Page 81 of Cocky Choices: Zoe Cocker

As Nathan checks Mr. Astor’s heart rate, Mom, Dad, Nicholas, Wyatt and I split up, heading for the tables surrounding Mr. Astor, first. The guests fan out and everyone works together to speedily rid the entire event space of the offending allergen. I’m an absolute wreck inside, but I wipe myeyes, hold my head high, and facilitate the flora’s mass exodus until completion.

When we’re done, and the guests have gone back inside, leaving only me and my family in the now incredibly fragrant corridor, I mumble, “Oh no, I need my phone,” remembering I left it in my car since this gown does not have pockets. I thought I wouldn’t need it since my staff and I had taken pictures of the decorated event space for social media before the guests arrived. Not that I can use any of those photos now. I won’t be promoting this disaster, that’s for sure.

Wyatt grunts, “Wanna use mine?” offering it to me.

“Yes please.” I dial the one number I know by heart, save for my parents’ and my own.

“Who are you calling?”

“I need help getting these out of here.”

Wyatt interrupts me with, “We can take them down to our cars.”

Barely hearing him, I overlap his sentence. “Please pick up, Tom! I need your help!”

Wyatt clears his throat. “Tom would be a better help though. Yeah, call him.”

I frown at my brother, not understanding what he’s saying, my brain a tornado. “Tom! Oh thank goodness!”

“What’s going on?” Tom asks, worry laced in his words, “Are you okay? Where are you?!”

“I’m fine. No, I’m terrible. I…need you. Caleb’s father had an allergic reaction to the peonies! I’ve got to get all of the centerpieces out of here. Please call Amelia and Perry to help!”

Wyatt grabs my arm. “Our family can cart these out too. We’ve got four cars among us.”

“Oh!” I blink from him to Mom to Dad to Nicholas to Nathan, all with their eyes on me. “Great. Yes, we can do that! You might not have to come.”

Wyatt takes the phone from me. “Get over here, Tom.” He hangs up and shakes his head at me.

“What?”

“You need to wake up.”

I burst into tears, and shove them away. “I’m doing the best I can, Wyatt! Okay, let’s get rolling carts from the Bell Hop station! We’re going to take all of these fifty-plus arrangements to a nursing home.”

Mom beams at me. “Zoe, a nursing home is a wonderful idea. These’ll bring so much love to them.”

Nathan smirks, “Just ask if they’re allergic before you walk these vases into bedrooms.”

Wyatt smacks Nate’s chest. “Too soon, buddy. Too soon.”

Dad pulls me close. “I’m so proud of you, Zoe.”

“I messed up everything, and this is my business!”

“But look at how you’refixingeverything!” Dad kisses the top of my head and lets me go. “That’s my girl.”

THIRTY-SEVEN

Zoe

Together, my family and I, along with the help of rolling carts that boast shiny gold arches and red carpeting, secured all of the floral arrangements in our vehicles so that water won’t spill…much. If we’d all parked together when we’d arrived, it would’ve been easier, but nobody planned what would come to pass. And I had no idea they were coming. But thank God they were here.

We’re all convened at Mom and Dad’s Volkswagen Tiguan as Dad searches for the right nursing home to donate to. Distracted by scrolling, he tells us, “There are a lot of them.”

I glance toward the hotel, wondering what’s going on inside. Is Mr. Astor angry with me? I’m sure Caleb is. And I’ve definitely given his mother good reason to sneer at me now! “Um, Dad… please look for a nursing home that would truly benefit from these the most.”

We lock eyes, and understanding shines in his. “I just scrolled past a place that looked pretty run down. Hang on.” His head drops to the screen, silver-streaked hair catching in the moonlight. “I’ll find it again.”

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