by Debra Holt
Heaviness settled within Rissa’s chest. Could that happen?
She looked at the two women. “Are you saying he might leave Braxton because of me? Because of the connection to Tony?”
Josie spoke up, shaking her head. “It wouldn’t be your fault, Rissa. But if Dev believes that he is hurting you or any of the people he cares about by being here, then it will be a real possibility. But I, for one, am going to try my best to get it through his thick skull that we need him to stay here and be part of the family. Whatever comes of this relationship that you and he have developed, that’s between the two of you. But, I hope you’ll give it some long thought. Tony Carter was not worthy of you. He was a cold-hearted criminal. And now, we all know why we couldn’t exactly trust that he was the man who would make you happy. It was a blessing that Dev came along and brought about his leaving. Dev didn’t know about you and your situation with Tony. And even if he had, he would have done his job because that’s the kind of man he is. He’s a good one. And when you can set aside the shock and renewed pain, you’ll see that for yourself.”
“That’s true. But I’m thankful that Dev did come along, and Tony ran away… otherwise, your life might be worse now. And that is my two cents’ worth on this conversation. It’s time I get back to my house so I can deposit this lovely breakfast in private and not make a fool of myself on your porch.” Dee rose, a flush definitely whitening her fair skin even more.
“Oh my,” Josie said, rising to her feet in a swift reaction. “Please hang your head out of the window. I just put new mats down in my Jeep.”
“I don’t mind you staying here until this passes,” Rissa added, rising and placing a comforting arm around Dee’s shoulders. “I don’t care about my floors.” She shot Josie a look.
“Thanks, guys, but I’d rather make a fool of myself at home. Morning sickness should be the man’s part in all of this. Not fair that you didn’t have any, Josie. You don’t know what you missed out on.” She tried to smile, but it was feeble.
The trio made it across the porch and soon Rissa was closing the door on the Jeep. She patted Dee’s hand in reassurance.
“Your doctor said it would soon be over… this part of it. Just remember that. And thanks to both of you for coming out here. I’ll give it all some thought. Please avoid the potholes in the main road, Josie.”
Josie’s response was a thumbs-up and then her concentration was on making the large sweep of a turn to head them back down the driveway, without upsetting Dee’s precarious stomach any more than necessary.
Rissa shook her head. She had serious doubts that Josie’s floor mats would remain pristine.
As she mounted the steps to her front door, Rissa had some serious thinking to do where Dev was concerned. The women had given her some points to consider. And they were valid. Her head and her heart needed to come to grips with reality. Which one would win out, she had no idea.
Chapter Fourteen
Dev stood transfixed in front of the display window of Paisley’s Petals and More. The shop had a gaily striped hot pink and bright white awning over its front façade, and the window had a unique, old-fashioned bicycle on display. The woven white basket on the willow-green bike held a profusion of brightly colored flowers that spilled over the sides. Dev had no idea about the names of any flower except for the native bluebonnets and he could recognize roses because of their sweet smell. Otherwise, he was a clueless male.
“Okay. I’m either going to have to call the sheriff and complain about a possible vagrant stalker in front of my window, or I’ve got to come out here and rescue you from drowning in whatever decision you need to make.” The words came out on a soft laugh, and Dev’s gaze shot up to see the petite redhead with a sparkle in her eyes that matched the friendly grin on her face. She stood in the open doorway of the shop, an apron over her clothing that matched the awning over her head.
“Sorry. You must be Paisley, I’m guessing? And I can assure you that I’m not a stalker… just a confused male.”
She shook her head. “Wow. Just when I was hopeful I could actually get to say I had my own stalker. There goes my possible claim to fame in the newspaper this week.”
He couldn’t help but respond to her infectious laugh. He needed something upbeat at that moment. The last few days had been some of the lowest in his life.
“Come on inside, cowboy,” she said. “I’m sure I’ve got something in this shop that will help you out with what is ailing you.” She held the door wide.
He nodded and accepted her invitation.
The inside of the building smelled of sweetness in all sorts of flavors. It was cool and welcoming from the building heat outside. There was the sound of light, tinkling water from someplace, but with so many green plants and flowers in boxes, planters, bowls, and pretty much anything that had stood still for too long, he felt he had entered a living jungle oasis.
“So, Dev Braxton, did that first bouquet not thrill the young lady enough? Or is this for another female acquaintance? I seem to recall that you usually had quite a few of the Braxton ladies in line.”
He looked at her again. He had known her before? She knew him. The old him, at any rate.
“I’m sorry, I…”
“Don’t be,” she piped up. “I was behind you a couple years in school. I worked here, helping out my uncle in this shop, after school and on weekends. That’s how I knew about your flower-buying prowess.”
“I see. Well, I remember I always called and just said send something nice, or whatever. I don’t really know that much about flower names.”
“Most men don’t. So I’m glad to help out. You tell me what you want them to say to the woman of your choice.”
“Say?”
“Red roses usually mean you’re serious, might be a declaration of love and a proposal could be around the corner. Daisies are flirty and fun and you want to get to know her better. Lilies are…” She stopped. “Did I lose you already?”
