Page 159 of Saved By My Buyers

There are pinks, reds, white and yellows, and so many other color variations. Seeing one with deep reds and purples, I decide that’s my choice.

“Can I help you?” a deep voice asks. Turning, I see a man who works here looking amused. I’ve been here for the past ten minutes deciding, so I guess I look a little silly.

“I was deciding on which one to take home,” I say honestly. “I decided, though! This one.”

He nods as I show him, leaning down to pull it from the shelf and lift it.

“Follow me, and I’ll ring you up, Ma’am,” he says, walking up to the front. “It’s a good choice, for what it’s worth.”

“Thanks,” I reply, following him to pay for the flowers.

He’s quiet as he rings me up, nodding once he hands me back my card. “Alright, I’m not going to lie to you, Ma’am. This pot is kind of heavy. How far are you going?” he asks.

A woman comes up to us, on the older side as she smiles at me. “Did you find everything you’re looking for?”

The nursery has a few other people looking for things, so I nod. “I did, thank you,” I tell her. Turning back to the man, I sigh. “I’m in the parking garage around the corner. Is it heavy enough that I should rethink walking with it?”

The woman frowns, seeing that she walked into a conversation. I’m pretty sure she owns the nursery, and she’s typically very nice when I’ve walked through just to get a dose of flowers and nature.

“She should pull up to the store, shouldn’t she, Marge?” the man asks, glancing at the woman.

“Definitely, we close off a spot in front for that reason,” Marge says. “Lionel will keep an eye out for you. What do you drive?”

I describe my SUV, and Lionel scribbles a note on a piece of paper.

“I’ll pay attention,” he promises. “Go get your car. Your flowers are safe here.”

I nod with a smile because he’s very sweet, and leave to get my vehicle. My phone buzzes in my purse as I walk. I have a feeling it’s Jack because he’s starting to get Bronwyn sense. It’s the weirdest thing, and Dahlia just laughs when it happens.

Now I know how she feels.

“Hi, Jack,” I answer, stepping inside of the garage to call down the elevator.

“Hey, birthday girl,” he murmurs. “I’m leaving work early today. Are you having a good day?”

I decided to take the day off, and scheduled it well in advance. My bosses were cool with it, because it’s easy to burn out at our job without self care. I’ll be moving into another position next year that’ll give me access to supervision hours for my degree, and I can’t wait.

“I am! I bought some flowers, but the container is heavy. I may need you to meet me at the garage to help me,” I tell him. “The apartment garage, by the way. I’ll be able to handle getting it into the car.”

“Okay,” he drawls. “You aren’t carrying it now, right? I have your location at the garage by your therapist’s office, and there’s a nursery nearby.”

“You’re such a stalker,” I sigh, stepping into the elevator. “I am grabbing my car, so I can drive up to the nursery, Jack. I wanted to get something pretty, it’s just heavier than I thought.”

“Well, how are you getting it into the vehicle once you pull up, beautiful?” I can hear him walking, probably intending to rescue me.

“Lionel, who rang me up, is going to run my dahlias out to me,” I explain, getting my car keys out.

There are people walking around this level as I walk to my SUV, and it helps with the anxiety I still sometimes feel in parking garages.

Jack thinks that the man who scared me as he was looking in my back window last year wasn’t just a homeless man, but possibly someone who was working for Gareth. It’ll remain an unsolved mystery. I am still skittish about it.

“That’s nice of him,” Jack says. “So you don’t need me to meet you at the nursery? You’re sure?”

“Positive,” I say, unlocking the door and quickly getting inside. I lock it behind me, start the car, and take a deep breath before I look over my shoulder out the rear window. No one is there, and blow it out. “You’re welcome to keep me company, though as I head over there.”

“Deal,” he says. “Dolly should be home, and you know I bought you flowers for your birthday, right? It feels wrong to me that you’re buying flowers today.”

“Your inner caveman is coming out, baby,” I tease him as I pull out of my spot to begin driving. Jack spoiled me when I woke up with breakfast, a new purse he noticed me looking at, and a necklace from my favorite jeweler he had commissioned for me.

---