by Cindy Kirk
“What are you doing working so late?” He stopped just inside the door, his tie loosened and his suit jacket slung over his shoulder.
Ellen leaned back in her chair. Steve had been out of town on a case and until now she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed their daily conversations.
“I’ve been reading through some depositions.” She gestured to the stack of papers on her desk.
Steve shook his head. A familiar twinkle filled his eyes. “Don’t you know that all work and no play makes Ellen a dull girl?”
“I know,” she said with a sigh. “But with Nick out of town I don’t have anyone to play with.”
The minute the words left her lips, Ellen realized how they could be construed. But it was too late to call them back.
Steve chuckled. He raised his hands. “I’m not touching that one.”
Ellen laughed out loud. For the first time since Nick had taken off to decide the fate of their relationship, her spirits rose.
“Have you heard from Nick?” Steve asked, his expression nonchalant.
“Not a peep.” Ellen did her best to hide her irritation. She hadn’t understood why Nick had to leave in the first place. Shouldn’t a decision about their future be made together?
She frowned. “He didn’t tell me where he was going and he’s not answering his cell. I spoke with his father in the London office yesterday about a case. He hadn’t heard from him either, but wasn’t concerned. Apparently Nick told him he might be gone for as long as a month. I don’t understand how you can even think about being away from someone you supposedly love for a whole month without calling them.”
Ellen stopped to catch a breath and realized with sudden horror that she’d been babbling. Thankfully, if Steve noticed, he was too kind to mention it.
“I don’t understand how he could leave you,” Steve said gallantly. “If it were me, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight a day, much less a month.”
Ellen looked up to find Steve right there. The cologne wafting off him was one of her favorites. She’d gotten Nick a bottle of it for Christmas but as far as she knew he hadn’t opened it. “You smell delicious.”
His blue eyes darkened for a second. Then he smiled. “Want to grab a burger?”
She’d eaten a fiber bar and apple at her desk. It should have been enough, but suddenly it wasn’t. Ellen glanced at her watch. “Do you think Frank’s will still be open?”
Frank and Irma’s was a small mom-and-pop diner known for their burgers, waffle fries and shakes. Last summer when she and Steve had been working together on a difficult case there had been many late nights. And the diner, just around the corner from the office, had been one of their favorite haunts.
“Say the word and I’ll give ’em a call,” Steve said.
Ellen opened her mouth, fully prepared to say no. After all, she had a steady boyfriend. But the tiny flicker of hope in Steve’s electric blue eyes stopped her. He’d been such a good friend to her. While Nick had forgotten her birthday last month, Steve’s gift had been waiting for her on her desk when she’d gotten to work. In many ways Steve had been better to her than Nick.
What would it hurt to have dinner with him? It wouldn’t be a date, just two colleagues sharing a meal, like old times.
“Give Frank a call.” Ellen reached down and pulled her bag from beneath the desk. “See if that booth by the window is open.”
“Walk, Ms. Brennan,” the voice called out as Lexi rushed past the two south nurse’s station on her way to the stairs.Lexi stopped and immediately turned on her heel. She smiled. “Mary Karen. I didn’t know you were working today.”
“One of the regulars called in sick and they asked me to fill in.” With three small boys, Mary Karen only worked enough to keep her license current. “July’s ankle is doing better so she came over to help Granny watch the boys.”
While Mary Karen’s maternal grandmother lived with her and helped with child care, three boys under the age of five was a lot to handle, even for an active octogenarian.
“I’m glad July could help out,” Lexi said.
Up until a month ago, July had lived with Mary Karen and the two women had shared child-care duties. Since then July had married David, her baby’s father, in a lovely indoor ceremony at Wildwoods. Which reminded Lexi…she had another wedding to plan. She glanced at her watch.
“Somewhere you need to be?” Mary Karen asked.
“I have a four-thirty appointment at Petal Creations. I’m picking out flowers for Hank and Mimi’s wedding.” Lexi saw no reason to mention Jack would be joining her.
Mary Karen’s head tilted. “Why are you picking out their flowers?”
Though Mary Karen’s expression gave nothing away, Lexi could hear the disapproval in her tone.
Lexi had met the twenty-three-year-old Mimi at a hospital “fun run” last year. Her exuberance had drawn Lexi to her. But for some reason neither Mary Karen nor their other friend, Kayla Simpson, had warmed to the girl. They seemed to think Mimi took advantage of Lexi’s friendship. But that wasn’t the case. Mimi had never asked for anything. Lexi had always offered to help.
“Trying to decide between all the different flowers was causing a lot of stress in Mimi and Hank’s relationship,” Lexi said in a casual tone. “I offered to help.”
