Page 57 of Love in Bloom

“I’m sure they will,” Wren said woodenly. She wasn’t going to give Diane the satisfaction of a meltdown.

“Let’s keep this between us, shall we? It isn’t official yet, and I’d hate to ruin Miller’s surprise,” Diane said as she walked out the door.

Wren spent the next week avoiding Miller. Luckily, Emily’s wedding duties kept her busy. Besides painting, Wren was also a calligraphist. She found it relaxing and enjoyable, unlike painting, which could be a struggle. With calligraphy, she just followed the structure and copied the address. There wasn’t any creating to do and she could sit while doing it. And, most importantly, she had to focus while doing it. Mistakes happened when she let her mind wander. Four hundred envelopes to address provided her with plenty of excuses to avoid him. She also had her bridesmaid dress fitting and went with Emily to her gown fitting.

Miller had stopped in the shop several times. Wren grabbed the phone each time he’d walked in the door, and pretended to take an order. It was always an involved, lengthy one. She’d roll her eyes and make a motion she would call him. She never did. She’d send a brief text explaining how busy she was. Wren couldn’t avoid him forever, though, especially since she needed to finish her part of the wedding gift.

She wasn’t sleeping well, either. In addition to her worries about her business was the stress from procrastinating in breaking up with Miller. She told herself it would be like removing a Band-Aid. She just had to find the courage to yank it off quickly. It would sting a lot at first, but then the pain would stop. Unless it was over an artery and she bled to death.

Millerwasapatientman, but he’d reached his limit. Something was up with Wren. She’d been avoiding him for the last two weeks. For once in their relationship, he’d like it if she would freely share her problems instead of making him drag them out of her. Wren Busch was a piece of work. An incredible, stubborn, scared piece of work. He didn’t know what it would take for her to trust him.

Today, he came prepared. He arrived with a sweet tea for her, coffee for him, and a bakery bag. Wren was on the phone, again. Miller went to the back room, sat down, and took a chocolate chip cookie out of the bag. He held up the second cookie for Wren to see. He wasn’t leaving. Wren eventually ended her call and joined him in the back.

“Hi, stranger,” he said, leaning back in his chair. She looked tired, but she gave him a slight smile. He didn’t smile back.

“Hi, yourself.”

“Long time no see.” It sounded like an accusation even to his own ears. He needed to calm down. Putting Wren on the defensive wouldn’t help solve whatever the problem was this time.

“I know. Emily’s had me busy with wedding stuff and I’ve been busy here, too, especially since Cindy and Dale are both on vacation.” Wren played with the paper wrapper from her straw. It was evidently much more fascinating than looking at him.

“Lots of carry-out orders, I imagine.”

“Lots, and deliveries, too.” Wren nodded her head in agreement.

“That’s odd, since the delivery van hasn’t moved in two days.” Wren didn’t say anything.

“Say it, Wren. Stop avoiding me, and say whatever it is you need to say,” he pleaded. “I can’t solve something if I don’t know what it is.” Wren’s mouth tightened and her eyes glistened.

“It’s me, and you can’t solve me.” Miller reached for her hand, but she pulled it away. “This was supposed to be short term. It wasn’t supposed to last this long.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Yes. It is. For me. You’re up for partnership soon, and you know I can’t do that.”

“You can, but you won’t.”

“Choose whichever verb you want, Counselor, but the outcome will be the same,” the ice maiden said. She stood.

“Why are you so afraid to take a chance on us?”

“You’ve never been married to a lawyer, to a partner, I have! I don’t want to be lonely again. I don’t want to play second fiddle again. All the nights and weekends at work, I won’t do it again.” Her voice broke.

“Have you noticed me working a lot of nights and weekends?”

“No, but it will change once you’re a partner. It did for Michael.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe he wasn’t always working? Maybe he was screwing his mistress?” Miller all but shouted. He took a deep breath. Backing Wren into a corner wouldn’t solve the situation. They both needed a time-out. He needed to calm-the-hell-down, and she needed to come to her senses. “What about the wedding gift? You’re not done with your part,” he said. That was better. He sounded reasonable, like he was discussing mild weather and not like he was about to bust out of his skin.

“I know your schedule. I can work on it when you’re not at home, if you’re comfortable with that.”

“Fine.” He looked hard at her. “Is this what you really want?” He saw Wren take a deep breath and rub her compass ring. She finally looked at him.

“No, it’s not,” she whispered.

“It’s not what I want either, so why are you doing this to us?”

“Because I love you, and I want what’s best for you, and that isn’t me,” she said. The tears rolled down her face. She cupped his face and kissed him lightly on the lips. “I’m sorry.” She dropped her hands and walked away.

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