by Tara Sheets
On Tuesday night, Juliette sat on Romeo and Caleb’s back patio, making sure to keep a good distance from Logan, even though they were sharing the same sofa. The past couple of days with him had been almost like a dream. She’d gone over to his house on Saturday night to thank him for the trellis, and she ended up spending the night. Again. It was just so easy to be with him, and she’d finally decided to take Emma’s advice and just relax into their relationship. It wasn’t hard because with Logan, everything just felt right.
Now, it was challenging to keep up a facade of indifference with him sitting only an arm’s length away. She’d grown used to lounging with him at her house or his, and it felt unnatural to be so formal.
“Who wants dessert?” Caleb called from inside the kitchen.
Juliette hesitated to answer. Dinner—and Caleb’s eggplant parmesan—had finally come to an end, and she’d never been more grateful. Trying to make polite conversation while chewing through undercooked eggplant was diff icult, but the several glasses of wine throughout dinner had helped.
Caleb emerged from the sliding screen door carrying a platter of cookies. “I didn’t have time to make dessert, so these store-bought things will have to do.”
Juliette said a silent prayer of thanks and took a cookie, leaning back into the couch cushions.
“More wine?” Romeo asked.
She shook her head. “If I have any more wine I won’t be able to drive home.”
“I’ll take more,” Logan said. His large hand gripped the stemless wineglass and Juliette had to force herself to look away. She knew exactly what his hands could do, but this wasn’t the time for her mind to take a joyride down Lusty Lane. Not when Caleb was giving her that look again. He was staring at her like she was a puzzle he was trying to solve.
“You know, Juliette,” Caleb said as he took the seat beside Romeo. “I still can’t quite put my finger on it, but there is definitely something different about you.”
She did her best to look amused. “What do you mean? You’ve only been gone a few weeks. Not much has changed.” Not much, indeed. She was in a relationship with Logan O’Connor. Everything had changed.
“You seem more relaxed or something. Like you’ve been doing yoga or you went to a spa.”
Juliette ran with it. “You know, I guess I am more relaxed. Probably because of all the organization Logan’s done in the shop, not to mention the beautiful remodel he did.” She gave Logan a warm glance, Caleb’s scrutiny be damned. Logan deserved the recognition for all his hard work. The shop really was much better, and it was all because of him.
Romeo cleared his throat. “Speaking of the shop, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you both.”
Juliette’s heart did a stutter step inside her chest.
This was it. This was the moment when Romeo was going to announce his retirement. She was absolutely positive.
Juliette set her cookie down on a napkin. She was ready for this. Her finances were in order, and she already had money lined up to buy the business. Romeo would probably be thrilled she wanted to take over the shop.
“As you know, I’ve been talking about retirement for a while now.”
Yes! Prepare the confetti cannons. Today was going to be her day.
“So here it is,” Romeo continued. “I’m retiring at the end of the summer, and Caleb and I are moving to Florida.”
“Florida?” Logan exclaimed. “Near my parents? I thought you loved it here.”
“We do love it here,” Romeo said. “But we’ve been wanting to move someplace warmer for a while now, and since my sister’s already there . . .” He trailed off and smiled at Caleb. The two men clasped hands, and Juliette felt a surge of happiness for them. It was clear they were more in love with each other than ever, and excited about the prospect of moving.
“I’ll be sorry to see you go,” she said. But not sorry to finally own my florist shop!
“So will I,” Logan added. “It’s funny—I came back home and now most of my family lives somewhere else.”
“You know we’ll come visit you all the time,” Caleb assured him.
“Logan.” Romeo set his glass on the table, looked meaningfully at Caleb, then leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “I’ve decided to leave my shop to you, if you’ll take it.”
A faint buzzing sound took up residence in Juliette’s ears. She shook her head to clear it. Funny. It sounded like Romeo said—
“You’re leaving me the shop?” Logan looked confused.
Juliette’s mouth fell open as she looked from Romeo to Logan. Then Romeo to Caleb to Logan. And finally back to Romeo. He was giving his nephew an encouraging nod. Smiling in that charming way he always did. Smiling like her favorite boss in the entire world. Her favorite boss who just yanked the carpet out from under her, then flung that carpet into her future and lit it on fire.
No, Juliette mouthed, her fingers digging into the couch cushions.
“I’ve seen all the amazing things you’ve done to the place,” Romeo continued. “And I know you don’t have plans for work lined up yet. Think of it as an early inheritance. Caleb and I don’t have children, so you’re it for us. I want to keep the shop in the family, and I know you’ll take care of it. Look how well everything’s going already. And you work so well with Juliette.” He gestured to her, and all she could do was blink. Her fists were clenched, and she had to bite the insides of her cheeks. If she opened her mouth, she might scream.
“This is unexpected, Uncle Ro,” Logan said, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You’ll say yes,” Caleb said, taking a cookie from the plate. “We’ve been planning to move for a while, and your return to the island was perfect timing. It’s meant to be.”
Logan leaned back on the couch and hooked a foot over his knee.