“I need something that says I’m sorry and I’m an idiot and I don’t want her to hate me. Got anything like that?” Dev gave as good a half grin as he could muster. He felt stupid.
“That’s quite a lot there. But I think a flower that is all about positivity, and hope for the future and better things of the romantic persuasion… that would be the perfect stargazer lily. The smell is divine and makes a person smile. They don’t fade away quickly like many other flowers, so they are there to stay a while… which sounds like how you might want to be perceived. And I have some lovely ones… right over here.” She turned to a glass-fronted cooler and Dev followed.
Reaching inside, she withdrew a stalk with two flowers and a blossom. The soft pink colors and the smell were pleasant. He nodded. “How many do you have? I’ll take them all.”
Paisley shook her head. “Okay… I like that enthusiasm and it would be great for my daily sales figure. But less is more. You don’t want to overwhelm. You want to simply say… you’re special and I am here. I promise to make it a beautiful bouquet.”
Dev nodded. “I need to come in here more often. You’re lucky to work in such an environment. And you saved this cowboy’s life.”
She moved to the counter, plucking a small card from the display rack. She turned and handed him the blank card. “Now, you need to say something perfect. Put her name on the front address… and I’ll take care of the rest.”
His brow furrowed as he looked at the blank space.
He glanced up at the girl, who was already shaking her head. “Sorry, cowboy. I don’t do the words. Just close your eyes, think about her, and then open them and write. I’ll place this on your account.” Paisley left him alone while she retreated to the back.
Many thoughts went through his mind. Maybe he shouldn’t even try to give her flowers. What would she think? But she wasn’t answering his calls or his texts. What else could he do? So he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and thought of Rissa.
*
The tinkling of the ch
imes above the flower shop doorway, brought Paisley back to the front counter from the workroom. The man was gone. But there was a small square envelope on the counter. She reached and her hunch was proven correct when she saw the name and address. Dev Braxton had it bad. Paisley smiled. She never pried into what her patrons wrote on the cards, unless they had told her via phone to write something for them. She said a quick prayer of hope that whatever the message inside was, it had come from the heart and would make magic happen for the couple.
*
Unacceptable. Everything was just that. Dev tossed the hammer into the toolbox on the back of his truck, slamming the lid down none too gently. That caused Gypsy to hop up from her napping spot on the back seat and glare at him through the open pane in the rear window.
Dev looked at the animal. “Sorry. My fault.” And then he felt worse.
It seemed he was apologizing to everyone for so long that he now was moving on to the four-legged critters around him. It felt like since the day he had arrived back in Braxton, he had been apologizing in one form or another for his past to everyone… his family, friends, strangers… dogs.
And that feeling was becoming unacceptable in its own right. He raised the gate on the back of the truck and latched it. Then he slid behind the wheel and put the truck into gear. The missing bolt on the cattle guard post was something he could handle and be alone. With the exception of the dog beside him. He wasn’t exactly in the mood for human companionship of late.
“Things were a lot simpler when it was just me and no one else around to answer to for anything. No one I needed to apologize to for something.” Dev glanced over at Gypsy and she had the decency to at least appear interested in what he was saying. She kept her steady gaze on him, head slightly cocked in a listening pose.
“Have I done things to apologize for? Sure. The way I treated my family at times. The anger I felt that made me do dumb stuff. But I learned from that. And I think I did my fair share of atoning for the rest of the wrongs by living a life that kept me away from my family, kept me in solitary confinement, basically. So, now, I have a right, too, don’t I? To expect not to have to continue to apologize?” He slapped the top of the steering wheel with his hand.
His eyes roamed over the wide plains ahead of him. Just him and his dog and his truck. There was a song in that somewhere. Too bad he wasn’t a singer.
And unacceptable would probably be the term Rissa would use when the flowers arrived on her doorstep. At least he wouldn’t see her throw them in the trash. And then rip up the card. If he had written everything he wanted to on that little piece of paper, he would still be writing, and he would have had to buy the cards in bulk to have enough space.
“How do I get Rissa to speak to me? She’s bound to have questions. She’s got every right to be confused. She didn’t know who Tony really was.” Absolute silence surrounded the vehicle.
There wasn’t a human in miles. So, if someone wanted to be alone… this had to be it. Dev rolled down his window and allowed the wind to rifle through the interior’s contents. Gypsy pawed at her window, and he obliged, lowering it for her. She rested her head on the window frame with an expression of utter bliss on her furry face. She had made her peace with her fear of open windows and all was right with her world.
“It takes so little to make you happy,” Dev observed. “And it seems impossible for me. Because I hurt Rissa. And all I want to do is have the chance to show her who I am. That I’ve found the answer to which man I am inside. I had to look at my whole story and put it in perspective. And I know where I belong for the first time in my life. How do I do that?”
He looked at Gypsy and then he looked where he was. It was a simple answer that came along like a lightning bolt hit from a clear blue sky.
*
Rissa grabbed the stack of mail and catalogs she had retrieved from her mailbox as she had pulled off the highway. She slid the straps of her bag over her other shoulder, and then withdrew her tall mug from the drink holder in the car. She had become an expert in juggling many things in her life. It was down to a science in most cases.
