A Wildflower Summer

by Caroline Flynn

  His reason was her. She just didn’t know it yet.

  Seeing her there on the pier, it was as though the crowds of guests had parted, revealing her to him. Lily kept to herself, allowing the party to go on around her as though she were merely a bystander. No one could overlook her, however. Not in that dress. With her champagne hair styled in a graceful knot, only the tiniest wisps of blonde free and blowing lightly in the breeze, and the strapless, knee-length dress that showed every soft curve and striking angle, Lily Brentwood was the definition of natural beauty. Watching as she stepped toward the tower viewer and peeked through the binoculars, he wondered if she was where he was, then, reminiscing about the day they had spent in that very spot with Eden, watching boats churn the glassy waters as the sun gave the sky over to the moon.

  She uttered his name as though he were a ghost. Either she hadn’t expected him to show, or he had appeared like a figment conjured up from her own thoughts. He hoped it was the latter.

  He ignored everything after hearing his name on her lips. The music, the floral decorations and twinkling lights, the massive wedding cake being rolled out toward the appetizer table that could have only been created by the bride herself—somehow, he wasn’t surprised Paige had trusted no one else with her wedding cake, and by the looks of it, the fondant red roses and deep violet and blue lace designs were nothing less than the Cakery’s finest—and the fact that his parents and daughter were nearby watching his quest for forgiveness as it unfolded; it all paled in comparison to the relentless need coursing through him to give Lily exactly what she deserved from him. Honesty.

  Do you trust me? It was no small question. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d said she didn’t. Or that she couldn’t. The woman had been through hell, and trust was earned. He had taken what little he’d gained and crushed it with his own fear-induced defenses.

  ‘I do,’ she replied. And whether it was merely the acknowledgement that she did, in fact, trust him, or the fact that those words were uttered during a fairytale wedding, it was the greatest gift he could have received.

  ‘Then, will you come somewhere with me?’ He didn’t attempt to hide his shaky hands or quivering voice. He wouldn’t hide from Lily, not anymore. ‘I know we’re in the middle of a wedding and—’

  ‘Yes,’ she replied, her gaze never leaving his. ‘I know you enough to know that you wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. So, yes, I will, Jason.’ She nodded as though affirming her conviction to herself as much as him. ‘But Eden—’

  ‘She’s safe with Sonya,’ he replied quickly. Too quickly.

  Lily’s brows drew downward. ‘How did you know she was with Sonya?’

  Jason watched as the realization washed over her. She had been hoodwinked, and Sonya’s insistence that Eden spend time with her was merely a part of the plan.

  ‘Sonya knows where we’re going,’ she stated.

  ‘Trust me,’ Jason replied, ‘Having to confide in Sonya Ritter was not my first choice. But Eden knows her well, and she’ll be comfortable with her. Carlie’s here with my mother, too, so they’ll be able to play together. Are you okay with that?’

  Jason followed Lily’s gaze in the direction she had last seen Sonya and Eden. The dance floor was so full that they were barely able to make out the bright pink of the little girl’s dress.

  ‘Okay,’ she said with a nod. ‘I trust you.’

  He could tell she was reminding herself of that fact just as much as him.

  ‘Come on.’ Reaching for her hand, Jason led her off the pier, following the wooden railing in hopes of being able to sneak by without raising too much attention to their departure. ‘If you want to make it out of here unscathed, don’t make eye contact.’

  He was only half joking.

  Once their feet hit the rocky ground, Jason clutched Lily’s hand a little tighter. It took a minute for him to realize she wasn’t wearing spiky heels or outlandishly high boots that would make her trek across the gravel treacherous. The wedge-soled sandals on her feet were reasonable, only providing her an extra inch or so of height. A logical choice.

  He wondered what she would think of the choice he was about to give her.

  ‘Jason!’

  He stopped in his tracks, caught red-handed implementing his escape route. Lily, not expecting it, crashed into his arm. He thought he heard her apologize, but only managed a steadying hand to keep her upright.

