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“I have a feeling, without even knowing your husband, he probably would have said the same.”
“Yes, I’m sure he would.” Bonnie brought her chin up. “I’m sorry. I should be helping you and Ophelia with the arrangements. I just wanted a moment.”
“She has things under control.”
“I sometimes wonder why we are bothering.”
Parker saw that all hope had left Bonnie. “We have to stay focused.”
“Maybe I’m finally convinced what others have been saying. Small local flower businesses are a dying breed.”
“Bonnie, did something happen? You made me promise to try this and we are, but I need you on board. That’s very important.”
“My niece called. She told me this is all a pipe dream and not reality. Edgar wants his money and she wants me to move closer to my sister.” She looked out the window. “I know he sent you out here to pacify me and I appreciate all your help, but you don’t know anything about flowers, and I don’t know anything about business. I’m not getting any younger and I just don’t see myself here running the business without Bill.”
“I know it’s tough and not an easy decision.”
“I’m not completely sure what I plan on doing, but I will decide soon. Now I’m going to get off my butt and go help with the arrangements.”
Parker felt a pang of compassion for the woman. After Bonnie spent most of her life in one spot, doing what made her happy, deciding to leave couldn’t be easy.
Heading upstairs, in the bathroom Parker stripped from her dirty clothes, turned the water to hot and climbed under the spray. Her body broke out into goosebumps but it felt good to scrub the day, and her thoughts, away with the water down the drain.
Truthfully, she hadn’t thought of her life in Chicago. Shouldn’t she be missing things? Yet, she felt liberated being in Second Chance.
She believed Edgar would be calling her soon. He’d probably fire her on the spot. When she arrived in Montana, she would have done just about anything to save her position at the company. Now, she wouldn’t grovel. She’d brought everything to the table.
Maybe she’d even open her own marketing business. Geared toward working with small businesses. She found she liked having a hands-on approach. Not working with flowers and fertilizer, but working closely with clients.
Until Bonnie knew for sure where she wanted things to go in the future, Parker planned to continue as if they were saving the company.
And in the meantime, she’d enjoy Raven. She looked forward to it.
Things had escalated between them, and she wasn’t fighting it, and neither was he. The way they accidentally-on-purpose brushed up against each other when no one was looking, or the locking of gazes across the table during dinner was all a slow burn. She needed her fire put out and there was only one man who could satisfy her.
Smiling, she hurried to rinse off the soap, climbed out, dried off, and dressed in a pretty sundress she’d bought from the local boutique. Pulling off the tags, she dropped the towel and started to dress when the screen on her phone lit. She ignored the call and stepped into the dress.
The phone vibrated.
She picked it up and saw that her ex-husband had called then messaged. She stabbed redial and he answered on the first ring.
“Gray, stop calling me! You have a new life and—”
“Parker, please listen,” he said calmly. “This isn’t about me. It’s about you.”
Pressing the phone to her ear, she sighed. “What is it?”
“I had lunch with an old colleague, Peter Sales. He’s a golfing buddy with Edgar and they’re on the course together a few times a week. Peter and I got to talking and told me that Edgar is head hunting to fill your position.”
She didn’t say a word. Her stomach dropped into her toes. Of course, she’d expected as much, but the part she hadn’t expected was being told that she was being fired by her ex.
His sigh rattled the line. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you, but I thought you should know. Take care of yourself, Parker. I won’t call again.”
The line went dead.
She knew there was finality in the dropped line.
Sitting down on the lid of the toilet, she wrapped her head around the facts.
