Most of the second day trailed into the third as he slowly began to reinvent his business and himself—both extremely hard work. It was difficult to look at your faults, embrace them, and change them in such a short amount of time. But he wanted to prove himself to Zoe; he wanted to prove to her that Cara was no longer an obstacle in his life. The first step, Colton decided, was that his business needed a name change. He spent hours and hours thinking of the right name, which hadn’t come to him until he started calling other florists in town seeking more lilies for Zoe.
Blushing Lilies. Floral and Landscape Designs by Colton Philips.
He hadn’t come up with more than Blushing Lilies, but maybe it was enough. The new name required a new logo, and such things were out of his forte. He was hoping to ask Zoe to design something for him. He wanted a space clearly his own, but also wanted Zoe’s stamp on it somewhere.
“So… did Cara head back to France?” Jamie asked.
“I think that’s her plan,” Colton nodded. “She has some work to tie up here, but she’s set up a home in France and I think she’ll be happy there.”
“Did she help you pick out the new name?”
“Nope,” Colton sighed. “Came up with it on my own—I think it’ll work.” Jamie nodded.
“So… I know that you’re loyal to Cara, she hired you. I’ll understand if you want to leave.”
“What?” Jamie gasped. “No way! I love this job, Colton. I don’t care who you date, as long as you’re happy. I mean, I told Cara time and time again that she was wrong for treating you like she did. I never agreed with that. I didn’t know what to think of Zoe at first, but I know that she’s the right woman for you.”
“How do you know?” Colton asked his eyes back on the sign.
“I don’t know… it’s just something about the way she looks at you. The way she talks to you. Something about the way you stare at her as if she was air that you needed to survive. It’s sweetly romantic—makes me sick sometimes.” Colton laughed and Jamie smiled. “Sometimes you just know, you know?”
“Yeah,” Colton nodded. “I guess I need to keep my eyes open, huh?”
“For starters,” Jamie agreed. “Do you want me to contact the guys who do our stationary and cards?”
“Not yet, I need to have a logo designed first—we’ll just go with the old for now.”
“Okay,” Jamie pushed away from the bike rack, “I like the sign. It’s pretty.”
“Thanks,” Colton watched her hurry inside just as the guys finished bolting the sign up.
They stepped back to check their work and when satisfied that the sign was straight and secure, one took the ladders back to their work truck while the other began scrapping lettering off the store front window. Colton watched Cara’s name slowly disappear and sighed. He felt lighter than he had in days.
It had only taken a year for him to let go of Cara. A year for him to realize that her leaving was a blessing of sorts. It took him a year to realize that he may have never really loved Cara to begin with. He’d just been infatuated with the idea of being with someone and frankly he had been a little scared to try something new and move on once Cara was gone. Waiting for her to return had been the easy and safe route for Colton to take—at least it seemed easy. So saying yes to a 12-year-old, a pesky sister, and a contract had been incredibly difficult. He was thankful however, because through those three things came the woman of his dreams. Zoe was everything he needed; he just wished he hadn’t taken so long figuring that out.
Every time he thought about Zoe he smiled, and every time she was with him he ached with the need to touch her. Sometimes he worried that things had evolved too quickly, which is why he was determined to slow things down and really get to know her once she returned home to him.
He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes he’d made with Cara.
He rubbed his nape and turned his head when something heavy hit the sidewalk beside him. He wasn’t shocked to see Paige standing there; she tended to pop in at the oddest, most varied times. Her blue eyes were tilted up to the new sign, which she studied carefully. Her face was expressionless. Colton smiled and reached over to put his hand on the top of her head.
“What do you think, Red?”
“Oh my gosh,” she whispered. “It’s perfect.”
Colton smiled and nodded. He dropped his hand to her back and gave her shoulder blades a little rub. “Why aren’t you in school? It’s past nine.”
“I had a doctor’s appointment this morning,” she answered. She leaned against the bike rack, her bony shoulder dug into his side. “Today’s the last day of the contract.”
