She sold three houseplants and two wreaths before noon, and gave away a good portion of her seed packets. Not bad for a day statistically ranked as the year’s worst for sales.
The door bells sounded. Darci’s stomach growled before she could look up to see Petal Pushers’ next visitor. The smell of food always grabbed her attention.
“Bad as I hate to say it, I’m afraid you came to the wrong place. I didn’t order anything. But I could use a takeout menu, though, if you’ve got one on you.”
“Somebody ordered it for you.” The delivery boy set two boxes of Chinese food on the counter before he handed her an envelope, then he reached in his jacket pocket for a menu. “Have a nice day.”
She had the card out before the door closed behind him and read it as she ripped open the chopsticks.
To Darci on Opening Day,
I didn’t know what to send to a florist, but I
figured this Szechuan chicken ought to hit your spot. I know John would’ve been so proud of you today, but since my best friend isn’t here to tell you, I thought I’d do it for him.
Mae’s coming in tomorrow but I don’t want you to even think about giving her anything for free. Godparents are just like any other customers. Now don’t bother to call and thank me or get all sentimental, just eat your damn food before it gets cold.
Love,
Max
Darci did as she was told and chowed down. She didn’t want her baked goods to go to waste either, so she helped herself to a cruller for dessert. So much for her New Year’s resolution to lose twenty pounds. She swiveled around in her chair, glanced at the door to make sure it wasn’t ajar, then wondered where the cold draft was coming from. She made a mental note to have Wade check the seals around the windows and doors. The last thing she needed was a huge electric bill from running the heater full blast.
When the bell jingled later that afternoon, Darci beamed at the little guy who ran toward her.
“Hey Mom, how’s it going?”
Before she could answer, Paxton spun her around and pulled her away from the door. “Cover your eyes. Dad and me bought you a surprise! You’re gonna love it. Don’t look yet.” She heard Wade walk in behind her and set something on one of the tables. “Just one more second,” Paxton said, bustling around. “Okay, now you can look.”
Paxton and Wade flanked a square object the size of a small television. A big pink bow graced the towel that concealed whatever was underneath.
“What’s this all about?”
“Since you’ve got the prettiest smile in town, I reckon we should give you a peek at your present.” With a flourish, Wade whisked off the makeshift wrapping to reveal a parakeet currently too confused at her new surroundings to tweet. “You like it?”
Darci laughed as she bent down to take a closer look. “Thanks, I love it! What in the world made you two decide to buy me a bird? Of all things.”
“We didn’t want you to get lonely while you worked.” Paxton’s smile grew wider, obviously pleased his mother liked the parakeet he’d picked out. “She can keep you company.”
Darci hugged both her guys. Paxton theatrically wiped off the kiss she planted on the tip of his nose.
“She’ll be fun to have around, but you know I won’t be alone here very often. I wasn’t going to make anybody work on New Year’s Day, but Charlotte will be here most mornings, working part-time now and after the baby’s born.”
“I still don’t think she’s really gonna have a baby.” Paxton shook his head as he made what he must have thought was the obvious point. “She’s skinny as a bean pole. When Jake’s mom was gettin’ ready to have his little brother, she got as big around as a hippopotamus.”
Wade stifled a laugh with a fake cough as he and Darci exchanged an amused glance.
“Trust me, son, the doctor says you’re gonna have a new baby cousin this July. Anyway, Charlotte called this morning to make sure I didn’t need any help, which obviously,” Darci motioned around the empty shop, “I didn’t. And don’t forget Hoyt comes in every afternoon to make deliveries and help with any heavy lifting we delicate girls can’t handle.”
She aimed the last comment at Paxton, who was going through a stage where he believed women couldn’t lift anything heavier than a pie pan. His best friend Jake had put that idea in his head, thanks to his male chauvinist uncle.
