Page 66 of Trial Run

She could depend on him now, because he’d admitted his own limitations, and it hadn’t broken him after all. It had made him stronger.

But he was impatient. A week without hearing her voice had weakened his resolve. He dialed her number. It rang multiple times before going to voicemail. At the sound of her bright voice in the recorded message, he drew in a sharp breath, pain and regret lancing him again.

“This is Nell. I’m sorry I missed your call, but I’ll return it as soon as I can. Have a wonderful day.”

She wouldn’t return his call, and he didn’t blame her. He’d hurt her, the one person in the world he should never hurt. If she didn’t accept his apology … He wouldn’t let himself think that far.

Chapter 19

Nell hauled a large floral centerpiece out the front door of the shop to the van. The pink and white roses smacked her in the face as she walked, and their thick, sweet scent screamed “wedding.”

Some people found the love of their lives and got engaged and married in two weeks, and some people didn’t. Some people had to carry on and take care of everything alone, and that was fine, too.

She was so tired, though. The last two weeks, doing her daily routine had felt like slogging through thick mud. Getting out of bed, driving Marco to school, going through the motions at work—all of it left her exhausted. She couldn’t shake it off and put on her usual smile as well as she had before.

She didn’t let herself think about the reason. Men were unreliable, they left you, and she should have learned that lesson and learned it well six years ago. Never assume you knew a man well enough to trust him, and never assume he had your best interests at heart.

She slammed the van door shut with more force than necessary, turned, and found Amy standing behind her, arms folded across her chest.

“Careful.” Amy nodded toward the back of the van. “I don’t think those flowers did anything to you.”

“I’m sorry. I loaded them in the back gently, I promise.”

“Sit down for a minute. Let’s chat.” Amy gestured to the bumper of the van, and they sat on the edge, feet propped on the curb.

“Is there anything going on I should know about?” Amy asked. “I’ve learned I can’t make assumptions with you. Thanks for bringing back those ferns, by the way. They look amazing.” The corner of her mouth lifted in a little smile.

Nell looked down at her sneakers. “It’s no problem. They didn’t like the pots they were in, so I switched them out and gave them time to adjust.”

“So. You’ve been pretty quiet lately.”

“I didn’t get the manager job,” Nell admitted. “The one you told me about. I applied for it, but they said I wasn’t qualified.”

Amy frowned. “I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have told you about that, or encouraged you to apply. But I thought you had a good shot, for what it’s worth.”

“I guess I didn’t, after all.”

“And what about your college application? You said you might be finishing your degree this year.”

Nell planted her face in her hands. “I got the scholarship.”

“I’m sorry. Your voice was muffled, but did you just say you got a scholarship?”

She lifted her head to look at her boss. “Yes. I found out yesterday. I applied for a scholarship for students who’re the first person in their family to go to college. And I got it. Full tuition.”

“Congratulations. That’s great news.” Amy clapped her on the back.

Nell shook her head. “I can’t take it, though. I can’t go back to school now.”

“What are you talking about? You have to take it.”

“I need to find more hours to work, not less. If I enroll in even one college class, I’d have to take two mornings off a week. Someof the classes are available in the evenings, but most aren’t. And the scholarship doesn’t apply to online students. I don’t think I can pull it off. But it’s fine.”

She jumped up from the back of the van. “I’d better get going. No one wants their wedding flowers delivered late.”

“Wait.” Amy’s voice stopped her from rounding the side of the van. “Don’t turn down the scholarship yet, okay? I want to help you brainstorm some solutions. It seems like a shame to waste the opportunity.”

“You don’t have to remind me. And it’s really nice of you to want to help. I guess I need two or three of me to get everything done.” She forced out a hollow-sounding laugh. “I might be starting another part-time job next week. I have an interview after work today.”

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