Page 101 of Accidentally in Bloom

Violet waved nervously at Lenny as he let out a disgusting chuckle. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Gray started toward him. “You son of a—”

“It’s fine,” Rose said, pressing a hand to Gray’s chest. “Lily will be right there. She’ll kick his teeth out if he tries anything.”

Gray clasped her hand on his chest, holding it tighter. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Nash, Lily,” Rose called as Gray tugged her hand toward the flower shop. “Hold down the fort.” They sent her waves and went back to the throng of people surrounding them, ready to write a check or give them their credit card. “We have to make this quick.”

“Those folks aren’t going anywhere,” Gray said, tugging her even faster to the flower shop. “I’ll happily drive you to their houses to collect every last dollar tonight, but I need five minutes with my girl.”

His girl.

Chapter

Twenty-Six

ROSE

Rose wrapped her arm through Gray's as he interlaced their fingers.

“So, I know we’ve only been on one date…yesterday.” Gray placed a kiss on her hair, and Rose thought she might melt with happiness. “But I’m in it. I’m in it for however long I can trick you into staying with me.” He looked down at her as they crossed the green lawn of the town square.

The last twenty-four hours had been a complete marathon, but she finally felt on solid ground again. She stared into stormy-green eyes that looked like the color of her future. “There’s no tricking here.”

He’d said he loved her, right? Or was that just a one-time thing? Should she say it now? Would it be weird? She hated being bad at new things.

He stopped in front of their store, and Rose took in his features, shaded in the twilight dusk as he pulled the keys out of his pocket. He shoved the key in the padlock as it broke apart, and Rose felt a weight lift off her shoulders.

“How did you get the keys from Lenny?”

“I threatened loss of his property, his life, and his manhood, but it helps that we knew each other.”

“Knew each other?”

He walked around the back door and unlocked the padlock on the employee entrance. “I dealt in high school, and he was my source.” Gray bit his lips in embarrassment. “That’s why he was fucking with us, with Violet. Normally he wouldn’t go that hard, but it was because I gave up who my supplier was when I was a kid. He did some time for it.”

She wasn’t sure what to say. “So all his harassment...”

“Was one hundred percent my fault. I made everything worse and didn’t even know it until a few hours ago. I’m so sorry I fucked this up for us. That’s why I had to put up my place as collateral.”

Rose’s head whirred, thinking about their narrow escape. “But what if we hadn’t raised the money?”

Gray chewed his lip. “I was willing to risk it for you. And I wanted to make it up to you with what’s inside.”

Rose reached for the back door handle, eager to get back inside her sanctuary, to the pride and joy she'd built with her three favorite people on Earth.

When had Gray gone from being her worst nightmare to her favorite person? The best person to spend time with, make her laugh, and have her back through everything?

“Wait,” Gray put his hand over hers, “let’s go to the front. I have a surprise.”

“I do not like surprises, Graham Roberts.”

“I know,” he wiggled his eyebrows, and a cheeky grin bloomed on his face. “But trust me, you'll like this one.”

He tugged her to the front of the store. Rose glanced over the town square and saw the party still going on around the fundraising tables. Violet and Nash were taking money hand over fist, and the realization of how much she’d changed hit her. March Rose would insist on handling it herself, but now she was so happy for her squad to handle it. Lily stood guarding a very grumpy Lenny sitting in a chair. He rubbed his chin, and Rose hoped her spitfire sister had decked him.

“You ready?” Gray brought Rose back to the moment.

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