  His mother stood only a few feet away. He had left Carlie with her at a table on the other side of the pier when he arrived and didn’t expect to face her until he and Lily returned. Seeing her there, standing tall in the new dress she had purchased specially for the wedding, he was frozen. Not in fear, because he vowed to never let fear dictate his actions again, but in awe.

  Seeing her as she stood there, seeing him; in that moment, it meant everything.

  Something so trivial, something many never even gave a second thought to. But Jason saw the way Bettina Forrester grinned, a wide smile that reached her sparkling eyes, so full of love and gratitude and hope that Jason couldn’t fathom a moment where he didn’t have hope again. There was too much of it radiating from his mother, permeating his illogical fears and erasing them with ease.

  Bettina swung her gaze from her son to Lily. The intensity of her stare seemed to transfix Lily, just as it did Jason. Was she holding her breath? He felt like he was.

  Lily didn’t know much about his mother, only the vague particulars of her diagnosis. Bettina, however … well, there wasn’t anything Jason hadn’t shared with her. She knew all of it—not just how they’d met, but about the drive-in and the design of his grandfather’s car, too. His mother had been the one to stand beside him during the past week, listening to him as he explained his irrational fears and guiding him when he blatantly asked her what he should do.

  She knew the truth—he loved Lily. As Lily had so eloquently said, she knew enough about him to trust him. Well, he knew enough about her to love her. It was new love, just beginning to bloom, but love just the same. It surprised him as well as Bettina, but his mother had held on to that truth like a lifeline as she partnered up with him to pull off the surprise he wanted to show Lily.

  Bettina Forrester saw it all. And as Jason smiled at her, his hand tangled with Lily’s, she nodded. ‘Thank you,’ his mother said, her voice thick. She placed her hands affectionately on Carlie’s shoulders. ‘Thank you so much.’

  Lily’s eyes were wide as she realized the older woman was speaking to her. Entranced, her mouth opened but nothing came out.

  ‘Come on,’ Jason whispered. ‘I’ll explain later. But we’d better go before someone sees us.’

  He pulled Lily along toward the road, where vehicles lined both sides in perfect rows.

  ‘I … Jason, is Carlie wearing …’

  ‘The Cinderella costume you made. Yes, she is,’ he laughed. ‘It was her number one choice. I told you before, I pick my battles. Hurry.’

  Jason’s Dodge truck was farther up the street than he remembered, and by the time they reached it he felt bad for dragging her away from the party. His haste was for good reason, he reminded himself. Lily had told him last week she was leaving after the wedding. If he didn’t do this now, he might lose his chance.

  ‘Jason, will you at least tell me what’s going on?’ She whirled around at the passenger door, staring up at him with bewildered eyes. ‘Was that your—’

  ‘My mother.’ He nodded.

  ‘She …’ Lily stared back in the direction they had come from. ‘She was thanking me, wasn’t she? But why?’

  ‘Look, Lily.’ He took the wildflowers from her hand and set them on the side of the truck bed before clasping her hands within his. ‘There’s a lot I’ve got to explain, and I will. My mother knows a lot more about you than you do about her. Let’s just put it that way.’ He offered her what he hoped was an encouraging grin. ‘You just made my mother one of the happiest women in the world. All I want is a chance to do the same for you.’


  Lily looked desperate for information. Surprises obviously weren’t her thing. But after a moment of searching his gaze, she must have found that sliver of trust once more because she nodded and allowed Jason to open the truck door for her. She climbed in without a word, momentarily defeated.

  He laid the wildflower bouquet across her lap. Jason hoped she realized that this was one battle he was picking, because it mattered. And he wasn’t going to let it end without a fight.

  Chapter 21

  Lily

  They rode in silence. Jason tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, but it wasn’t a rhythmic sequence in time with the radio. Each tap was sporadic. One, then two more, no pattern.

  He was nervous.

  That made two of them, then. There were a lot of ways this evening could have gone in Lily’s mind, but none of the scenarios she would have come up with on her own included Jason showing up and whisking her away from Port Landon like a bandit on the run. He wasn’t speeding by any means, and his driving was far from erratic, but she caught the way his gaze flitted back and forth between the road and the clock on the dashboard.

