Out of the Blue Bouquet (Crossroads Collection)

by Amanda Tru

  “I will be, even though I generally have an aversion to nine in the morning.”

  “You have an aversion to any time that ends ‘in the morning.’” She gave him a small but genuine smile. “I’ll see you then.”

  He went out the front door, waited for her to lock it behind him then drove around so he could see the alley between the buildings then watched her get in her car and pull out. There had been a mugging a few blocks over the week before. Couldn’t be too careful.

  She waved as she drove past him. Joel returned to his flat, took a shower, and collapsed.

  As he suspected it would, morning came too soon, but he was back in the shop at nine. They wouldn’t open for an hour, so he was there to help Rachel do whatever she needed from him.

  When he opened the door for customers, one walked in almost immediately. He greeted her warmly. “Mrs. T, how are you this morning?”

  She glared at him. “You are Joel?”

  He winced. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “You spent two days alone with my granddaughter at the cabin?”

  He was about to get read the riot act from an elderly Icelandic woman. “Yes, ma’am.”

  A smile broke across her face. “Thank you for taking care of my sonardóttir.”

  Joel smiled back. “My pleasure.”

  She took his face in her hands and studied him more carefully. “You’ll do.”

  “What is it, Amma?” Clari rushed into her grandmother’s house to find her amma sitting in her favorite chair and grinning like the cat that ate the canary. “What’s so urgent?”

  Clari and Gina were on their way to a favorite restaurant when the text came in. Come over. Now.

  “I wanted to see my sonardóttir and her bestie. Is that all right?”

  Clari lifted a brow. “Bestie? Have you ever used that word, ever, Amma?”

  “Yes. I said it to your afi earlier when I told him I wanted you to come over.” Amma glared at her. “Now, come give me a hug.”

  When Amma says to give her a hug, you do as you’re told. Clari gave her one followed by Gina, who held onto Amma for a longer period of time.

  “Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. You will join us, won’t you? Afi is making his specialty.”

  Clari glanced at Gina’s whose eyes and smile could light up the most dismal 23-hour-long-night. “Of course we will, Amma.”

  They sat in the living room and talked until Afi announced dinner was ready, but before they could make it to the table, there was a knock on the door.

  “Clari, will you answer that?” Amma asked, continuing toward the other room.

  Clari exchanged a look with Gina. Amma was up to something. Clari opened the door to find Joel standing there.

  “Hi,” she said, feeling confused. “What are you doing here?”

  He held up a bouquet of flowers. “Your grandmother invited me. These are for her.”

  She took a step back. “Come on in. I hope Afi knows and made enough for dinner.”

  The knowing twinkle in Afi’s eye when they made it to the table, and the fifth place setting, told her all she needed to know. Her grandparents were playing matchmaker.

  Lively conversation swirled about as they ate. When they finished, Amma put the next part of her plan into motion.

  “Clari, would you and Joel please clean up? I’d like to talk with Gina for a few minutes, and I’m sure Afi would like to sit as well.”

  She smiled at her grandmother. “I’d be happy to. Joel is a guest though. He can join you in the other room. I’ll be in presently.” It would be awhile. Maybe long enough for Joel to go home. Afi wasn’t known for cleaning up as he cooked.

  “I’m happy to help,” Joel told her, thwarting that plan. “We’ll be done in no time.”

  He only said that because he hadn’t seen the kitchen.

  Amma, Afi, and Gina went back into the living room.

  “Any particular way to do this?” Joel asked.

  Clari surveyed the table. “I’ll start in the kitchen. If you want to put the food away, then start bringing in the dishes that would be fantastic.”

  There was no automatic dishwasher in the house. Clari went into the kitchen and began setting it to rights. Soon the counters were cleaner and the dishes organized and ready to be washed.

  “I’ll wash so you can dry and put away. I don’t know where anything goes.” Joel brought the last of the dishes in from the other room.

  She shot a grateful look his way. Clari hadn’t been looking forward to washing all the dishes herself. Drying and putting away appealed much more even if she did have to hobble. “Thanks.”