Juliette wanted to kick it. She wanted to take his wine and splash it in his face. He deserved that, and more. So did his uncle. How could Romeo do this to her? They’d worked together for years. He knew she thought of the shop—maybe even him, a little—as family. How could he ruin her plans so thoroughly?
“Well . . .” Logan paused as though waiting for something. After a long moment, he said, “I’m honored. I mean, I’d be happy to, but . . . are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure,” Romeo said with a wave of his hand. “Who else would I leave my business to? You’re the only family I’ve got out here.”
And that was it. Juliette jumped to her feet. She didn’t plan it; it just happened. It was like her body heard those words, and her legs stupidly took over. Her skin felt hot and itchy, and her throat was dry. “I should probably—” She cleared her throat. “I should get home. I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about.” It was a private conversation, after all. And she wasn’t family.
“Don’t go.” Logan started to stand. “You’re part of this, too.”
This time, she did look at him, all her fury simmering beneath the surface. “No,” she said with finality. “I’m not.” Your uncle just made that very clear.
Logan’s eyes widened, and he sat back down. He could tell she wasn’t happy. He looked confused. Concerned.
Yeah, right. Like he really cared. None of them truly cared about her, or her future. She was just Juliette to them. Good with plants. Good for a summer fling. Good for whatever they needed. But what about what she needed?
She walked into the house and grabbed her purse, then headed out the door to her car. She got into her car and started the engine, then pulled out of the driveway. She drove down the street, turned onto the highway, and burst into tears.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The next morning, Juliette dug her hands into the earth, yanking fistfuls of it and scattering it behind her. She’d tossed the small hand shovel, preferring to feel the soil beneath her fingers as she worked. A potted azalea sat beside her, its cheerful pink blooms laughing in the face of her misery.
She stopped d
igging and wiped her forearm across her brow. For the past thirty minutes, she’d paced her garden in a fury, too upset to allow the familiar scents of earth and greenery to soothe her spirit. Nothing could soothe her spirit.
Romeo was giving the shop to Logan. His announcement had been like a dagger through her heart. How could Romeo do it, without a thought for her? How could Logan so easily agree to it? Granted, she’d never told him about her plans to own it, but that wasn’t his business. It was hers.
“Juliette.” Logan’s voice behind her was careful, cautious. He stepped out of the woods into her yard.
Her anger spiked. He couldn’t just step into her garden like it was his. Like he belonged there. He didn’t. She hadn’t invited him. They weren’t family.
He stood near the arched trellis. The trellis she never asked him to build. “We should talk.”
She lifted her chin and fixed her gaze coolly on his. “About what, the florist shop? No need. It’s none of my business if Romeo wants you to have it. You’re family, after all.”
“Look, I didn’t know he was going to leave it to me. I was just as surprised as you were.” He approached her with measured strides, but she held out her hand. He stopped a few feet away. “Why are you so angry?”
Juliette scoffed. “For one thing, you know nothing about the business. The amount of knowledge you have about plants couldn’t fit inside a teacup. For another, where does it leave me?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, frustrated. “You’d still be there.”
“The shop was supposed to be mine.” She jumped to her feet, balling her hands into fists. “I was planning to make Romeo an offer to buy it when he announced his retirement.”
Logan looked shocked. “You never told me.”
“Why would I?” she said angrily. “They were my plans. My future is none of your business.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.
“I guess now you have more roots, don’t you?” she said. “Your grandfather left you his house. Your uncle’s leaving you his business. Are you planning on waiting for someone to find you a suitable wife, too?”
Now he looked pissed. Good. He could join the club.
“That’s not fair,” he said. “I can’t help the way things have worked out with my family. And you know how I feel about you.”
Right. When Logan accepted Romeo’s offer, it had hurt. All along she told herself that she was in control, that she was just fine and they were just having fun. But the moment Logan agreed to take over his uncle’s business, she realized a lot more than she’d wanted to believe. She’d trusted him, and not just with the shop. Opening up to him about her past, sharing their stories, spending all that time together . . . it had been special. She’d allowed herself to be vulnerable, because she trusted him with her feelings. And now he’d stepped all over them, just like he did years ago. Stupid Juliette!
“Let me guess,” she said. “This is the part where you tell me how much you care about me, right? How you want us to be together and all that stuff.”
A crease formed between Logan’s brows. “I might as well say how I feel.” His voice was low. Almost too low to hear.
“Don’t bother,” Juliette said. “Save it for someone who’ll believe you.”
His mouth drew into a hard line, and a muscle pulsed in his jaw. “What have I done to make you doubt my feelings?”
Juliette laughed. A cold, brittle sound that made the roses shiver on their stems. “You’ve taken the only thing I ever wanted. The one thing that mattered to me.”
“How was I supposed to know you wanted to own it?” Logan’s voice rose to match hers. “For god’s sake, he’s my uncle, Juliette. I was caught off guard; I didn’t want to refuse him.”
“How noble of you,” she said, turning her back. She began digging again, ignoring him. “You can leave, now. We have nothing more to say.”
“Like hell, I’ll leave. I’ve got something to say that you need to hear.”
