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Raven glanced over at Parker who hadn’t moved an inch, maybe not even took a breath. She looked a bit pale around the lips. He gave her kudos. It took great courage to come out and face strangers after being caught naked on the couch, although Raven doubted the two saw anything. Bonnie couldn’t see a thing and neither could John.
While the two were talking about something that didn’t concern Raven, he offered Parker a smile when she finally looked up at him.
“Do they hate me?” she whispered. Her shoulders dipped like she carried the weight of the world on them.
“No.” he laughed.
“So, Parker, my spineless nephew-in-law wasn’t brave enough to come here himself, huh?” Bonnie said.
“I don’t—”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged. “That’s just like him. I never knew what my niece saw in that fool. I wish I never borrowed money from him. It was like borrowing from the devil.”
Raven and Parker both looked at each other. This was news. “You borrowed money from him?”
“I need to sit down. I’m tired.” Maybe it was her way to put off answering. When no one joined her, she sighed. “Why don’t you all come and sit with me instead of standing around like helicopter parents.”
They all sat. Parker took the chair.
“You said you borrowed from Edgar? When?” she asked.
“I didn’t. Bill did. I had no clue until after…well, until Edgar called.” Sadness ambushed her weathered features. “I would have never agreed to such a thing.”
“I didn’t know.” Parker looked uncomfortable.
“I’m sure he didn’t tell you.” Bonnie plucked at a piece of lint off her pants. “He told me he’d come here and help me get things back in shape, but I should have known better. So, tell me, what does he want you to do exactly? Sell, right? That way he can get his money back. That’s all the man cares about.” More sadness filled her eyes.
Parker laid her hands on her knees as if preparing for what she needed to say. “I’ve looked over the books and things are in difficult shape.”
“Just tell me. I can handle it. You’re here to sell.”
With a gentle nod, Parker said, “When I came to Second Chance, my job was to convince you to sell.”
Her snort cracked the air. “That bastard, Edgar. I should have known he would do this.” Bonnie shook her head.
“Bonnie, I know you don’t know me, and it might be hard to trust me after what I’ve told you, but I’ve never believed in giving up while there’s still some fight left on the table. I won’t try to convince you to do so until I truly believe there’s no other choice.”
“But you said things are in difficult shape? How will the greenhouse, and farm, be saved? I don’t have any money.”
Parker smiled and Raven could see that she loved the challenge. “I have a few ideas up my sleeve. I can’t promise it’ll turn things around, not long term, but it’s a shot. If you’re committed then so am I.”
A glimpse of a smile turned her thin lips. “What are these ideas?”
“We can always go over the details tomorrow—”
She shook her head, sending her short bob swishing around her full cheeks. “I need to know what we can do to save my home, my livelihood. This is all I have left. I want to be kept aware of everything from now on.”
“Okay. Fair enough. I want to reach out to some contacts that I have, big companies, and see if they have any events coming up which they need flowers for. Do you have the resources for us to commit to an abundance of arrangements?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“I’d also like to contact people here in Second Chance. Raven has told me how close everyone here is, and if that’s the case, they will help you.”
Bonnie’s smile was gone just like that. “I don’t want any handouts. Bill asked for help from Edgar, and now look.” She smacked her gums.
“I think Parker here has a good idea to reach out to folks,” John said. “Bonnie, pride is a good thing but don’t cut your nose off to spite your face. The town loves you and cares about your fate.”
“That’s just a temporary fix. I’m getting old. I need to know I can stand on my own two feet.” A sadness crawled into her grey eyes. “Bill had always been my rock. I know people probably think I’m an idiot with letting him handle all the finances. Maybe I was, or maybe I just didn’t want to fool with all that. You know, my hubby was the one who convinced me to open the greenhouse.” The memories brought the sparkle back in her eyes. “He was always my best supporter. Even to the end he wanted to protect me.”