  As they worked, they talked about the weather, family plans for Christmas, and not much of anything significant. It had been nearly an hour when they finished.

  Clari wiped her hands on the towel then folded it over the rack as Joel did the same. Before she could move away, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close.

  “I have a question for you.”

  She rested a hand on his chest. “What’s that?”

  He leaned slightly closer. “Will you have dinner with me after your time with Gina is over?”

  “A date?”

  His lips quirked into a half-smile. “I’d rather not invite your grandparents if that’s okay with you.”

  “That’s fine with me, but Gina’s moving back to Akushla. My time with her won’t end next week like I thought.”

  “I know, but the next week is set aside for you and Gina to spend time together. After that, the night after the tour, will you have dinner with me?”

  Clari stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “I think I would like that.”

  His shoulders sagged in relief. “I know I will.” Joel leaned down and brushed a quick kiss against her lips. “Now, I’m sure your grandparents and Gina are waiting for us.” He winked at her. “We don’t want to give them any reason to come looking.”

  She didn’t move away. “We wouldn’t want them to find us in a compromising position, though I don’t think this qualifies.”

  His chuckle had to be the nicest one she’d ever heard. How had she not noticed that at the cabin?

  “I think you’re right.” Another quick kiss and he let go of her waist but took her hand.

  She noticed he loosened his grip as they reached the living area, allowing her to slip her hand from his without having to pull.

  “Sit, sit!” Amma waved toward the love seat, conveniently left open for them.

  Clari shared an amused glance with Joel then Gina, who clearly tried to hide a smirk and failed.

  They took their seats on the love seat, but not right next to each other - though they weren’t hugging the armrests either.

  Amma looked straight at Joel. “When we spoke earlier, you said you thought it was nice for Clari to have her own room at the cabin, but I know she didn’t tell you why she does.”

  Clari stared at her hands. Amma was really going to tell him the story? Now? She could see if they were engaged, but Amma and Afi never talked about the reasoning why. With anyone.

  “It’s all right, Mrs. T. You don’t need to tell me.” Joel’s gentle voice warmed Clari’s heart. He wouldn’t push.

  “No. It is time you know. It is time Clari knows.”

  That made Clari look up, her eyes wide as she stared Amma. “Time that Clari knows what?”

  Joel shifted nervously in his seat. Clari didn’t know the whole story? She’d seemed to indicate that she did when they talked about it at the cabin - she just hadn’t known him well enough to confide in him.

  “It’s time you know the whole story, dear one.”

  “Your daughter, Clarice, died when I was five. I never met her. I’m the only girl in the family, so I get her old room.”

  Mrs. T shook her head. “Not exactly.”

  Joel could almost feel the tension radiating off Clari. “What do you mean, not exactly?”

  Mr. Sørensen - Joel had to remind himself the co
uple didn’t share a last name - reached across the opening between chairs to take his wife’s hand. “Clarice married a wonderful young man shortly before you were born. His family lived in the northern part of Eyjania, and they moved there to be close to his ailing grandparents.”

  Seemed like good people, right? So where was the mystery coming from?

  “We talked as often as we could, though not as much as we would like.” Mrs. T took the tissue Mr. Sørensen offered and dabbed below her eyes. “A few years later, we got a visit from an investigator. Clarice, along with her husband and daughter, had disappeared, but no one knew what happened to them. Eventually, they were declared dead. Their car was found off one of the switchbacks coming from Lake Akushla, but there was no evidence they’d been inside.”

  “No proof they hadn’t been, either,” Mr. Sørensen added. “Some people survive those crashes. One theory was they had and tried to walk out, but got lost and never seen again. By the time the car was found, it had been long enough that any evidence they’d walked away was long gone.”