  ‘Jason, I really think you should tell me what’s going on.’ She had a few things she needed to tell him as well, but considering his dramatic escape from Cohen and Paige’s wedding, she preferred to let him explain himself first.

  Jason flicked on his signal light for the next exit. ‘I can do better than that,’ he replied quietly. ‘I’ll show you.’

  Lily sighed, leaning back in her seat. She saw the hint of a smirk play on his lips just before she turned away. Glaring out the passenger side window gleaned her more information than Jason did. The city limit sign for North Springs passed by on her right, a large spotlight gleaming to illuminate it.

  ‘North Springs,’ she said quietly. They had been driving longer than she’d realized. ‘Jason …’

  He reached across the console and cupped her hand in his. ‘Three minutes, then you’ll understand.’

  She hoped he was right, because this didn’t make sense at all. A week ago, he had stood before her and told her to go to Chicago as planned. Then, an hour prior, he had stolen her breath away by confessing that he didn’t want to lose her.

  Where North Springs fit into all this, she couldn’t comprehend.

  The soft glow of twilight basked the asphalt streets in iridescent grays and blues. Cars still lined both sides of the streets, and people still poured out onto the sidewalks from stores and pubs and apartment buildings. Unlike the quieter town of Port Landon, it didn’t seem to shut down by eight o’clock.

  ‘This is it.’ Jason’s voice cut through the silence as he navigated the truck into an angled parking space outside a classy boutique on Sunview Avenue. The street was lined with similar little shops, small businesses with eye-catching window displays and ornate signage. Further up the row, a posh-looking bistro was still open and in full swing, patrons floating in and out of it in a constant stream.

  Lily scanned the sidewalk as Jason killed the engine. The nose of their vehicle pointed at Bridgette’s Jewelry and Gifts. Fed up with the secrets and games, Lily stared at the gold and silver in the window display. ‘If you’re looking to buy me something shiny, Jason, sorry to burst your bubble but it looks like it’s closed.’

  She heard a strangled chuckle to her left. She turned to see him run his hand through his hair. Wisps stood up on end and stayed there.

  ‘I’m not saying I wouldn’t buy you something shiny, Lily, but that’s not the reason for this trip.’

  Lily unbuckled her seatbelt and craned around, staring at him squarely. ‘Then, what is?’

  He pointed out the window. ‘That.’

  Lily followed his finger passed the jewelry store. Beside it, a vacant storefront sat, its huge front windows darkened and lined with paper to obstruct the view inside. Big double doors, wooden and carved with a calligraphy F were closed, and a large For Rent sign hung crookedly in the window. Her eyebrows drew down.

  ‘Come on. I told you I’d show you.’ He clambered out of the truck before Lily even had time to fully register what he said.

  Ever the perfect gentleman, Jason opened the passenger door for her and held out a hand to help her to the ground. With him still in his suit and her still wearing the strapless dress that undoubtedly cost more than the rest of her wardrobe combined, Lily felt as though she had walked onto the set of some romantic comedy movie. Addled by nerves, she awaited the punchline, wondering if it would be at her expense.

  ‘Why are we here?’ She needed to say something to fill the silence as Jason ushered her toward the dark storefront, rummaging in his coat pocket as her shoes made a clip, clap sound on the concrete.

  ‘Because this is the middle of North Springs,’ he explained. ‘And because I want you to see, really see, the options that are available to you.’

  Lily had no idea what he was saying. She wondered if he realized how cryptic and frazzled he sounded. ‘That doesn’t really tell me anything, I don’t think.’

  ‘Okay, then let’s see if this does.’ The key in his hand fit perfectly in the brass lock, and the righthand door clicked open easily. A trio of teenagers passed by as he opened it, laughing at something someone said. Jason didn’t so much as blink in their direction, focused solely on Lily as he waved a hand. ‘Ladies first.’

  Inside, the rental space was wide open and stark. Lily stared at the white walls and the glass cabinets pushed to one side of the room, cloaked in dark shadows. The fluorescent lights burst on a moment later, revealing the built-in shelves along the back wall, and the doorway near the back of the room that led into another smaller room. The nondescript counter jutting out to her right divided the open floor from the glass cabinets behind it. A set of keys still hung in one of the cabinet locks, waiting for someone to turn it and slide the glass door open.