“Hopefully he’ll stick around through the summer to help with the landscaping jobs I’m sure you’ll get.” Wade smiled at her in that way of his that always set her heart aflutter. “When people get a load of all the plants and herbs and stuff you sell, you’ll have to turn away customers to keep from sending the world into a flower shortage.”
“You’re really gonna make the world run out of flowers?” Paxton exclaimed. “Cool.”
“Not exactly, but I’m hoping to keep the greenhouse out back in constant need of restocking.” The parakeet chirped and caught her attention. “I think I’ll put her cage on the shelf hanging behind the counter so she can help me keep an eye on the customers.”
“What’re you gonna name her?” Paxton asked. “How about Hermione, like in Harry Potter?”
“Hmmm.” Darci held the cage up to her face, scrutinizing the bird for ideas. “I don’t know. Hermione just doesn’t seem to fit her.”
“Those dark green feathers on her back kind of match the flecks in your pretty brown eyes,” Wade pointed out, his gaze causing an uncharacteristic blush to warm her cheeks. Since she didn’t want Paxton to ask why her face was turning red, she focused on the parakeet.
“She’s green, with a yellow head and wings, so she’ll match most of the plants.” She turned to face Wade and Paxton when the perfect moniker popped into her head. “I think I just might call her Daisy.” Everyone agreed on the name as Darci set the cage in a prominent spot and made kissing noises at Daisy through the bars.
Before she closed up for the evening, Darci stood looking out what her son called the porthole, a circular window about two feet in diameter in the front right corner of the shop. She gazed through the side yard to the woods running behind it. The setting sun tinted the gray sky mauve, with blue highlights just above the distant trees. Bathed in the twilight glow that poured through the window, she hated to see this day end. Pulling on her coat, she glanced around her shop once more and headed for the door, still hardly able to believe she was actually living her dream.
Petal Pushers’ Plant of the Month for January is
Nasturtium
Tropaeolum majus
Common Name: Indian Cress, Mexican Cress, and Peru Cress.
Brief description: These are one of the easiest flowers to grow from seeds, which makes them great for little kids or the green thumb challenged. The leaves look like little lily pads and the scented blooms come in orange, pink, yellow, red, and white. Nasturtiums grow about a foot tall, thrive in poor soil, and bloom from summer to fall.
Symbolism: Nasturtiums symbolize conquest, victory, and charity.
Trivia: This is an old flower that grew in ancient Rome.
Growing instructions: Plant seeds a half inch deep after the last spring frost in a place where they’ll get a lot of sunshine. Deadhead wilted blooms.
Uses: These flowers are pretty in flowerbeds, borders, edgings, and window boxes. The edible blooms have a peppery taste, so use them in salads or as garnish.
Tools & Tips: Gardening gloves aren’t just for the foo-foo who don’t want to get dirt under their fingernails, even though they will help protect your manicure. Keep a few pairs handy year round to protect your hands when pulling weeds, pruning bushes, and spreading mulch.
A big THANK YOU to everybody who visited the shop in support of our Grand Opening. I’ll update this Plant of the Month page each month, and you can usually find the profiled plant on sale, but for January, we’re giving away nasturtium seeds. Please come in and get yours if you haven’t already.
Chapter 2. February
The red rose whispers of passion,<
br />
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
~ John Boyle O’Reilly
“What do you think you’re doing?” Darci tapped her foot as she glared at Charlotte, who sat working beside the helium tank.
“Blowing up balloons, Einstein. What’s it look like?” Charlotte grinned up at Darci and offered her the nozzle. “Here, take a hit and say something funny.”
“Don’t think so.” Darci twisted the knob to turn off the gas flow. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. I’d never be able to forgive myself if that stuff . . . if it made you sick or anything.” A few years back, Charlotte suffered through a miscarriage, a tragedy she refused to speak of, especially now, so Darci chose her words carefully.
“Shit, I didn’t even think about that. I mean, it’s just helium.” Charlotte bit her lip while her hand swept protectively over her stomach.