“Yup,” Colton nodded. “I’m not signing anything.”
“I know,” Paige crossed her arms and together they watched the last of the glass etching scraped free. After a moment, Colton put his arm around Paige’s shoulders and drew her toward him. She sighed heavily and let her head loll against his side. “You are so romantic, do you know that?”
“Did Zoe tell you about my gifts?” Colton was pleased. “Did she like them?”
“She said they were nice,” Paige answered nonchalantly. “Did you tell her that you’re changing the name of your place?”
“Nope,” Colton answered. “I sorta want her to see it on her own, so don’t tell her, okay?”
“I won’t,” Paige drew away from him and picked up her bag. “I guess I’ll see you later!”
“Okay,” Colton said as he grabbed a hold of her bag so she had an easier time getting the straps on her shoulders. “What the hell do you carry in here? Don’t you have a locker?”
“Yes, but I take GT classes—gifted and talented—I need lots of books.”
“Want me to walk you to school?”
Paige graced him with a delighted smile and nodded. He ducked inside the shop to tell Jamie that he’d be back and then headed up the sidewalk with Paige. They walked side by side, Paige chatting the whole time about school projects and some boy named Clint.
She talked about Clint for the majority of the walk and as they neared the school she admitted that she loved the kid.
“Have you told him?” Colton asked.
Paige stopped dead in her tracks and gave him an ugly look, “Are you crazy? I can’t do that.”
Colton grinned. “Maybe I should give him with the same contract you had me sign,” he teased. “Give you a little push.”
Paige gasped, “I’ve had a boyfriend before and I don’t need a push! Besides, he’s older than me and I am a red-head freak, Colton. Freaks don’t date jocks. We just stare at them with longing.”
“That’s ridiculous, you’re not a freak,” Colton frowned. Paige gestured to her head where her hair was sticking out all over. He’d admit that she was in need of another stylish cut to help with that awkward in-between haircuts stage, but she wasn’t a freak. Paige then pointed to her thick glasses. Colton laughed when she crossed her eyes and made a silly face. Her pointing finger then moved down to her chest.
“And I’m flat as a wall! Not flattering.”
Colton looked away.
“So, no… I don’t need help. Maybe in five years, we’ll see.”
“I doubt you’ll need help in five years,” Colton met her eyes again and smiled. “You’re a great person, I’m sure this Clint guy will scoop you up once you hit high school. How much older is he?”
“Oh, I don’t know… fifteen, sixteen?” Paige shrugged. “Thanks for walking me back Colton—oh, I think Zoe might be in Italy.”
Colton felt like he’d been slapped. “What is she doing there?”
“Work, I think… or maybe that Ben guy took her,” Paige answered. Something about the sideways glance in his direction catapulted Colton’s shock to rage.
“What!” Colton shouted. “He took her to Italy?”
“I don’t know!” Paige exclaimed. “I said I think… she mentioned it a day ago. You don’t call her?”
“I’m giving her space,” Colton grumbled.<
br />
Perhaps he was giving too much space if that asshole doctor was taking her to Italy.
There was no way that was going to happen. No way at all. If anyone was going to take Zoe to Italy it was him. He looked at Paige and found her watching him curiously.
“Are you just telling me this to egg me on?”
“No!” Paige exclaimed. “She said something about going to Italy when we talked last night, but she seemed rushed and couldn’t talk about it much. I don’t know. Call Minnie.”
“Don’t worry I will,” Colton said. “Have fun in school.” Paige nodded and ran up the stairs, her backpack bobbing as she went. Colton pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Minnie’s number. As the phone began to ring he headed back to his shop. Colton couldn’t let Zoe go to Italy without him; with another man. If she hadn’t left yet he was going over to her place to talk face-to-face. If she was there already, he was getting on a plane.
Minnie answered on the fourth ring.
“Is Zoe going to Italy with the asshole doctor?”
