Page 2 of A Heart in Bloom

Her interest piqued despite herself. “How much are you asking for this place?” she asked, pointing to the charming shop with two windows perfect for window displays. “I run a florist shop with a gift and stationery section. I’d love to set up here.”

Zach smiled. “We do things a little differently here. It’s a lease-to-own model. You set your own payment plan. If you need to adjust for a slow month, we’ll work with you.”

Cammie blinked, unsure if she’d heard him right. “What’s the catch?”

“No catch. Hickory Falls thrives on trust and community. We want good, solid people who will care about this town. If you’re in, we’ll do everything we can to help you succeed.”

Cammie studied him, searching for any trace of the entitlement Hunter and Dora Harrington wore like cloaks. Instead, she found sincerity. For the first time in days, a glimmer of hope sparked in her chest. Maybe Hickory Falls wasn’t just a place to set up shop—it was a chance to rebuild her life. And this time, that thought didn’t terrify her.

Chapter Two

“So, you’re a florist? That’s great,” Zach said, his tone warm and encouraging. “Florists are hard to come by around here. The one in Sweet Valley is retiring, and the only other one’s in Glacier Ridge—over thirty minutes away. You’ll have more demand than you know what to do with.”

“Actually, that’s me,” Cammie admitted shyly. “My rent just skyrocketed, and I can’t afford to stay. Dora mentioned Hickory Falls, so I decided to check it out. I was pleasantly surprised—this town looks like something out of a Thomas Kinkade painting.”

Zach smiled, pride gleaming in his eyes as he glanced down Main Street. “Thanks. We’ve been working hard to bring Hickory Falls back to life.” His focus returned to her. “When are you looking to move?”

“I have to be out of my current shop by January 31st,” Cammie said, her worry evident. “But I need to be set up in my new place well before Valentine’s Day—it’s the biggest day of the year for florists. So, as soon as possible.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Zach said confidently, pulling his phone from his pocket as it buzzed. His face lit up at the message on the screen. Taking a key with an ornate, antique design out of his pocket, he extended it to her, a red velvet ribbon dangling from the end.

“I’ve got to go—we’re getting ready for our first New Year’s Eve Gala, and I need to get back to work,” he explained. “Here’s the master key to the empty storefronts. Take your time, look around. Grab lunch at the diner or coffee shop on me; just tell them Zach sent you. If you decide to move forward, call Max Fuller, our town attorney.” He handed her a business card. “He’s working a half day today, so if you decide in the next two hours, you can catch him. Otherwise, it’ll have to wait until the second.”

Cammie stared at the key in disbelief. “You’re just giving me the key to the town? That’s...awfully trusting.” She tilted her head. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re nothing like your siblings.”

He chuckled, taking her words as a compliment. “That’s the idea. Here in Hickory Falls, we’re all about trust and community. You’ll find your best friends here—people to laugh, cry, and celebrate with. Trust and respect are given freely, but if you lose them, you’ll find yourself on the wrong side of everyone.”

Zach started walking backward down the sidewalk, his long strides eating up the distance—a rather unwise move, in Cammie’s opinion, given the frozen state of everything. “Dropthe key with Max or at Harrington House when you’re done. You can’t miss it—it’s the colossal mansion at the end of the street,” he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder, a grin lighting his face. “Welcome to Hickory Falls, Cammie.”

She turned back to the storefront that had caught her eye earlier. It called to her, with its double bay windows framed by freshly painted wood trim and intricate, hand-carved corbels that looked sturdy enough to hold the weight of the entire second floor. She tucked her gloved hands into her coat pockets and took a deep breath, her boots crunching against the salted stone as she approached the old wooden door.

“You can do this,” she murmured, inserting the key into the antique door. The lock turned smoothly, and she stepped into the cold, dusty space.

Inside, sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating the worn hardwood floors and faint outlines of shelving units that had once lined the walls. Dust motes danced in the golden light, and the faint scent of wood polish and time hung in the air. Cammie stood in the center of the room, slowly turning as she imagined what the space could become.

“Display shelves over there,” she muttered, pointing toward the wall closest to the door. “A counter here, coolers there, and the front corner for stationery...” Her voice trailed off as doubt crept in. Could she really do this? Start over? Build a life from scratch all on her own?

Her mind swirled with logistics. Moving the coolers. Keeping flowers alive during the transition. Setting up a workspace in time for Valentine’s Day. Could she make this move without going bankrupt? She rubbed at the tension forming on her forehead.

She climbed a set of creaky stairs to the loft she hoped to turn into an apartment. It was massive and brimming with potential, like the fresh start she desperately needed. The snow-coveredtown stretched before her, breathtaking through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

After touring the space upstairs and down, a mixture of excitement and overwhelm churned inside Cammie. She decided to explore the other options, just to be sure—but deep down, she was fairly certain she had found her new home.

As she conducted her self-guided tour, she reflected on how different this small town felt compared to the one she was leaving behind. Glacier Ridge, with its bustling ski season, had an energy that could electrify the town for a few months, but once the snow melted, it became eerily quiet—a ghost town dressed up for tourists. Hickory Falls, on the other hand, was raw and imperfect, with its peeling paint and cracked sidewalks. Yet, it didn’t feel forgotten. Instead, it radiated resilience, a community on the brink of something new. It had heart—a quality she hadn’t realized she’d been missing.

By eleven o’clock, Cammie had seen all the available spaces, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the double bay storefront she’d seen first. Nestled between two vacant shops, it tugged at something deep inside her, almost whispering that this was where she belonged. Standing across the street, she could already envision her Valentine’s Day display—heart-shaped wreaths, crimson roses, and tiny white lights casting a soft glow on the frost-covered windows, making the icy crystals shimmer like delicate lace. It wouldn’t have the sleek, modern aesthetic she’d aimed for in Glacier Ridge. No, this would be simpler. Warmer. More like the girl she used to be—before she’d tried so hard to fit into a place that never truly accepted her nor felt like home.

This could be the perfect place to start over. And just in time for Valentine’s Day—the day of love. For everyone but her. She swallowed hard, her chest tightening at the thought. Could this year really be different?

Chapter Three

She called the number on the card, and Max Fuller answered on the second ring, his warm, deep voice catching her off guard. She’d expected a secretary or personal assistant, not the man himself. Less than thirty minutes later, she found herself seated across from him in a cozy office that was anything but ordinary.

Max’s easy smile and welcoming demeanor set her at ease, but the space around him told a different story. The tiny cottage, charmingly restored with its exposed beams and soft lighting, was filled with sleek, high-end furnishings that didn’t quite fit the rustic aesthetic. A polished cherrywood desk, leather chairsthat screamed “custom-made,” and an intricately patterned authentic Persian rug hinted at someone accustomed to far more luxurious surroundings.

Cammie, who had grown up around wealth and status, recognized quality when she saw it. She’d spent years engaged to Judson, whose relentless climb up the legal ladder had exposed her to the finer details of that world. And here, in this small-town office, those details whispered a story.

When Max stepped out to retrieve papers from the printer, she glanced around the room, her curiosity sharpening. Framed diplomas from a top-tier university and law school hung on the walls alongside awards she recognized as prestigious even outside legal circles. The credenza behind his desk displayed photos—one of Max shaking hands with a Supreme Court Justice caught her attention immediately.

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