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Cici looked at me funny. “Oh, are you a friend of hers?” she questioned, frowning, a little hint of protection in her voice.
“I’m her father. I decided I wanted to surprise her. She doesn’t know I’m in town. I’m Ethan,” I said, holding out my hand.
“Oh, why didn’t you say so? Melinda is off tonight. She was doing some work on her program.”
I smiled. “I see. Well, please, don’t let on that I’m here. It’s a surprise.”
“No worries, your secret is safe with me.” She winked. “So, what sort of desert would you like? We have some wonderful cinnamon buns, or perhaps a piece of coffee cake?”
“I’ll take a slice of coffee cake, please.” Cici was about to walk away when I cleared my throat. “You wouldn’t be able to give me directions on how to get to the nearest flower shop, would you?”
“Sure can,” she said, leaving me and bringing over a piece of coffee cake with the directions scribbled on a piece of paper. “If you’re heading over there tonight, I’d get going soon. I believe Peggy’s Petals closes at eight.”
I glanced at my watch. It was a little past seven. I slid my fork through the cake and took a bite and requested my bill.
PEGGY
“Is this the correct way to have done this?” Sarah asked as she held up the mixed rose arrangement she’d been working on. “It doesn’t look like yours.”
I walked over and checked it. “Well, you can add a bit more foliage to it. But overall, I think it looks gorgeous.”
“Oh, I got the arrangement for Mr. Ryan done as well,” Trisha said, coming out of the cooler.
“Oh wonderful. I’ll check that over before Tristan picks that up. Oh, and remember, girls, tomorrow, we head out to the park and get to work on the last garden bed,” I said, beginning to clean up after what seemed to be a long day.
“What time did you want us here?”
“I’d like to get an early start. Say six. That way, we can get that bed planted before the sun hits the field. It won’t be so hot then. Plus, I can get back here to open for ten.”
“Sounds good. Did you want help to clean up and with closing tonight?”
“No, you girls put things in the cooler you were working with and then head out. I’ll take care of everything else.”
I left the girls and headed out to the front of the store, quickly clearing the flowers that were out. Then I grabbed the small green wagon that sat in the corner and headed out the front door. In the summer, I always placed buckets of fresh-cut flowers outside to help draw in customers. I began placing the buckets into the wagon and pulled them inside and took them to the back. I pulled the cooler door open and began putting them in their places, making sure everything was neat for the morning.
I’d just shut the door to the cooler and said good-bye to the girls when I heard the door chimes go off. I glanced at my watch; it was quarter to eight. Normally, I never had a customer past seven, unless it was an emergency. I wiped my hands on my apron and headed out front. At first, I didn’t see anyone, until I looked farther around the corner. There, a broad-shouldered man with very short, neatly cut dark hair stood inside the store, studying the flowers in the cooler. I couldn’t stop my eyes from roaming from his broad shoulders to his fit waist to his perfectly framed ass in the pair of jeans he wore. He wasn’t from around here, that much I knew.
“Can I help you?” I asked.
The man turned and smiled at me. “Yes, I’d like to order some flowers.”
“Oh well, I can certainly help with that,” I said, taking a step closer to him, his cologne invading my senses. It was then I noticed his fully tatted, muscular forearms.
“I’m also looking for Peggy,” he said, his ocean-blue eyes meeting mine. “Do you know if she is still here today?”
A funny feeling came over me as I looked into his eyes. Looking at him, it felt as if I should know him. “I’m Peggy,” I said, swallowing hard. “And you are?”
“Peggy! It’s wonderful to finally meet you. It’s me. Ethan.”
I was tired, and I searched my brain, trying to figure out who it was I knew by that name. I stood there studying him and then it hit. “Ethan?” I asked, my eyes widening as my stomach flipped.
“Yes, Peggy, it’s me,” he said, opening his arms.
Completely shocked that the man I only knew through letters stood in my shop, I stepped into his open arms and hugged him. When I felt his arms release me, I stepped back, my cheeks on fire as we looked at one another. He was so handsome, almost too handsome for me.
“What are you doing here?” I questioned. “I mean, I thought you weren’t due to return for at least another six months?”
“Well, sadly, my back didn’t heal as fast as I’d hoped, and the doctors advised me to take an early retirement. You mustn’t have gotten my last email.”