“Oh, I’m sure you’re fine, but just to be on the safe side, I’ll do all the balloons for now,” Darci said, trying to ease her cousin’s worry. “While you’re in the other room.”
“Good idea. I don’t want to have to name this kid Squeaky.”
“We’ll just move the tank to the kitchen so you don’t forget. You ready for a lunch break?”
“Oh, please,” Charlotte said, following her to the next room. “Like a pregnant woman would turn down food.”
Charlotte fixed their drinks while Darci nuked two bowls of homemade soup in the microwave. The refrigerator stayed well stocked with food she whipped up in her spare time on Sunday afternoons. Darci liked cooking, but she enjoyed saving money even more.
The only extravagance she allowed herself while trying to make a success of her business was donuts from the Krispy Kreme down the street, and she limited that to twice a week.
Darci had put a pencil to food costs before she ever opened the store. Take-out lunch with a drink would cost at least seven bucks a day, which came to approximately forty-two dollars each six-day work week. No way in hell could she plunk down almost two hundred smackeroos a month just to eat it up and poop it out, not when every dime she spent took money out of Petal Pushers’ till. Everybody told her she was a good cook, and the homemade meals she brought in were a lot healthier for Paxton and Charlotte than french fries in a bag.
They sat down and Darci ladled up chunky chicken soup seasoned with herbs she’d grown herself the previous summer. “Smells good, even if I do say so myself.” She noticed the green-tinged face across the table. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Looks yummy.” Charlotte used her napkin to dab perspiration from her forehead, then stirred her soup. Beans and little pieces of celery swirled in the broth, bumping against chunks of roasted chicken breast. With her hand over her mouth and nose, she jumped up from her seat and ran to the bathroom.
Charlotte tried to apologize when she returned from tossing her cookies. “I’m sorry-”
“Don’t worry about it,” Darci cut her off with the wave of her hand, not in the least bit offended. “In a few weeks the morning sickness will be out of your system. Then you’ll have, oh, maybe four months to eat whatever you want before the heartburn kicks in.” A grin twitched on her lips and she just couldn’t resist the next comment. “That’s when the hemorrhoid fairy comes to visit.”
“Oh, hell.”
“Here, try to keep these down.” She passed Charlotte a package of Ritz crackers.
The day before Valentine’s Day, Paxton rode the school bus to his mom’s store. He ate a sandwich and brownie as an afternoon snack and washed it down with a glass of milk in the kitchen. For a few minutes he seemed deep in thought, then scooted his chair over to where Darci sat filling Mylar balloons with helium.
“Um, what kind of stuff do people like to get for Valentine’s Day?”
“You mean girl type people?”
“Well, yeah.” He seemed consumed with the need to finish the last drop of milk, avoiding eye contact while he quenched his thirst.
Darci made sure the balloon she held blocked her expression from her son’s view. One look at the stupid grin and he’d clam up for good. “A lot of guys order balloons for their girlfriends, and some girls like flowers or candy. And cards. Cards are always nice.” She desperately tried not to look interested.
Paxton thought for a minute, seeming to ponder the idea. “So, would you like stuff like that? Balloons?”
“Sure I would. Tell you what. I’m going to make up some extra balloon bouquets as soon as I finish filling these orders. Pick out a few you might like to give your-” She faked a sneeze to stop herself from saying the dreaded ‘g’ word. Nine-year-old boys never wanted to admit to having a girlfriend. “. . . your friend, and I’ll make a special one for you. Sound good?”
“Sounds great. Thanks, Mom.”
Later, when she picked up the Mylar stack Paxton left for her on the table, she couldn’t wait to see which designs he chose. She carried them to the main room to show Charlotte.
“I think the boy has a little sweetheart.” Darci beamed in the way only mothers can, when they think their child has just done the cutest thing ever. “Look at what he picked out, I’m guessing to take to the Valentine party at school tomorrow.” She plopped three unfilled balloons down on the counter. The first two were a red one shaped like a heart and a round yellow happy face.
