Page 15 of A Lesson for Laurel

She sighed. “I know. I expected that. There was no one you felt you could move up?”

“No,” Poppy said. “Lily is better at deciding those things, but the three of us talked it over.”

Lily Bloom-Wolfe, Poppy, and Rose Bloom-Klein. The three sisters who started and ran Blossoms turning it into the mega-million-dollar business it was today.

Who would have thought soaps, lotions, candles, accessories and jewelry made from flowers or inspired by flowers would have taken off in this small tourist area as it had?

And since Laurel grew up about an hour from here, she knew all about the business.

“It seems no one had much to say about Aster coming in,” she said. “Being a guy and all.”

Aster Allen was a friend of Lily’s husband, Zane. Someone from the Army. He’d been hired last summer doing construction with Zane and then later promoted to the Director of Facilities for the building and machinery.

She loved taking things apart and seeing how they all worked, but it wasn’t her job, and in a way, probably a good thing.

She had her hands full as it was now.

“We have a few men here,” Poppy said, “as you know, but it’s primarily women. It wasn’t planned that way but seems to work for us. None of my girls in my division could or are interested in really moving up other than a supervisor there. The same with Rose’s staff.”

She’d learned that those in accessories wanted to stay only overseeing that line. They had a skill set and better understanding there. Rose’s staff too with the jewelry.

Her job was to make sure the supervisors for those divisions met with her about any issues with staffing or production.

Laurel oversaw the biggest part of the business: the candles, soaps and lotions. There were a few supervisors. One to oversee each of the big products on a small level under her. Then there was Heather’s line of herbal products that Heather and Laurel were jointly overseeing.

She was guessing a supervisor would be hired there too and Heather would go back to spending more time creating lines.

“True,” she said. “And I think they look at Aster as the fixer, so it works for him. No one complains to him too much.”

Poppy laughed. “I think Aster’s biggest problem is the women flirting with him. He always kept to himself and the fact that he’s dating someone seriously now and talks about Raine all the time makes a difference. Everyone knows Raine is Ivy’s future sister-in-law, so they aren’t going to step on toes.”

She liked Ivy Greene a lot. Young, peppy, and over the top excitable. Also very protective of her family. And that family included not only Raine, but also Ivy’s sisters, Jasmine, who ran the greenhouses, and Dahlia, who oversaw the finances.

A big old extended family network and it was something that drew her in.

Family fought, sure, but they stuck together in the best way possible when it mattered.

That was what she needed in her career since she’d had it in her life.

“Ivy will put anyone in their place if she finds out they are flirting with Aster,” she said.

Aster was a treat to look at, but not her type.

She didn’t think she had much of a type and went by what she felt. It made her wonder what the hell she’d felt for Philip and should have gone with her gut and stood her ground with him.

No more pretty boys in her life.

No more liars, cheaters, and those who couldn’t even look you in the eye when asked a question.

And whiners—oh, hell no. It’s not a pretty look on women let alone a man.

“She will,” Poppy said. “Aside from things going well, you’re not too lonely here?”

“Nah,” she said. “I’ve never been one for going out much. I’m busy with work.”

“I know,” Poppy said, “but we don’t want you burning out either. You need to get out and have some fun.”

“Are you trying to get Laurel to pick up some guy?” Rose asked, coming into the office.

---