AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What are you doing back so early?” Ivy asked her when she came in the back door.
“Mona was busy,” she said. “I got my times messed up.”
It was better to say that little lie than speak anything else and worry the tears would be flowing fast.
She went to the backroom and started to work on some orders. It would calm her while she tried to figure out her next step.
Poppy came in a minute later. “Ivy said you messed up the time of a meeting? That’s not like you.”
“Something came up,” she said.
“Like a bun-type of thing that came up?”
She turned sharply to look at Poppy’s grin. “What are you talking about?”
“Come on now,” Poppy said. “I’m pregnant. I know the signs. More so since I’m going through it too. The crazy hunger and cravings. The things that make you look green that never did before.”
“No one knows.”
“Not even Wesley? I can see you not telling us or Ivy. But not even the guy you’re getting down and dirty with?”
“He knows,” she said carefully.
“And he’s not happy?” Poppy asked. “You know I’m going to keep bugging you.”
“He’s happy. Thrilled. Things have been great, but we are trying to get out of the first trimester.”
“I know,” Poppy said. “It’s been fun to finally tell everyone last week.”
“We are about a month apart,” she said.
“How exciting,” Poppy said, hugging her. “Can I tell Rose and Lily? Or are you going to make me keep this secret? I’m not good with secrets.”
Which she knew was hard for Poppy to do. “Can you give me a few days? As I said, something came up. I don’t need to deal with that on top of this.”
Poppy hugged her again. “I’m sorry for whatever it is, but something tells me you will work it out. Wesley is too great of a guy to not apologize for whatever he did.”
She snorted. “I’m not sure an apology is going to make it all go away.”
Poppy left her after that and she got back to work.
She was up front stocking the coolers with more flowers when in walked one of the biggest gossips in Mystic.
“Gretchen,” she said. “What can I do for you today?”
She’d be professional because she knew Lily would skin her if she was not. Just like she’d skin any of her employees, but the last person she wanted to be in front of right now was this woman.
“I was thinking of getting some flowers for home. I saw you coming out with the cart so I assumed you were stocking fresh and maybe pulling the older ones out?”
“Looking for the discounted ones?” she asked. Those were on the bottom of the cart and she’d prune them or replace some flowers if she could. Some could be marked down, others used for Rose’s pieces or dried out in the bins for fragrances. Nothing went to waste here.
“Flowers are flowers,” Gretchen said. “They still smell nice and are pretty just the same.”
“That is true,” she said. “Look them over and take your pick.”
There were only about six arrangements to choose from yet Gretchen was taking her sweet time. “Isn’t that something that Poppy is going to have a baby soon? She didn’t waste any time to lock Reese in.”
Just like she figured, Gretchen was looking for some dirt. “Not sure what you mean by locked in since they are married.”
