Page 106 of Accidentally in Bloom

Lily was moving into the loft apartment above Bloom, and the others had already started moving her in since their flight from Montreal had been delayed. Gray picked up one of the boxes on the stoop and brought it inside.

Lily, Violet, and Nash stood at the foot of the staircase, panting and guzzling water bottles.

“There you are. I’ve missed you.” Lily ran toward Rose and caught her in a monkey-style hug, wrapping each leg around her.

“Lily, you’re tiny, ugh, and sweaty, but we’re too old for this,” Rose laughed as she grabbed her sister on the waist and set her down.

“I am never too old to attack my sister with love.”

Violet walked over at a slower pace but still with a beaming smile on her face. “It’s so good to see you. I’m so glad to have help.” Vi wrapped Rose in a hug.

“With the store or with the boxes?” Gray said.

“Oh my god, both.” Violet stretched out her hips and legs as she spoke. “Anyone who thinks they need a gym to work out is dumb. Just help somebody move up two flights of stairs. Lil, I still don’t know why you need to move up here. I’m going to be so lonely.”

“How’s Lily gonna get lucky at her sister’s house?” Gray asked as he sat the large box next to Violet.

“Ewwww.” Violet punched Gray in the arm.

He loved that he essentially had two little sisters now to endlessly tease. Gray waggled his eyebrows at Violet. “Now you can get some action too.”

“If you have any hot single friends, send them my way before Lil’s. I am older, after all.” Violet guzzled from the water bottle again and shoved at the halo of humidity curls around her head.

“A friend is visiting in a few weeks. Maybe your car can break down, and I’ll send him over,” Gray shot Rose a wink.

ROSE

Rose smiled back at Gray, his wink reminding her of what they’d done that morning before their flight. He placed a quick kiss on her cheek as he and Nash went out to the truck to get Lily’s dresser.

In the two weeks Rose had been gone, Lily had made a quick trip to Brooklyn to empty her apartment and move to Fairwick Falls. This was a new beginning for all of them.

Rose had moved into Gray’s house after their emergency fundraiser and was getting used to both the quiet of the countryside and the luxury of waking up next to Gray each morning.

Still, though, she felt a pang of loss. She already missed living with Vi and Lily. They’d had their cozy evening chats and Violet’s decadent breakfasts. It had felt like old times, but better.

“You okay?” Lily asked as she grabbed another bottle of water.

“Just going to miss having you around all the time.” Rose extended her arms to gather her sister into a big hug.

“Rose, I will see you literally every day,” Lily quirked an eyebrow at her.

Rose heard heavy breathing as Nash and Gray carried a chest of drawers through the doorway and sat it down.

“This is the last of it,” Gray said.

“Lilypad, you’re not allowed to move again,” Nash said, wiping his brow. Gray and Nash both bent over, catching their breaths.

Lily stuck her tongue out at him.

Rose practically vibrated with the itch to tell them the good news.

Lily rolled her neck. “C’mon, we still have some big pieces to haul upstairs.”

“Wait, I have news,” Rose said. “With the fundraiser, the sale of Dad’s house finally going through, and two months of success in Bloom that finally posted to the account, I am happy to announce,” she whipped a piece of paper out of her pocket, “that we have two hundred and fifty thousand dollars paid off!”

Lily and Violet both yelled, “What!” in unison, as they jumped to hug Rose.

“Rose, that’s over halfway,” Violet beamed. Rose could see the enormous weight taken off Violet’s shoulders.

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