Rounding the corner of the porch, she stopped in her tracks. There was a florist delivery sitting beside the screened door. She recognized the brown paper with the pink and white trim as belonging to the local florist shop in town. Rissa loved flowers but she took note of the way her stomach clenched upon recognizing the delivery. It wasn’t her birthday or any special day she could think of. Her steps were slow as she approached the bouquet. Transferring the load a bit that she carried, she was able to reach down and gather the large package. Luckily, she had her door key out in her hand already.
Crossing the threshold, she emptied most of her load onto the hall table and slipped her bag over the hook on the hall tree. She carried the paper-wrapped package down the hall and into the kitchen. Carefully, she unfolded the wrapping and the sweet smell began to escape. To her pleasant surprise, there were several stalks of stargazer lilies in a lush bed of greenery and baby’s breath. These were some of her favorite flowers.
And it pleased her that they weren’t already arranged in a bouquet. Paisley Dalton was amazing. She and Paisley had worked together on a Valentine’s dance once and the woman must have remembered her comments about preferring loose flowers that she liked to arrange in her surroundings. She had enough flowers to not only fill a couple of vases in her home, but to take some to her office. She could enjoy them wherever she might be.
Her gaze landed on the small white envelope. She picked it up and slid out the card. “Forgive me, Dev”
Rissa sank down into one of the chairs at the small kitchen table. Forgive me.
Short and to the point. But then, what would she have preferred? She hadn’t exactly cut him any slack the last time they spoke. And she had avoided him like the plague. So what else could he do? And the fact that she had a feeling of remorse churning around inside along with a lot of other confused feelings, did not help the matter.
The last twenty-four hours had been filled with debating herself. She couldn’t very well keep having the conversations with herself. Or should she say arguments? Back and forth her brain went with her heart. And then Dee and Josie had only added to the doubts and questions. Her finger traced the name on the card. Dev had written the words. All he had done was to try to explain how he had done his job. And she had walked away.
The problem was, it had all been such a total, awful shock. She had fancied herself in love with a drug runner. How could she have been so blind? And Dev had been a man doing his job. He had no idea there was any connection between the criminal and Braxton and her. Dev. There was something there. Okay… there was more than a little something. She was guarding her heart. Because when she had kissed him, when she had fallen asleep in his arms during their night together, something had come alive inside her that she had never known before… not even with Tony… with no other man. She looked at the card again. She knew what she should do. But would Dev be receptive?
*
The best laid plans went awry the moment Rissa reached her office. The foreman for the Pritchett Ranch called in with one of his prize mares having been the victim of a prairie dog hole. Rissa and one of her techs headed out to the ranch. It would be best to examine the animal without any unnecessary movement in loading and transporting an injured animal unless they had no other option.
Rissa made the call to bring the mare back into the facility and do some X-rays. Charlie Alaniz called, and her show dog had been bitten by a snake. She had to not only deal with the animal’s problem, but with the owner who was in the throes of a panic attack by the time she reached the office. Thankfully, there was a lull after that.
“I’ve got to run by the post office and pick up the sample bottles that I ordered two weeks ago. And while out, I’ll pick up the bags of food that the feed store is donating to the animals in our emergency care shelter.” Rissa tossed this to Grace as she headed out the door.
The morning had g
otten away from her and her intended plans. It wasn’t until Gwen at the post office shook her head and suggested that she might want to change clothes. She noted that Mrs. Lang’s dog, Mercury, had spit up his breakfast down the leg of her jeans earlier that morning and then she had tried to wipe it off as she ran off to help the mare.
Chester, the macaw, had taken a claw and ripped a sleeve hem. The day wasn’t even half over and yet she looked like she had gone through the ringer already. She thanked the woman and headed out the door in a rush. And that was another unexpected issue. She literally ran into the person coming in the door at the same time she was going out. Her hand reached out for the handrail to break her descent. The other person wasn’t as lucky. They landed on their back at the bottom of the steps.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Rissa began the moment the shock cleared enough for a coherent thought. “It was my fault. I should have not been—” She stopped.
The person dusting his jeans off and replacing the hat on his head was Dev. Of course. Destiny at work… or just plain bad luck.
“It’s you.”
“It’s me.” He gave her a tentative smile.
Was he unsure of the reception he would receive from her?
“I am sorry. Are you okay? Did I hurt your leg? I am so sorry.”
“No harm done.” He straightened his stance and offered his hand toward her.
Rissa was thrown off for a moment.
Then he spoke. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Dev Braxton, and I’ve been away from here for a couple of years now.”
“Oh no. You did hit your head. We should get you to the doctor.” Rissa felt a wave of panic rising. “I can take you or maybe we should call an—”
“I am okay. I didn’t hit my head. I haven’t lost my mind. I’ve found it. I think there’ve been a lot of assumptions and misconceptions and acting going on. So I’d like to introduce myself to you… my real self. And I went to the clinic and Grace told me where you were headed. I wanted to deliver something to you in person.” His hand went out and she could see a large brown envelope in front of her.