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Neither of us had any idea what that meant, but he laughed and left the store all the same. Turning back to Ms. Hattie, I raised my brows. “What do you have in mind?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I assume you’re in the market for pink roses?”
My whole body stiffened in surprise, and through the roaring din, I breathed one word. “Yeah.”
“Thought so. Okay, so two options. You can get a small bouquet of a half dozen that I’m sure will fit in the seat. The seat opens, right?”
I nodded meekly.
“Good. So there’s that, but I don’t think that’ll make the kind of impression you’re looking for. When you can’t go big, you go very small.”
At this, I frowned. “Uh, what?”
“A single rose, Will.”
Understanding washed over me and pursed my lips. “You’re not gonna tell me to carry it in my teeth, are you?”
A full-bodied laugh escaped her. “Not unless that’s your thing, Mr. Paxton.”
“It’s not.” When our eyes met, I felt a shock run through me. “Do you know everything about everyone in this town, or what?”
“Pretty much, yes. And I know you and Aria have been circling around each other for your entire lives. I couldn’t be happier for you.”
I looked at the floor, shuffling my feet. “And, uh, you think it’s a good idea?”
“I think it’s a great idea, Will. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Because of my past. Because of where I come from.”
“She’s your past, honey. She’s where you come from.”
A dark laugh fell from my lips, and I shook off her pretty words. “Not exactly.”
Ms. Hattie came around the counter and stood before me, her gaze sharp and unwilling to take any crap. “Listen to me, Will. The way your father treated you and your mother was deplorable. I may know a lot of things about a lot of people in this town, but no one was more surprised than me when I found out about his true character. He came in here every Friday without fail to buy flowers for your mom, and it never once occurred to me that he was the monster he turned out to be. But none of that has anything to do with you and the kind of man you’ve become. Understand?”
My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. “I’ve been gone for more than ten years. You don’t even know me.”
A crease appeared in her brow like I’d offended her, and she stepped back. Then she rose to her full height, which was imposing, even though it was more than a foot shorter than mine. “I’ve known you since you were a child, Will. And I’ve learned a lot about seeing people’s true colors over the years. I see yours. You’re a good man. Don’t doubt yourself. Aria sees you for who you really are, too.”
I exhaled a long sigh of gratitude, but I had no idea what to say to that. I’d never been good with words. I’d never been one for expressing my feelings. Apparently, the only thing I was good at when it came to how I felt was lying about it. To everyone. But I nodded and hoped my expression told her what I couldn’t say with words.
Apparently fine with my lack of verbal response, Ms. Hattie grinned. “Okay, let’s get you that rose.”
Five minutes later, I stepped into the fading summer sun with more joy in my steps than I’d felt in years. But of course, it didn’t last long. Walking toward me with a cart full of groceries trailing behind her was none other than the mother I’d spent the last decade trying not to think about. Man, this was areallysmall town.
She wasn’t looking at me. Her head was down, her eyes on the phone in her hand. Even though I couldn’t see her face well, I could tell the years hadn’t been kind to her. I wanted to bolt, wishing I had my truck instead of the bike so I could make a quick, hidden escape. But then she looked up, and I froze, gulping hard past the lump that had formed in my throat.
At first, her eyes moved away like she hadn’t even recognized me. But then they zoomed back to my face, and she came to a halt, her mouth dropping open in a long O shape. “Will?”
“Hey, Ma.” I was proud of myself for being able to speak. The words might have tasted like acid on my tongue, but they came out at least.
“What— How? Are you back?”
I looked around the bustling main street, teeming with people enjoying their small-town Saturday evening, as if it should be obvious. “Yep.”
“Wow. When did you get back?”
“A few months ago.”