“Hello to you too, Colt,” Minnie said her voice calm and easy. He heard her tell someone that she was talking to her brother. “Zoe’s in Italy now actually.”
“What?” Colton cried stopping so quickly a guy ran into him and cursed him out. “When did she leave?”
“She left last night,” Minnie answered. “It’s for work, she’s not with the doctor—
although I don’t know why I’m telling you that.”
“How long is she going to be there?” Colton started walking again, but his heart didn’t stop racing. The idea of Zoe being overseas, without him, left an unsettling feeling in his stomach.
“A few days maybe,” Minnie answered. “Her boss dropped it on her last minute; he wanted her there to meet a client. She barely had time to pack a bag.” Colton didn’t know what to say so he didn’t say anything. He slipped into his shop and headed to the back room. “She’s not going to get away from you or anything, Colt. She wouldn’t do that, no matter where you two stood in your relationship. She wouldn’t just leave.”
“She didn’t tell me she was going,” Colt said as he sat down at his desk. He accessed his email and frowned. No messages from Zoe. “She didn’t email me either.”
“I’m sure she wanted to,” Minnie said. “She talked about it, but I told her not to.”
“Why?” Colton cried. With a moan he dropped his forehead to the desk top. “Why are you making this difficult for me?”
“Because you deserve to sweat a little, Colton,” she snapped. He could hear her mounting ire, but didn’t care.
“So wait… Zoe’s ignoring me as payback?” Colton exclaimed. She didn’t seem like the type of person, which led him to believe that it was really his sister enacting payback on him for hurting her best friend and dashing the hopes she had of a sister-in-law that she actually liked. “Look, Minnie, I’ve learned my lesson, okay? Just tell Zoe to come home.”
“Aww,” Minnie cooed. “That is so cute you know— home.” Colton blushed, “I know it sounds corny, but that’s how I think of it. I feel… at home when she’s with me. Look—” he growled when she sighed dreamily “—I’m not going to let you play these games anymore. Paige stopped by a second ago, you can let her know that her little appearance worked, I’m officially going crazy with worry that I’m losing Zoe.”
“Paige saw you today?” Minnie asked; she sounded genuinely shocked. “That wasn’t planned.”
“It’s all planned, trust me,” Colton grumbled. “I don’t want to play games anymore, Min, tell me what I need to do to get Zoe back.”
“You don’t need to do anything, Colton,” Minnie said. “Just kiss her and she’s yours.”
“It’s not that simple,” Colton stammered.
“Maybe it is,” his sister sighed. “I gotta run. See you at the parents’ place tonight?” Colton groaned—he’d forgotten about dinner at their parents. “Yeah, see you.” He hung up the phone and spent the next hour debating with himself whether or not he should email Zoe or not. He chose not, but it was difficult to following through with that decision.
She was gone for an entire week. At first Colton thought that Minnie and Paige were screwing with him and Zoe was still on the island, but confirmation with Zoe’s assistant Francine killed that assumption. Zoe was in Rome with Mr. Mallory and would be back that night, according to her assistant. Colton left a message asking Zoe to come and see him when she got back. He wasn’t sure that she would, but he left the message anyway. If anything, she would hear his voice and know that he wasn’t done trying to win her back.
Whether she would come to him or not was another matter.
Luckily, Colton became swamped with work and had very little time to sit and worry about losing Zoe. He still thought about her despite his busy schedule. He’d probably never stop thinking about her.
Colton spent that entire day driving around the city making deliveries himself because his normal driver was out sick with strep. He thought about her all day long and did a double-take at every brunette Zoe’s height and weight who passed him. She was on his mind while he ate lunch at O’Shea’s, which probably wasn’t the best place to eat when he was trying not to think about her too much.
It was accurate to say that Zoe had consumed him. He felt slightly foolish for needing someone so bad. For possibly needing someone who didn’t need him anymore.
