Page 14 of Forever Writing You

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m not ready to read all the ins and out of gardening maintenance yet.”

She let out a soft laugh. “That’s in the ‘Dreams and Goals’ binder she left…That’s back at the store.”

I was in too much pain to laugh.

“We still have time in our contract to cancel Everett’s wedding order,” she said. “If it bothers you, we don’t have to do it.”

“Don’t we need the money?”

“Desperately.” She placed her hands on my shoulders. “But we can figure out a different way to stay afloat.”

“That’s not necessary.” I ignored the pang in my chest. “I’ll treat it like any other customer’s order.”

She looked into my eyes. “Do you still love him?”

“I never stopped.”

EIGHT

Everett

My new home in Eads River couldn’t be more different than the penthouse I’d left behind in New York. Instead of floor to ceiling windows that overlooked a bustling city, I had rustic balconies that oversaw acres of land and a sparkling lake.

For whatever reason, Carmen had pre-ordered a different bouquet of flowers to welcome us into almost every room in our eight-thousand square foot abode, but all it did was make me want to rush for a clear space outside.

Only problem with that was, the best place featured a custom-designed garden, and it had Dahlia and her mother’s fingerprints all over it.

Fuck.

I ventured down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Finally, not a damn flower in sight.

“You can place those in the kitchen!” Carmen’s voice echoed down the hall, and within seconds, a mover was carrying two large bouquets toward me.

“Here you are, sir.” He handed me the envelopes before setting them on the island.

Welcome home, Everett! May these blooms serve as a reminder that you’re always welcome here.

Can’t wait to meet your soon-to-be wife, Everett! She’s a lucky girl and you’re a lucky guy!

“The other bouquets can go in the parlor room.” Carmen stepped into the kitchen, armed with shopping bags.

“There’s a Dior store in town now?” I asked.

“Of course not.” She laughed. “I told you I had Ralph fly me to New York and back this morning for a quick shopping trip. I needed some new underwear.”

“For future reference, they sell underwear at Target and Walmart,” I said. “That’s like five miles away from here.”

“You’re funny.” She set the bags on the counter and admired the flowers. “You know, I’ve never seen such care put into flowers before ordering from Blooms and Letters.”

I arched a brow. “You’ve ordered from there?”

“Oh, no, no—” She shook her head. “I mean, I’ve noticed that everyone in town uses them and no place else.”

“There is no place else.” I plucked a lily from the vase. “They have a monopoly on this town and the next eight towns over. It wasn’t always like that, but Dahlia’s mother had a passion that couldn’t be contained.”

“I hope that’s how our farm will be after we have our first big season,” she said. “I want to start a restaurant soon after, with every meal traveling straight from the farm to the table.”

---