Page 19 of Wallflower in Bloom

“Thanks. I was up super early this morning baking everything.” Violet yawned and adjusted her crossbody bag. It did wickedly distracting things to her breasts, and Jack forced his eyes up to her face rather than stare exactly where he wanted: right between her tits.

“Lilybug, I’ll be back in thirty,” Violet reminded her as they left the store.

“And don’t forget to answer the five plant care DMs when you get back, Vi,” Lily called.

Violet shimmied with happiness, and the Tupperware swayed in her arms. “I’m so excited we have five already. Lily asked our social media followers for plant questions so I could help them troubleshoot. I wish that made us money rather than pitching clients.”

He’d never seen someone so excited to help other people. “Sounds like you should go after it. Maybe be a concierge service?”

Fuck, these tubs were heavy. He needed to up his reps at the gym if this was causing him to break a sweat.

Violet pondered as they crossed the street to the large expanse of the town square green. “Hmmm. But then I don’t get to help as many people. Maybe like a video series?”

“That’s a great idea. With you as the star?” He smiled down at her. She’d be bloody precious as a plant professor, so excited to help her students.

“Oh gosh. No, maybe someone else. I’d just tell them what to say.” She stopped to heft the tubs she carried.

“What on earth did you pack in these?” He’d started sweating about five seconds after he grabbed them.

“Shortcake. The festival starts soon,” Violet said, nodding to the town square.

He peered at a sign in the distance. Strawberry Shortcake Spectacular. “A whole festival for one dessert?”

“The Methodist Ladies Auxiliary started it a few years ago, and it got out of hand. It’s now a tourist thing, and the whole town pitches in.”

Kids were already running through the lawn of the town square as the festival was being set up. Bright white tents were propped up, and booths with games and knickknacks started to appear.

He gestured with the tubs. “Sure you didn’t pack barbells by accident?”

She smiled over her shoulder at him. “Just shortcake. I made gluten-free and vegan ones so everybody could have some.”

God, this woman was so kind, it hurt. She was soft and breakable. He felt an instinctive need to protect her. “Violet, you’re inclusive as fuck.”

She shrugged, which irritated him for some reason.

“No, listen to me.” He stopped, causing her to pause on the sidewalk. “The way you think about others is consistent and inspiring. It’s so thoughtful to make sure everyone can participate. Nothing worse than having to tell one of them”—he nodded at the kids running through the games—“they can’t have any because no one thought about them.”

How many times had that happened to him as a kid? Too many to count.

“It’s honestly no big deal.” She brushed it off as if his attention embarrassed her.

A barbershop quartet started to sing old standards in the town square gazebo.

“Fairwick Falls goes all out, huh?”

“The town makes a lot of our money during the summer tourist season. People enjoy visiting small towns tucked in throughout the countryside. Oh, no.” Violet blanched as they neared the organizational table. Her eyes darted around, trying to figure a way out. “I was hoping Jennifer wouldn’t be here. She was on the committee that saw me screw up the pitch.”

“Do you want me to drop these off?” he offered. Running into somebody you’d failed in front of was never fun.

“No,” she groaned. “I’m a grown-up.” She rolled her eyes at herself, and he just wanted to hug her.

Or maybe kiss her.

Some way to make it all better.

A sleek woman who had ‘mean girl’ written all over her was lounging in the shade, snickering with another woman as they walked up.

“Hi Jen,” Violet called over.

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