Page 115 of A Lesson for Laurel

“How are things going?” Lily asked.

“Great,” she said. “Everything is right on schedule and I don’t want to jinx it by saying that.”

“I love when that happens,” Lily said. “We have time in there for delays or machine issues, but with Aster here, it seems wedon’t have many of them. That and you holding down the fort. I’m sorry that I’m getting to your review so late.”

“No worries,” she said. “It’s been a busy six months and lots going on. Not just with Blossoms, but with your family and other coworkers. We’ve been down key members other than just your sisters.”

“All for the good,” Lily said. “Life happens, as you know. We all know.”

“It does,” she said.

“Look at the smile on your face. I can tell things are going well with Easton.”

“They are,” she said. Even that little fight they had a month ago was blown over fast enough.

Everyone had insecurities and she knew it was hard for a guy to voice them, but she wanted Easton to know he could talk to her.

The past few times he’d come to town, he’d done it on a Thursday night and worked from her house on Friday. He would leave later on Sunday and they’d have more time together.

It was working better than she could have imagined it would.

She didn’t need to see him daily and he wasn’t bothered by it. She knew he wasn’t the clingy type and neither was she.

It was nice knowing they were on the same page for that.

“I’m thrilled for you,” Lily said. “You can tell me to mind my business, but the long-distance thing is okay? Do you need some time? I worry about the weekends and work.”

“It’s all good,” she said. “I’ve had to come in a few times, but normally it’s only an hour or two, or I just spend that on the phone.”

“Things with Denise are better or worse?” Lily asked. “The other two supervisors seem to be fine, but they are in different divisions and not always able to figure things out as quickly as Denise.”

“It’s working. Denise and I are cordial. I think being written up knocked her into shape. Her attitude hasn’t improved but hasn’t gotten worse. I don’t expect someone to change their personality. They are who they are. We aren’t here making friends but rather doing a job. As long as that is getting done and no trouble is being caused.”

Lily smirked. “There is always trouble. That is common.”

“There is,” she said. “But nothing I can’t handle or haven’t handled in the past.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Lily said. “We are thrilled to have you on board. The time it frees up for me and my sisters to deal with other things can’t be measured, but I hope this helps.”

Lily slid a piece of paper in front of her. She’d already read her six-month evaluation that was emailed to her an hour ago. Everything good possible was written and if she was flexible enough to use both hands and pat herself on the back at the same time, she would have.

“What’s this?” she asked.

It was a personnel form with a raise on it. Ten percent. Damn. She’d never gotten a ten percent raise in her life and she was already making more here than any other job she’d been at.

“Between you and Aster, I feel like the plant is in the best hands possible. All those worries I had in the past, I don’t have now. I can sleep better knowing that you’re dealing with one end of the plant and Aster has the other. That you both work well together too.”

“Thank you,” she said. “This is completely unexpected.”

“I know,” Lily said. “Which is why it gives me pleasure to give it to you.”

“I’m speechless and that is rare for me.”

Lily smiled. “Good.”

The two of them talked some more about work and what was going on, orders coming in, new products, and shiftsto be covered. They were producing the items now for the Holly Bloom Foundation, the charity the sisters had created in memory of their mother, and also getting started on the holiday rush, plus their normal orders.

Not many liked working full weekends in the summer, but they needed to get ahead of it and were open seven days a week now until December.

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