Apprehension skittered up her spine. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“Too damn bad,” he said. “You’re going to hear this, because it’s the truth.”
She dug her hands into the soil, anchoring herself, wishing she could plug her ears and drown out every thought and feeling.
“I do care about you,” he said quietly. “I love you.”
It was three simple words. Three stupid syllables. But so powerful Juliette wanted to bury her head and sob. Why now, when everything was falling apart? When she was too old to believe in it?
“Everything that you are,” Logan continued. He didn’t sound angry anymore. He sounded determined.
Juliette felt as if her heart was bleeding out. She didn’t want this. It was too much. “Don’t.”
“I want to keep what we have together, Juliette,” he continued. “I want this to last.”
She started pulling weeds, like it was any other normal day. Like he wasn’t standing there telling her the exact thing she’d wanted so badly to hear since she was a young girl. But he was too late. Last night had been a painful reminder that she was truly on her own. She would never be safe if she wasn’t in charge of her own future, and relying on a job with Logan as her boss just wouldn’t work. Relationships ended. If her livelihood was tied to him, she’d always be at risk. Vulnerable. Merging her life so completely with his would just end in more heartbreak. She had to protect herself. She didn’t have any more of herself to give. This had to end.
She turned slowly to face him, feigning a sense of calm she didn’t feel. “We had some fun, Logan. That’s all it was.”
“I know you don’t believe that.” He looked like he could see right through her. “This thing between us is more than that.”
“Is it?” If she was going to break away from him, she needed to make it count. The first cut was always the deepest. Just get it over with. “Why do you think I sold Bella that perfume? I wanted you to get together. I knew she was into you, and I thought you guys would make a good couple. That’s why she kept bothering you. That’s why you kept taking her on dates. I wanted you to be with her.”
Logan looked as though she’d slapped him.
It made her insides knot with guilt, but she ignored it, forcing her voice to stay even. “I never wanted this fling between us to last. It was just a silly diversion. Ask any of my friends. I was bored, anyway.”
“You didn’t seem bored when I met you in this garden the other night.”
Juliette had a sudden flashback of them together, under the stars. The way he’d moved above her. The feeling of the damp grass beneath her naked back, and how his face blended with the night sky overhead until nothing had ever felt more perfect.
“It didn’t mean anything,” she managed. “If you somehow thought we’d continue working together like some happy couple? You were sorely mistaken.”
“I thought you wanted to stay there forever. You said it was like your home away from home.”
“Not if you’re there,” she threw back at him. Her voice sounded nonchalant, but inside she was dying. Why did this hurt so much? How had she let him get under her skin? “I want you to leave,” she said, unable to face him. “It’s over between us. Let’s just call it what it was, okay? A summer fling. I don’t want to see you anymore. I’m giving Romeo my two weeks’ notice tomorrow.”
Logan came and stood in front of her. “It doesn’t have to end like this, Juliette. You’re saying all these things because you’re afraid.”
“I’m not afraid,” she insisted. “I’m uninterested.”
Logan shook his head, eyes snapping in anger. “For someone who’s so fiercely passionate about life, you are the biggest coward I’ve ever met.”
Juliette jumped to her feet. “How dare you call me a coward? Don’t you ever—”
“—You are. You’re afraid, so you’re saying hurtful things and pushing me away because you are afraid.”
“If what I’ve told you hurts,
then I’m sorry,” she said. “But this is how I feel. You and I were never a thing. I don’t want this.” She gestured between them. “Don’t you get it? I don’t want . . . you.” The words caught in her throat, raked across her tongue, snagged on her teeth, but she forced them out. The veil of apathy she was desperately trying to drape over herself chafed like a blanket of nettles. If Logan didn’t leave soon, she was going to break down.
He waited. For what, she didn’t know.
Luna stood beside him, glaring balefully at her.
“All right, Juliette,” he said stiffly. “You got it.” He walked away like a soldier. Head high, shoulders back, disappearing into the woods with purposeful strides.
Luna padded to the end of the garden, staring after him.
“He’s gone,” Juliette choked out. “It’s better this way. We don’t need him.”
Luna turned to Juliette and did something she’d never done before in her life. She hissed at her.
Juliette gaped in astonishment. Her beloved cat, the cat who had been with her since birth, who had stood beside her after her mother died, and been with her after her father left. The cat who had remained her ally for everything life threw her way, was now taking sides. And it wasn’t with her.
Chapter Thirty
Romeo,
Please accept this as my official notice of resignation, effective in two weeks. I will be accepting another position and can no longer work here.
Wishing you all the best in your future endeavors,
Juliette
Juliette refolded her hastily scrawled note and placed it back into her straw tote bag, then hung it on a peg near the shop sink. She’d just leave it on the cutting table for Romeo to find in the morning. The message was cold and formal, but it got the point across. As short as it was, getting the words on paper had sapped all her energy that morning. She’d risen at the crack of dawn and spent over an hour trying to gather the courage to write it. Of course, she had no other job lined up, but technically she hadn’t lied. Eventually, she would be accepting another position, just as soon as she found one.