Page 93 of Accidentally in Bloom

“Hey, I’m glad to see you guys. Thanks for getting started early.” Gray walked over to them.

“We heard about Bloom. That’s messed up.” Marco wiped his brow and took a breath from loading.

That wrench in Gray’s gut was back again. “Yeah, I think we’ll get it worked out.” Gray shrugged, not wanting to talk about it, or he might get emotional. As Josh walked up, an idea sparked in Gray’s head.

“Hey, Josh. Would you be up for some extra hours this week? Could you drive the other truck with Marco?” Josh was only part-time, but he’d been great. Gray should have given him more responsibility ages ago.

Josh leaned on the dolly he wheeled over. “Normally, yeah. But today I got a thing at my kid’s school I can’t miss. It’s her first choir concert.” A twinkle in his eye had Marco and Gray smiling back.

“Yeah, of course. Family comes first.” He’d heard himself say those words a hundred times. Why hadn’t he put his family first? What good was business growth when you missed your kids' recital? Or his first steps, Gray thought with an ache. He’d lost so much with Alex already. He hated being responsible and feeling like the bad guy because of it.

Maybe someday he’d have his shit together and could be a better father and a better partner. He’d made his bed, though, and it was pretty fucking uncomfortable having to lie between a rock and a hard place. He bit his lip and shoved the disappointment in himself down.

Today? He’d sacrifice what he wanted one more time to prove he wasn’t a fuck up, drive across Pennsylvania, and leave his heart here.

ROSE

Rose sent a flurry of texts as she caught her breath from her run and charged through the front door of Violet’s cottage. Lily and Violet were already on their way back to the cottage after Rose texted them that she had a plan.

She’d already told her followers there was an emergency session of the SmartGirl SmartMoves podcast, and she desperately needed their help.

Rose realized she’d maybe never used the phrase “I need your help” before. What did that say about her?

Maybe she was changing. And maybe that was a good thing.

Rose smiled for the first time in what felt like forever as she heard the cottage door slam. “I’m up here,” she called from her bedroom.

Rose glanced at the clock; she had fifteen minutes before it was time to finally be honest with her listeners, finally be honest about who she was, both to herself and to them, and spill her guts.

Rose didn’t even bother to have a fancy backdrop for this call. She just decided to cuddle up on the bed. She felt so perfectly safe here, which helped ease the thundering beating of her heart.

“What’s going on?” Violet said as she came up the stairs. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Violet’s big eyes were magnified behind her glasses, and she looked like a very concerned owl.

Rose took in the sight of her little sisters and realized deep in her heart she’d made the exact right decision. She loved working with them more than she’d ever expected. Rose let a laugh out, allowing one sliver of happiness to escape.

She stood up, pacing her bedroom. Twelve minutes before the podcast started.

“What’s wrong?” Lily asked, her brows furrowed.

“Nothing...in fact,” Rose laughed, “I think it’s all really good. Like, really really good.”

Lily and Violet glanced at each other in wary surprise.

“So, I was an absolute dummy. I assumed being in a big city, back in consulting, making as much money as possible would make me happy at some point if I got high enough in the ranks. I thought that’s what I wanted.”

“You were never happy there. You were always miserable when we talked to you,” Violet said with concern.

Rose chewed her lip as she paced. “I mean, I realize that now. It’s easy to forget what happiness feels like when you’ve been in an overworked fog for ten years. And I’m happy now.”

“That’s great, but...about what? The business?” Violet asked, her eyes crinkling with hope.

Rose dove in with a vengeance. “I want to stay here. And make something with both of you. Keep making something. I think what we have here could be big. Not a single store; a lifestyle brand.”

Lily’s eyes lit up with possibilities, and she wiggled with excitement.

Rose continued. “I’ve learned how to build and position a brand from the very best, and I want to make something that’s mine—ours, with the rest of my life.” She practically hummed with energy. “Vi, your landscape designs are amazing, but your real love is your plants, right?”

“Yeah,” Violet said slowly.

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