  Mrs. T took a deep breath. “We grieved, but accepted the reality that our beloved daughter and her family were gone.” She smiled sadly toward Clari. “That was the year we threw the big birthday party and asked you what you wanted. You were her namesake, and it was a way to give one last thing to our girl. We knew you wouldn’t choose anything frivolous, and I’ve loved every Sunday we’ve spent together as a family.”

  Joel pulled a couple of tissues out of a box on the table beside him and handed them to Clari. She needed them as badly as her amma did.

  “I have, too,” Clari whispered as she wiped at the tears. “Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?”

  “There’s more,” Mr. Sørensen told them. He squeezed Mrs. T’s hand then let go and leaned his forearms against his legs. “Do you remember a couple of years later, we were at the cabin, and you found a bouquet of wildflowers in your room? You loved them.”

  Gina piped up. “That’s why I sent those. You’ve always loved Eyjanian wildflowers.”

  “So did Clarice,” Mr. Sørensen said. “You don’t remember the note. A single dot on one line. Four on the next. Then three.”

  “I love you?” Clari asked.

  “It was Clarice’s way of leaving us notes. She’d done it since she was little.” Mrs. T used the tissue to wipe away more tears.

  Clari looked at Joel, skepticism written on her face. “Someone sent you a secret message from Clarice after she already died? That’s creepy.”

  Mr. Sørensen shook his head. “No one could have gotten in there without knowing about the secret passage. The flowers were left near the entrance to it. Even the boys didn’t know about it until later, so it had to be Clarice.”

  Clari’s shoulders sagged. “Amma, Afi, I know you want to believe Clarice and her family are still alive, but that’s a little far-fetched, don’t you think?”

  The elderly couple just shared a look. “Believe what you will, sonardóttir. Your afi and I know they didn’t die in the woods after that accident.”

  Gina’s phone shattered the silence. “Sorry.” She reached into her purse and turned it off.

  The spell, such as it was, had already been broken. Mrs. T struggled to stand, looking more like an elderly woman than Joel had seen her look thus far. Mr. Sørensen helped her to the stairs, then turned as she went up them.

  “Don’t break your amma’s heart, dear Clari. We know the truth. Our Clarice and her family lived.” He followed his wife up the stairs.

  Once they were out of earshot, Gina broke the silence. “Wow. I’ve never thought your grandparents were remotely senile, Clari, but...”

  Clari wiped at her tears again. “I haven’t either, but this is pretty far out there.” She leaned her head back against the couch. “I guess I’ll ask my dad about it, see what he says.”

  Gina stood. “Nature’s calling. I’ll be right back.”

  “Thanks for sharing,” Clari called after her. She turned to look at Joel. “Do you still want to go on that date?”

  “Why wouldn’t I? Even if your grandparents are wrong in this one sincerely held belief, they’re right in many others, including that their sonardóttir is pretty fantastic.” He reached over and brushed a tear away with his thumb. “In fact, I’d like to ask their sonardóttir if I could be her kærasti. You know. When she’s ready to have that conversation.”

  Clari gave him a weak smile. “Maybe after that first date. There’s too much to absorb tonight without tossing a new relationship into the mix.”

  “I understand.” Joel stood. “Why don’t you go look after your grandparents, and I’ll see you soon? I’m at the yarn store when I’m not in class for at least the next week.” He held out a hand for her to grasp and helped her up. “You could stop by.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I’ll watch for you.”

  Clari patted his upper arm. “I’ll try to stop by.” She pointed toward a cabinet. “I’m pretty sure that’s full of yarn Amma bought from Rachel. I’ve never seen her do anything with it, though.”

  “I’m sure she has her reasons.”

  Clari grabbed a crutch though she’d been hobbling along without one since dinner. She walked him to the door. “Thank you for coming tonight. I know it meant a lot to my grandparents.”

  He grabbed his coat and slipped it on before he reached out and brushed the hair off her temple. “I’m glad I came. If you want to talk after you ask your dad about all this, you know how to reach me.”

  She nodded. “I will.”

  Joel wanted to kiss her again but held off. There would be enough time for that later. “I’ll text you soon.” At least he could keep in contact with her that way.

