Page 72 of More Than a Blind Date

“You know I’m not going to change my mind. You’re my person, Dallas. Even if you are old.” She winks. “But I’m fine with extending.”

“Yeah. I guess I kind of forgot about the age gap. Now that I know you, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.”

“You aren’t old. But I can’t believe you thought I would choose the flower store over you.”

“Fear clouded my judgment. I think part of me was afraid to believe what we have was real. Our meeting was random. And I’ll be forever thankful for the guy’s sudden change of heart and your broken flip-flop. Pretending, I gave myself permission to be all-in as your fiancé, and then before I knew it, I was smitten.” I sigh. “And I hate how your parents have treated you.”

“I know. And for years, I blamed my mom and gave my dad a pass.” She wipes her eyes. “But he made it clear that the ultimatum was his idea. And somehow, once I knew that, everything shifted. They were always going to use the business as a tool to control my life. My happiness doesn’t matter to them. That realization hurts. But the first step is admitting that there is a problem.”

I kiss her on the temple. “Maybe they’ll have a change of heart.”

“And maybe it’ll snow in August.”

“It probably snows somewhere in August. Just not here.” I flash a smile. “Back to the business idea. Are you going to open a competing business in Stadtburg?”

“No. This is a chance to make my dream real. I want to grow the flowers. It’ll be a new adventure because I’ve never done that before. But I’d rather grow the blooms and sell them to retailers.”

“That’s a great idea. And if you need someone to help you, talk to Tyler’s wife. Horticulture is her thing. She used to work at a nursery near here.”

“I might call her.” She pinches her lips and then smiles. “This is exciting. But are you really sure? What if nothing grows or if I can’t sell the flowers that do grow?”

“If you don’t plant, it guarantees that nothing will grow.” I let go of her hand and brush a thumb along her cheek. “It won’t hurt to try.”

“You’re right. Let’s do this.”

The waitress brings our food, and we start eating.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the ranch opening?” She points her fork at me.

“You had a lot on your mind, and I didn’t want you worrying about me.” The words sound silly coming out of my mouth.

“I care about you, Dallas. I want to know about the big things in your life and the little things.” She blows me a kiss. “You said Richard was trying to woo me, but that doesn’t explain why he was working at the shop.”

The abrupt change in topic amuses me. It’s so like Rose to flit through a conversation, picking up threads we’ve dropped. Her mind is always working, thinking.

“Yeah, I never did connect those dots for you. Your parents hired him to work the store with you.”

The slice of bacon in her hand falls to the plate. “Are you serious?”

“I guess they didn’t believe you when you said you weren’t interested in Richard.”

“That infuriates me. How could they?”

Seeing the pain of the betrayal hurts.

“I’m sorry, Rose.”

She shrugs. “I can’t fix it. All I can do is move forward. With you.” She cuts her remaining pancake into wedges. “What can I do to help you make the opening a success? I don’t work until Saturday.”

“You want to help us at the ranch?”

“Absolutely. I’m even willing to get my hands dirty.” She holds out a piece of bacon for me to take a bite.

I let her feed me. “After we leave, we’ll go pick up chickens. You can help me move them into their new coop.”

“I’m game.”

It’s only right that I help make Rose’s dream come true. Because she’s my dream come true.

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