I said again, grinning as I put down a ten dollar bill, then quickly walked toward the door before Luca could make me take it back.
The service at Castle Coffee was worth the tip any day, but this time? The pep-talk I’d just received was priceless. “I’ll let you guys know how things go with Joanne…”
