by Tara Randel
She turned and walked away, her stomach in knots. That was what she got for hoping she’d finally met a man worth being attracted to. Worth getting to know.
Disappointed yet again.
What made it worse was that she’d have a hard time getting Dylan out of her mind. He’d managed to affect her so quickly, so thoroughly. And to make matters worse, she’d be running into him for the remainder of the convention.
Why couldn’t life ever be easy?
* * *
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, Kady rose with a headache. Sleep the night before had been hit-and-miss and she was up before dawn. She kept picturing Dylan’s face when he introduced her to his mother. So while she lay awake in bed, questions tumbled one over the other, competing to make her crazy. Had he known all along that Jasmine was Kady’s competition? He had seemed as surprised as Kady when she came face-to-face with his mother. And if so, was that why he kissed her? To sidetrack her?
Every time she thought about the kiss, about how her heart pounded and she enjoyed every tantalizing second, she felt the fool. Maybe it hadn’t meant anything to him, but it had to her, and the events afterward burned.
She’d tossed, turned and punched her pillow so often she lost count. But the thing that bothered her the most was the underlying disappointment. Dylan had quickly drawn her attention. She found herself thinking about him frequently. Wondering if maybe this was the start of a new relationship. He might have said he didn’t know anything about the competition, but how could she know for sure? She’d have to trust him, and frankly, she just wasn’t sure. Look what happened with Brad.
So she’d pick up her chin, hold her head high and win the competition. Right after she went to the shop to sign off on the delivery from the local flower wholesaler. After a long shower and a bracing cup of coffee, she quickly dressed in a bright pink top, black pants and comfortable shoes. Tossing a denim jacket into her tote in case she needed it at some point during the day, she hurried to the shop for the early flower delivery.
“Hey, Tommy,” she greeted the young man as she met him by the back door. After disarming the security system, he carried in her order, followed by a young man she’d never seen before.
“Ms. Lawrence.”
“Who’s your friend?”
He set the container on the worktable. “Oh, this is Scott. The new guy.”
Scott chuckled. “I’m shadowing Tommy until I get a route of my own.”
“Fun,” Tommy muttered.
Kady nodded. Work drama. Everyone experienced it.
She inspected the colorful blooms, pleased with the freshness of the flowers, as well as the brightness. While Tommy went out for another container, Scott stood by the door, shoving his hands in and out of his pockets. Clearly he didn’t know what to do. Tough being the newbie, Kady decided as she separated the flowers into groups, keeping an eye on him as she readied to construct the two arrangements before going to the conference.
Tommy returned with the container of stephanotis, one part of the flower combination for her competition bouquet. The other blooms would come later. She ran her fingers over the white petals, visualizing the finished creation.
“You ordered more than usual. Something special coming up?”
“You could say so.”
The young man grinned at her. “A secret?”
Kady smiled. This secret would remain hers alone. Tonight she’d bring these flowers back to her apartment for safekeeping. She turned her attention from the flowers to the driver. “Sorry you have to make two stops here this week. I hired a new employee, and with the convention going on, things are a little out of the ordinary.”
“No big deal. The boss understands.”
“Good. My special order will be here early Sunday?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tommy handed her a clipboard. “It’s what we do.”
Kady took the board and pen to sign off on the invoice. As she scribbled her name, Christine walked in.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Kady said. “I want you to meet Tommy. You’ll be seeing him a lot since we’re regulars on his route.” She handed the board back. “And this is Scott, who’s new.”
Scott had wandered over to the organized shelving that took up a large percentage of the wall. He jumped when he heard his name, then turned and nodded to Christine. “Hey.”
“Oh, Tommy, while I’m thinking about it. Do you have a reinforced box, about this size, in your truck?” She held out her hands to indicate a medium-sized space.
“Don’t you have that size here?”
“No. I need to transport something home.”
“I should.” He turned to his helper, who was wandering the shop, not paying attention. “Scott, go out to the van. In the right back corner is a stack of medium-sized boxes. Bring them here.”
“Got it.” Scott jogged outside, returning a few minutes later with the boxes.
“Just place them on the counter,” she instructed. “Are you sure you don’t need them?”
Tommy shrugged. “Keep ’em. We’ve got plenty.”
Kady grinned. “Thanks. You’re the best.”
Tommy smiled and dropped his head, but not before Kady noticed his face turning red. She took the copy of the invoice Tommy handed her when, to her surprise, Will walked in the room. She blinked. Deliberately held up her wrist to check her watch.
“Why are you here?”
“What? I can’t stop by the shop?”
“At this hour?” She scowled at him. “Dad called you, didn’t he?”
“He asked me to check in early, yes.”
Kady threw up her hands.
“It’s nothing personal, sis.”
“It is to me.”
Christine turned to Will. “You didn’t have to come by at this hour. I told you I have the shop under control while Kady’s at the convention.”
“Look, I’m not out to throw anyone under the bus.”