  Lily whirled around. ‘What is this, Jason?’

  ‘One of your many options.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘It’s yours,’ he replied. ‘If you want it.’

  ‘What?’ She couldn’t possibly have heard him right.

  ‘It’s yours,’ he repeated. Jason closed the gap between them. He didn’t reach for her, but Lily swore she could feel the heat emanating from him, seeping into her and calming her growing anxiety. ‘I told you that my parents live here in North Springs. Today was the first time you’ve met my mother, but it wasn’t the first time she’d heard of you.’

  ‘You talked about me, to your mother.’ Lily struggled to process this. What it meant, where he was going with it.

  He nodded. ‘If I hadn’t, I might never have been able to realize what’s been going on in my brain,’ he admitted. ‘And my heart.’

  Funny he would mention that particular organ, because Lily’s own heart was pounding frantically.

  ‘Lily, I need you to know that I believe in you, and in your talent. Seeing Paige’s dress today was only proof of what I already knew you could do.’ He waved a hand around the room. ‘So, when my mother told me about this spot, I came to check it out. The rent’s not bad and the clientele on this strip … there’s a well-established jewelry store beside it and a high-end bistro on the corner. It would be perfect for you to open your own bridal boutique.’

  Her eyes widened. ‘Jason …’ She breathed out his name, at a loss for words.

  ‘I don’t mean immediately. I don’t even mean you have to rent it now. But places like this exist, and I want you to know that I want to help you attain one of them if it’s something you would want. Now, or eventually.’

  She spun around, taking in his words and the vacant walls around her that cried out to be adorned with fancy dresses and pretty shoes.

  ‘I understand if you feel it’s not enough, Lily,’ he continued quickly. ‘I know it’s not Chicago. And I am not saying don’t take that internship, so please don’t take it that way.’ He pleaded with her to understand the muddled explanation he was having su
ch a hard time getting out. ‘I just wanted you to see that you’ve got options, and they’re everywhere, not just in Chicago at the first company who showed interest in your designs. Paige has contacts in New York that she’s ready to utilize, and there’s room to grow here. To design what you want, how you want, and be in a place where people will see it. I’ll help you any way I can.’

  She was still seeing the vacant space through his eyes, with elegant gowns showcased in window displays and books of fabric swatches lined up on the back shelf. With sparkly tiaras displayed in the glass cabinets and Lily standing in the middle of it all, the designer. The owner.

  It was her dream, but with a twist. Because it sounded a lot like it had become Jason’s dream for her as well.

  ‘You found me a place to open a boutique.’

  ‘Someday, if that’s what you want. And technically it was my mother that did,’ he corrected wryly. ‘I can’t take all the credit.’

  ‘She sounds like quite the woman.’

  ‘You have no idea. She’s extraordinary, and just like me, she wants to help you, too.’

  ‘But why?’ The question burst from within her as though it had been building for ages, gaining momentum and inflating in her chest until it broke free. ‘Why would she go to all this trouble to help me, Jason?’ She stared at him, pleading for clarity. ‘Why would you?’

  ‘Because of how I feel about you.’ His throat moved visibly, but he pressed on. ‘I never expected you, Lily. I never expected this.’ He motioned between them. ‘I’m the worst person when it comes to showing it or dealing with it. I know that. Hell, I’ve proven that. But you said you knew enough about me to trust me. Well, I know enough about you to love you. To know that this could be the beginning of something really good. Maybe it doesn’t make sense, but that doesn’t make it any less true.’

  The words brought her back to the pier, where she first heard them from his lips. He had been trying to tell her then, in his own convoluted way. Just as she had been trying to tell herself.

  Feelings; they were so complicated and overwhelming. It was so easy to feel something and be unable to convey it clearly. So much had been said between them, channeled through their crossed wires only to have the resultant message become muddled and incoherent. The back and forth, the maybe and maybe not—it was complicated, and confusing, and sometimes tortuous.