The foolish feeling worsened when his last delivery took him to Central Park. It had been raining all afternoon and he was already pretty wet having to run around with flowers all day. It was the last stop of the evening and the rain was coming down harder than before.
Colton fully intended to get out, grab the flowers, deliver them to the event, and get back into the van without getting any wetter. The getting out part was fine, as was grabbing the flowers quickly, but what held him up was spotting two girls in neon pink rain boots about two hundred yards away splashing in puddles. He stopped just outside the cover of the tent and watched the girls. The rain soaking into his clothes had little effect on him.
“Hey, we’ve been waiting for you,” A woman called from the opening of the tent. Colton ducked inside and carried the box to a waiting table. She had brown hair and smelled similar to Zoe. Colton stared at her so hard the woman blushed and smiled. “So, is this it?”
Shaking himself alert, Colton shook his head no and headed back out for the other two boxes. He looked for the girls in rain boots again, but they were gone. He hauled the last two boxes inside, got paperwork signed, and then hurried back to his van. He didn’t know what forced him to drive around Central Park in search of the puddle hoppers, but he did.
He looped around twice before he spotted them heading across a grassy field. He parked the van and jumped out.
“ZOE!”
He saw the smaller one turn at the sound of his shout. She pointed in his direction. He would never be able to describe the elation he felt when she acknowledged him and waved. Nor would he be able to explain the pain that crushed his chest when Zoe took a hold of Paige’s arm and pulled her away. Without thinking, he ran toward them. He ignored the rain and the water that rushed into his sneakers making them squish and suck with each step. He ran as fast as he could through rain that was definitely coming down harder than before.
“Zoe wait!”
Again Paige stopped only to have Zoe tug her away.
“Zoe!”
Colton slid to a stop a few feet from them and cursed.
“How do you know my name?” The little girl had blond hair, not red, and the woman with her was an older copy of the blond girl, and about nineteen, Colton guessed.
Definitely not Zoe. His heart sank with disappointment as the older girl stood in front of the younger who probably wasn’t even ten yet.
“Look, perv,” the teenager growled. “I don’t know you—but I do know karate and I will kick your ass if you touch my sister Zoe.”
Colton held up his hands. �
��I’m sorry I thought you two were someone else. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He backed up as he spoke.
The little girl peeked around her sister and smiled a toothless grin at him. He smiled back and then turned and ran back to his waiting van feeling incredibly stupid.
He sat in the driver’s seat for a few minutes, dripping water all over the place. He used his wet hands to push dripping water from his face and started the engine back up.
“You’re losing it Philips,” he muttered as he glanced down at his phone to see if he had any missed messages—he hadn’t.
The drive back to his shop was a sad one. He felt stupid for running after two strangers like a mad man. More than that, he felt out of control with desperation. Really, no man should be so hung up on a woman. The last thing he wanted was to become blind to reality as he had with Cara—he wanted to approach things with Zoe rationally. To do that, he needed to take a step back from the intensity of his feelings for her and just relax.
Maybe if he chilled out a little, she’d come to him.
He used the rest of his drive back to calm down and was feeling pretty good about things when he parked behind the shop, wedging the van so closely to the building he had to crawl through the back doors to get out. Thunder above welcomed lightening and soon the rain was dumping in buckets and he was soaked through again. Still he ran to get out of the rain and exploded through the back doors.
“Oh!”
His heart leapt to his throat at Zoe’s startled cry; he jumped as glass shattered on the cement floor. She stood near his restock shelves with her hands covering her mouth. She was wearing a white skirt that reached her knees, sandals, and a sleeveless blouse made from an airy light-yellow fabric. The shirt revealed her toned arms and dipped low to reveal the soft curves of her breasts. She looked like a tough of spring. She looked like an angel. Bright blue shards of glass from one of his new vases had exploded like a star in front of her feet. A piece of glass had even come to rest before his sodden tennis shoe and he was a good fifteen feet from Zoe.
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