The last one caused Charlotte to ooh and ahh. “Oh, how cute! ‘For my special girl’. Do we know who this mystery woman is?” Charlotte asked, her eyebrows wiggling maniacally up and down.
“I have absolutely no idea. Last I heard, he thought girls were icky and gross. About a week ago, he told Wade he’d eat a bug before he’d pick a girl to play on his team at recess.” Darci shook her head. “It could even be his teacher, for all I know.”
“So, let me guess. We’re gonna stake out his fourth grade class under the pretense of delivering an emergency bouquet to the elementary school.” Charlotte’s laughter let Darci know she was joking, but that she wouldn’t be at all surprised if their delivery van rolled up beside the school playground tomorrow.
“I’ll see if he brings home any special valentines. And if that doesn’t work,” Darci narrowed her eyes into a conspiratorial glare, “I’ll ply his best friend with Oreos and chocolate milk until he spills his guts.”
Back at the helium tanks, Darci ran each of the female fourth graders’ faces through her mind’s eye, trying to figure out which one Paxton had a crush on. She leaned a bit towards Patsy Hoffman, a cute little redhead with green eyes and freckles on her nose. But somehow, she couldn’t see her son infatuated with anyone who hadn’t reached the third level of Galactasaur.
She finished the job by tying the balloon strings to a stuffed pink teddy bear, then sat it down by her purse so she wouldn’t forget to take it home that night.
The parakeet was a wonderful diversion at the shop. Darci fed her treats and, within two weeks of having her, the little bird stepped onto her finger to come out of the cage. Whenever things got slow, Daisy rode on her shoulder, tweeting in her ear. The parakeet’s clipped wings kept Darci from worrying about her flying out the door.
That afternoon, she was just about to put Daisy back in her cage when she felt goose bumps rise on her arms. “We’re gonna have to get Wade to fix that before we freeze to death.” Darci nuzzled the green and yellow bird, who chirped in agreement.
She covered the cage for the evening, then jumped at a noise to her right. A book about mosaic garden decorations had fallen off the shelf behind the counter. She put it back in its spot and tried to figure out why it tumbled down in the first place. The shelf didn’t give when she tried to wiggle it.
The next morning she found the same book lying on the floor again. She took out a piece of stationary and made Wade a Honey-Do list: Number one, put more caulk or whatever you call it around the doors and windows to stop the drafts. Number two, level the bookshelf. Number three,
a fresh box of donuts would really hit the spot. Hint, hint, pleeeze take the hint.
Got my eye on that Charlotte. I saw how she’s a clutchin’ at her belly and it just ain’t right. I’ll have to be doin’ something about that directly.
Miss Darci has sure enough spiffied this place back up, all shinin’ like a new copper penny, but she cain’t take a hint to save her life. Might have to go upside her head with that big book to get my point across. Only one here I can communicate with is the little feather brain, for all the good that does. Oh me. If I get desperate, I reckon I can teach the bird to talk so she can just up and tell folks what I want. It’s a miracle I managed to lure her here in the first place. But I did get her here, so surely to goodness I can figure out how to make her do the other things that need doin’. One way or the other.
At least I do know where it is now, but I cain’t get a hold of it. Don’t know who’s to blame, but somebody’s gonna have hell to pay for what they did, and I’ll see things set right.
February fourteenth kept Petal Pushers bustling all day long. Charlotte came in for the morning shift and answered a dozen calls for last minute arrangements. Darci handled so many long-stemmed red roses, her fingers looked like something out of The Mummy’s Curse. She’d misplaced the dethorner after lunch-she remembered fidgeting with the damn thing right before she made a ham and cheese sandwich, but she could not find it after dessert-and now Band-Aids covered her hands. Hoyt Simms, the high school senior who drove the delivery van as soon as the bell ended his biology class, burned up two tanks of gas hauling flowers all over the place, brightening the faces of Webster County’s female residents.
Poison, Perennials, and a Poltergeist (The Petal Pushers Mystery Series) Page 2