Page 103 of Meet Me in the Vines
Donovan
Nope, I’m good thanks. I’m picking up flowers now.
Wyatt
Okay. Let us know if you need anything.
Donovan
Thanks brothers. Love you boys.
Wyatt
Love you boys.
Kerry
Love you boys.
I walk into Vintage Blossom and scan the shop for orange tulips when the owner, Ms. Georgia, chimes in. “Donovan! Sweetheart. It’s so nice to see you. How are you doing?” The news of the shooting spread through the town like wildfire, which was expected. I’d done my best to stay out of the media since Kellan’s death rocked the world, making international headlines. Folks here at Oakwood Valley protected us, refusing to talk to any press that came into town. And for that, I am grateful.
“I’m feeling one hundred, Ms. Georgia. Thank you,” I reply with a smile. I see a bucket of a dozen orange tulips and grab them, shaking the excess water off the stems.
“Is that for Ms. Audrey?” she sings, flashing me a bright white smile that’s enhanced by her neon pink lipstick. I dig into the back pocket of my jeans and pull out my wallet, dropping a twenty dollar bill on the counter.
“Yes ma’am. Tulips are her favorite,” I reply.
“Just like her mother’s,” she sighs, swiping the twenty and popping open the register to count my change.
A soft smile forms on my lips when I think about Wren. I never told anyone about what I’d experienced when my heart stopped. Maybe it was doubt that others would tell me I was crazy or that something like that could never happen. So, I’d kept it to myself and safely tucked it away in the part of my heart that the doctors stitched up. A reminder for me that what I went through up there was real.
I attempted to tell Audrey about her mom when I was in the hospital, but she thought I was too drugged up to know what I was saying. But she knows deep down that I know her mom. And her mom knows me.
“Great lady, wasn’t she?” I reply, waving off the change Ms. Georgia tries to hand me. “Keep it. Have a nice day, Ms. Georgia.”
“You too, Donovan.”
I give her a wink and push through the door, tulips in tow. Next stop: the market. I’m surprising Audrey with an evening spent making pasta from scratch together. I learned from my mom, taking every opportunity when Audrey was out of the house to sneak over to my parent’s place for lessons.
“Donovan! Good to see you out and about, son. How are you?” Chief Harper booms, holding a coffee and a pastry bag from Sip & Savor. I’ve accepted that everyone in town will askme how I’m doing. I did get shot after all. But I don’t mind; it’s comforting to know that everyone in Oakwood Valley cares and has my back, no matter what.
“I’m feeling great, Chief. Each day gets easier to manage, mostly thanks to Audrey,” I add. She’s been my saving grace this summer, helping me with my recovery without a single complaint.
“You’re lucky to have each other.” He gives me a soft smile, then his lips slightly down turn as his gaze softens. “Uh, just so you know, though. Ted Winthrop’s court hearing was last week. He’s been sentenced.”
“Oh,” I say, not sure how else to respond.
“Ten-year sentence for accessory to murder and stalking,” he states curtly. I nod, shoving my hands in my pockets.
I believe Ted should’ve gone to jail a long time ago. But despite how I feel about it, it’s still Audrey’s father. She will still need to face whatever she went through with him, but this time she doesn’t have to do it alone. I’ll be there to stand by her side in the fight—every day of my life.
“Okay. Thanks for the heads up, Chief.”
“No problem, son.” He takes a sip of his coffee and raises the pastry bag toward me like a toast. “Take care. See you for Sunday dinner,” he calls out, already halfway down the sidewalk.
A quick spin around the market nabs me everything I need for dinner tonight. I grab extra flour for pasta—with recipe testing for the bed-and-breakfast underway, flour doesn’t last long in our pantry. I tick off my mental list as I roam the aisles: produce, check. Cheese, check. Violet’s Vintage waiting on the counter back at the cabin to be aerated? Check.
I look into my bag and double check I got everything before loading my truck. Another buzz goes off in my pocket as I settle into the driver’s seat.