  She didn’t respond, but smiled at him, then turned at a noise inside. “I’m going to check on Amma and Afi. I’ll talk to you later.”

  Joel turned and went down the steps, pulling his coat further around him as he did. He needed another good night’s sleep, but he knew this time he’d fall asleep praying for Clari’s family.

  Clari curled up in the chair in Rachel’s shop and sipped the tea Joel’s sister provided for customers. Clari hadn’t bought anything, but Rachel waved that notion off.

  “What did your father say?” Joel asked while Rachel helped a customer.

  “He understands why they believe what they do, but thinks it was someone playing a practical joke or even one of his brothers. They did know about the secret passage before then - I still don’t, by the way - and he wonders if one of them put them there as a way to kind of console my grandparents, and it turned into this whole thing. He thinks it’s Thor, but whichever brother it is never wanted to confess because it would hurt their parents all over again.”

  “Thor? You have an uncle named Thor?” Joel shared the same amused disbelief most people did when she told them that.

  “Yes. It’s not an uncommon name in Iceland. Amma’s last name is Thorbjørnsdóttir. Her father’s name was Thorbjørn. They shortened it to Thor for my uncle. This was long before the movies, remember.”

  “Okay, then. I don’t suppose he’s the one who works in palace security?”

  Clari couldn’t help but grin. “Actually, he is. So Thor is one of King Benjamin’s security personnel.”

  Joel just shook his head. “I didn’t meet him, did I?”

  “No, but my father thinks it was Thor who put the flowers there as a way to console them, but it got way out of hand. My uncle has always maintained his innocence, but Papa isn’t convinced.” She shrugged. “That’s all I’ve got. Amma and Afi are convinced, so I think we’re just all going to let it drop. There’s no point in forcing them to believe my aunt and her family are really gone when there’s no real harm in letting them continue as they have been.”

  She took another sip of her tea, watching Joel over the top of her cup. Holding it just far enough away that she could talk, she winked at him. “And Gina has plans tomorrow night that don’t include me, so if that offer of dinn
er still stands...” Clari couldn’t believe her own boldness.

  Joel winced, and she tried to brace herself with another sip. “I would love to, but I have a big exam first thing the next morning. I’ll be studying all night.”

  She knew he attended university, but that was all she knew. It was time she asked him about his studies. They talked for half an hour until Rachel needed his help with something. Clari decided it was time to leave.

  But then an idea struck her. She’d have to call Rachel later to make sure it would work, but Clari had a feeling it was going to.

  That’s how she ended up on Joel’s doorstep with a basket of food the next evening.

  His face showed his surprise. “Hey! What are you doing here?”

  She held up the basket with the hand that wasn’t balancing the crutch. “Bringing you dinner. Your sister said it was a good idea because you probably wouldn’t eat.”

  Joel’s grin as he held the door open told her the guess had been right. He reached for the basket. “Come on in.”

  Clari half-hobbled into his apartment. Though it was nicer than she’d expected for a Yfir driver attending university, it wasn’t ostentatious or even out of her price range should she ever decide to move.

  After setting the basket on the table, he turned to her and pulled her into his arms. Clari could get used to the feeling of being in them. In fact, she rather liked it.

  “Thank you.” His voice was soft as was the look in his eyes. “I appreciate this.”

  Clari did something she’d never done before. She leaned up and initiated a kiss.

  But Joel didn’t let it stop there. His arms tightened around her as he kissed her back. Clari’s hands slid up his chest and around the back of his neck until her fingers could play with the curly hair at his nape. She wondered if she could get away with running her fingers through the unruly mop.

  But Joel’s increasing intensity drove those thoughts from her mind. Time ceased to exist until he moved back.

  “Wow,” Clari whispered. “I’ve had boyfriends, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never been kissed like that before.”

  Joel gave her a soft kiss. “That’s the kind of kiss I wanted to give you in the kitchen, but I definitely wouldn’t want your grandparents walking in on that.”