Page 90 of Wallflower in Bloom

Gerald snapped out of his trance. Jack and Violet’s eyes connected, humor in them.

“It’s true.” Lily threw an arm around her shoulder as she waved to another exiting customer. “She put up with my sorry ass for four months before I finally escaped her clutches. I’d still be there if I didn’t move out in the dead of night.”

“This is my sister, Lily,” Violet said, mentally rolling her eyes. She couldn’t wait until Lily fell for someone so she could get her back.

“Pleased to meet you,” Lily said, grabbing Gerald in a hug. Gerald was surprised but patted her back gingerly.

He was a precious man who seemed nervous to take up any space. Violet wanted to keep him close to her instantly.

“Love,” Jack interrupted and touched her elbow. God, she loved that nickname. She wanted to just melt. “While you get to know each other, I’ll go home and get Dad’s room ready.” Violet knew that was code for get my crap out of my room and put it in yours.

“Extra sheets are in the linen closet for the second guest bedroom,” she said.

He gave her a solid kiss before he left, and she felt those flutters again.

The maybe this isn’t so fake after all flutters.

“Jack tells me you’re a gardener,” Violet said, trying to find a point of connection. She and Gerald wandered through her store, and he asked insightful plant questions the entire time.

Once she’d given him a tour of the space, he took in the storeroom with awe. “Jack said you redid the space?”

“Yes, with both my sisters.”

“Ah, so you’re here to stay, then.” Gerald gave her a measured look.

“I love my hometown,” Violet said. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I went away for college and was happy to come back to where everything felt predictable.”

Violet checked the clock in the store. It had been twenty minutes since Jack had left, and they could start making their way home. “Ready to see where we live?” Oof, that ‘we’ was an unexpected jolt for her.

Don’t get attached, Violet. You promised no strings.

They walked outside to Gerald’s rental car. “I had a brief memory lapse of which side of the road was right when I first got in the car, but it’s been fun revisiting the States after so many years.”

Eek. She should have offered to drive.

“Have you been in the States much?” She hopped in the passenger seat and hoped for the best.

He checked his mirrors and slowly pulled out into the street. “When my ex-wife and I were together, we lived in California briefly, but it wasn’t for me. I prefer the country life in my village where the Grants have been for hundreds of years.”

Violet knew she’d found a kindred spirit when she first saw him.

“You know, Jack’s never had a girlfriend since he’s been out of school,” Gerald said out of nowhere.

Uh oh. He thought this was a serious relationship. “Is that why you came to visit?”

“Just wanted to see how he was doin’, and how you were treatin’ him and he was treatin’ you. He wouldn’t do something like this unless it was serious.”

It’s definitely been serious. Serious for the career Jack needed to keep. Serious for her to figure out how to stand in front of people and not faint dead away.

She wasn’t sure what to say, so she gave him directions to turn left up ahead. The silence dragged on, and she thought she might as well investigate. “So, he’s never had any other girlfriends?”

“Our Jack is loyal to a fault, and I think he’s scarred from his mum. She chose her career over us, and he knows he might need to do the same if he wants to be successful like her. Wouldn’t want to leave a family like she left us.” He tapped the steering wheel. “But here, look at me talkin’ about this. You both seem happy as clams.”

“Take a left up here on Wilson,” she said, pointing to the stop sign. “And I’m the cottage right here.”

“Isn’t this a picture? This is all yours?” His eyes grew wide with excitement. “Grand. Just grand.”

“It was originally owned by my great-great-grandparents, then my grandparents, and I bought it about ten years ago with my dad’s help.”

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