“Um, we’re gonna take off,” Tommy announced to the room. “C’mon, Scott.”
Kady followed them to the door. “Thanks again. Tell Mr. Ness, too.”
“Will do.” Tommy jogged to the truck and jumped behind the wheel.
Kady closed the door to find Christine and her brother arguing. Arguing? And then she remembered Christine’s comment about Will not needing to stop by this morning.
“So, you two know each other?”
Will eyed Christine. “You told me to come by and meet her. I did.”
Hmm. Were Christine’s cheeks red?
“And...” Kady prompted.
“We ate dinner together.” Will shrugged. “I filled her in on what it’s like to be a florist.”
Right. And in her spare time, Kady masqueraded as the Easter Bunny.
“I hope that’s not a problem?” Christine added, a frown wrinkling her brow.
Actually, it worked in Kady’s favor. If Will focused on a woman, the attention would be off her.
“Not for me.” She scowled at her brother. “Be nice.”
“I’m always nice.”
Kady decided to take the high road and not respond.
“Do you need any help?” Christine asked. “Since the shop doesn’t open for an hour yet.”
“When we were talking last night, Christine expressed an interest in learning how to make arrangements,” Will added.
Kady carried the container of stephanotis to the workroom cooler, enjoying the sweet scent of the blossoms. “I’d love it. With Mom gone, all the designing will fall on me.” She glanced at a huge wall calendar. “I have the Smith-Thompson wedding in two weeks, plus the everyday arrangements. Another pair of hands would be appreciated.”
“I’m a beginner,” Christine reminded her.
“Which is
great. I can teach you how we prefer things to be done.”
Her employee smiled. Kady covertly glanced at her brother, who only had eyes for Christine. He must have noticed her because he shifted to meet Kady’s gaze and frowned.
“I should get to my office.”
“Go,” Kady shooed. “We have work to do. You’ll only distract us.”
“Then I’ll see you later. Both of you.”
Christine waved in his direction. Kady sent him a knowing smile. Will hesitated, then exited via the back door.
Kady let out a mock sigh. “I thought he’d never leave.”
“Really? Because I thought it was nice of him to check and make sure I can handle the store.”
With a laugh, Kady took the long-stem pink gladiolus from the container to add to the already cut greenery. The pungent aromas of eucalyptus and the sweeter flowers were like a symphony to her senses. “I was kidding. And it was nice of Will to stop by.”
“Oh.” Christine blinked. “Look, if I shouldn’t see him...”
“You’re seeing him?”
“No. I mean...we had dinner last night. Will filled me in on the town and the other merchants.” Christine bit her lower lip. “Do you mind?”
“I can’t stop you.”
Christine blew out a breath. “It was nice to have someone to talk to. I haven’t been here long enough to make any friends.”
“Will is a great guy. I’m sure you’ll be good friends.” Or more, but for now Kady could only speculate. Still, the heat level in the room had risen at least ten degrees when the two exchanged glances. “So, back to work. How about flower arranging 101?”
“I’m ready.”
While Kady gathered supplies, she went over the list of items Christine should be familiar with. Foam, stem tape, glass vases. First, they separated daisies for one group, a colorful array of yellow roses, orange and purple lilies for another.
“I always make at least two arrangements for the shop cooler. We have walk-in customers, so I like to have these ready. Next I make the preorders and store them back here. Since I’ll be at the convention most of the day, do you mind making deliveries?”
“Not at all. If I can figure out how to get around Cypress Pointe.”
“If you need help, call Will.”
“I’ll try on my own first. How else to learn about the town?”
“Good point.”
As Kady moved through the steps, Christine watched and asked questions. By the second arrangement, Christine was working alone, slowly, but with good form.
“What are those white flowers you put in the cooler?” Christine asked.
“Stephanotis. I’m using them in a wedding bouquet.”
“They’re lovely.”
“Aren’t they? They represent marital happiness.”
“Do you always use flowers with romantic meaning for brides?”
“I like to.” Kady moved some of the blossoms around and stepped back to view her creation. “When I tell clients the meaning behind the flowers, it makes their selection personal. That’s my hook with brides.”
“I bet you have your wedding-bouquet flowers picked out.”
Kady laughed. “Maybe. Someday.”
Although when she thought about it, the bouquet she planned to display this weekend had taken hold of her. She supposed that when she finally did walk down the aisle, the design would be hers.
“Besides, there are no potential candidates for groom in my life at the moment.” Dylan’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. She blinked him, and the residual hurt, away.
Christine placed the last stem in her mix. “I hear you.”
In the time remaining until she went to the convention, Kady made up the orders. She answered any last-minute questions Christine voiced and made notes about any situations Christine might find herself facing during the day.
“I’m running a bit late,” Kady said, removing the lid of the top box from the stack Tommy left behind for her. Into the box she deposited a pair of shears, tape and the wire she would need to work on her mock-up bouquet at home. She looked around to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything and asked Christine, “Would you mind carrying the boxes to my car? I’ll pop the trunk.”
“Sure.”
Before Christine started to lift the stack of boxes, Kady stopped her. “Hold on a sec.” Removing a heavy cut-crystal vase from the shelf, she added it to the items in the top box and replaced the lid.
Christine hefted the boxes. “Goodness. This is a heavy load.”
“Do you want me to carry the vase? It’s probably weighing you down.”
“Nope. I got it. This is experience for when I make deliveries.”
As they went outside, Kady pointed her keyless remote at her trunk. “I’ll check in later, but please call me if you need anything.”
“I’ll be fine,” Christine assured her, placing the cartons inside and closing the trunk.
Shouldering her tote, Kady gazed at the shop. Her heart pinched at the idea of losing this place. No way could she let that happen.
* * *
DYLAN HURRIED DOWN the stairs from the second-floor office of Sanders Security after an early meeting with Max to go over new information. He’d received more intel on the guys hanging around the marina, complete with pictures from Max and copies of arrest records the police chief shared. Kady’s brother’s name came up again, which bothered Dylan. There were multiple persons of interest in Cypress Pointe, but so far none were connected to Esposa.
In Dylan’s mind, the only interesting person he’d met so far was Kady. And he’d pretty much blown it with her. Maybe if he’d paid more attention to what his mother was doing at the convention he wouldn’t have landed in this mess. He’d been focused on Esposa when he should have gotten the lowdown from his mother. That would teach him. Beautiful, funny women didn’t come his way often. He wanted to make things right with Kady.
He stepped on the sidewalk, taking his sunglasses from his shirt pocket to shield his eyes from the morning glare. Only nine, but the sun shone in full force. He dreaded sitting through workshops all day when he’d rather be outdoors, but if he wanted to keep his cover, he had to act interested in the scheduled events. Only a few more days, but if it got him closer to Esposa, he could endure it.
He’d just turned in the direction of the Grand Cypress Hotel when he noticed Kady leave her floral shop. As she tossed her hair and hitched a bag over her shoulder, he admired her confidence. It was one of the first things that drew his attention when he’d first laid eyes on her.
He had some groveling to do. Might as well do it en route to the hotel. Picking up his pace, he jogged down the sidewalk to catch Kady. His thigh screamed at the exertion, but Dylan ignored the discomfort. At least he didn’t fall on his face like he had in rehab after the shooting.
“Kady. Hold up.”
When she didn’t stop, he increased his pace. “Kady.”
Finally she halted and glanced around, confusion on her lovely face. “I hear a buzzing noise but can’t find the pest that goes with it.” She met his gaze. “Must be you.”
“Okay, I probably deserved that.”
She continued walking.
“I told you I’m sorry for the misunderstanding.”
“Fine. Doesn’t mean I want to talk to you.”
“Don’t you think you’re being a little juvenile?”
She swung around. “Coming from the guy who deliberately misled me?”
“Never. I didn’t know about your history with my mother.”
“And you expect me to believe you?”
“Yes.”
He watched skepticism cross her features. She was struggling, which meant he might be able to salvage the entire mess. He waited, absently rubbing
his thigh, allowing her the first chance to say something.
“Is your leg bothering you?”
“A little.”
“What happened?”
“Work injury.”
“I’m guessing it wasn’t floral-related.”
He shook his head, fighting a smile. “No.”
“That’s the first thing you’ve said that I actually believe. I never really bought your connection as a florist, or anything closely related.”
She was quick; he’d give her that. He’d have to watch himself to keep from revealing his undercover status.
“My dad died about six years ago. Since then, one of my brothers or I accompany my mom to the convention. It’s been five years since I’ve attended, so I tagged along. Decided to step up this year.”
At his admission, he saw Kady soften. “So you really aren’t snooping around to discover my secret?”
“Do I look like a guy who knows what kind of flower goes in a bouquet?”
He liked the grin that tentatively crossed her lips. “No. There’s something about you. I can’t put my finger on it, but flower guy? No.”
“Then what do you say we start over?” He held out his hand. “Dylan Matthews. Son of Jasmine Matthews, who is apparently the queen of the bouquets. I am not trying now, nor have I ever tried, to coerce floral secrets from anyone, but most definitely, not from you.”
After a few static moments, she took his hand. “Kady Lawrence. Florist, bouquet competition runner-up. I agree you aren’t trying to pilfer secrets about my entry to give your mother an edge.” She sighed. “Your mom is good. She doesn’t need an edge.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“While I was blindsided last night, I have to admit, you haven’t asked any questions about my design.”
“Then we can start over? Take up where we left off?”
He hoped she was thinking about their kiss as much as he was.
She pointed a finger at him. “I’m still keeping an eye on you. I don’t want to inadvertently give you any information you can pass along to your mother.”
“If keeping an eye on me means we hang out together, I’ll deal with it.”