“If Mimi thinks she’s stressed now, just wait until they have kids.” Mary Karen chuckled. “But enough about her. Book club is tomorrow night and you’re welcome to bring Jack. As long as he understands the guys will watch the kids while we meet.”
“Who’s all coming?” Lexi knew John Simpson and David would probably come with their wives, but something in Mary Karen’s eyes told her a sandy-haired doctor might also be in attendance.
“You know…David and John and…Travis.”
Lexi hid a smile. “Travis is coming?”
“I invited him. Poor pathetic guy doesn’t have a social life,” Mary Karen said with an exaggerated sigh. “Spends all his time with hormone-ridden pregnant women.”
Lexi laughed. She wondered how long it would take before the two admitted they were sweet on each other. “I’ll ask Jack. Thanks for the invitation.”
“David and Travis liked him,” Mary Karen said. “So— Oops, gotta go. Two-fifteen’s call light is on. See you tomorrow.”
Lexi watched her friend sprint down the hall. She smiled and turned toward the stairs. Thankfully this time there were no interruptions. Once she reached the main level Lexi covered the distance to the cafeteria in several long strides. Jack had called earlier to make sure they were still getting together to pick out flowers. Hearing his voice on the other end of the phone had been the bright spot in her day. That scared her.
Then she reminded herself that it was only natural. Jack was a novelty, someone new. And just because she enjoyed spending time with him didn’t mean she was building dreams around him. She was simply being a friend, doing what she could to help him regain his memory.
The cafeteria came into sight and Lexi quickened her steps. She and Jack were to meet at three-forty-five. She was already a few minutes late. Addie would be at school until five for art club. That meant they had a little over an hour to pick out flowers.
Lexi pushed open the glass cafeteria door, smiling at coworkers but not stopping to chat. Her heart began to pound. She told herself it was because she was on such a tight schedule. But when she saw Jack sitting alone at one of the tables and he looked up and smiled, she realized the way she felt had less to do with time and more with the dark-haired man with the warm welcome in his eyes.
Jack saw Lexi coming toward him. He pushed back his chair and stood. It didn’t make sense he should feel so happy to see a woman he’d just met. Last night it had taken all his willpower not to stop by the kitchen to see her.It hadn’t been lack of interest that had kept him away but rather a desire not to be a pest. Since they’d left the hospital Friday afternoon, they’d been together constantly.
He met her halfway across the roo
m, resisting the urge to reach out and take her hands. “You’re looking exceptionally lovely today.”
“Thank you, Jack.” She smiled. “Ready to pick out some flowers?”
“You bet.”
She gestured to the door. “The florist’s shop is only a couple blocks from here. I thought I’d leave my car in the lot and we could walk.”
He glanced down at the spiky heels that accentuated her slender calves as she walked toward the exit. “Are you sure? Those shoes are pretty but they don’t look like they’re made for trudging through the snow.”
The shoes were eel or alligator, black with pointy toes, a flat bow and spiky heels. Jack had the feeling he hadn’t been that observant of woman’s fashions, but for some reason he noticed everything about Lexi. Like her shoes. And the way the black-and-tan dress wrapped around her slender curves. And her hair. Instead of letting it hang loose to her shoulders, today she’d twisted it and pulled it back in an elegant knot.
While he liked the look, if they were alone now he’d ever-so-gently untie the knot and let the thick dark strands fall to her shoulders. Then he’d pull her to him—
“Jack.”
He looked up.
“The shoes will be fine.” The look in her eyes said he was foolish to worry, but he couldn’t help himself. She touched his arm. “C’mon, we only have an hour.”
Quickly slipping on his coat, he reached over and picked up hers. “I know we’re meeting with the florist. Tell me the plan.”
Lexi smiled. It had quickly become apparent that Jack was a man who liked being kept in the loop.
“We’re meeting with Delia Juracek.” Lexi slipped her arms into her coat sleeves as he held it, then buttoned up.
Jack pushed open the exterior door and an icy blast greeted Lexi with a cold slap across her face. “She’s the owner of Petal Creations, a local florist shop. Mimi and Hank met with her last week, so she already knows their budget, the size of the wedding party…that kind of stuff.”
Jack took her arm when they stepped into the cold air. She must have looked surprised because he smiled. “The sidewalks could be slick.”
“Thank you.” Though there was no skin-to-skin contact, merely having him close sent waves of heat coursing through her body.
“So what happened?” Jack asked. “When they met with her?”
Lexi forced her attention away from his closeness and carefully considered how to explain the situation. The soon-to-be bride and groom were nice people. But she feared she’d already given Jack a skewed impression of their character with her wedding planning stories.
Still, she couldn’t lie. “Apparently Mimi wanted to special order some flowers not in season. Hank, well, he hit the roof. A park ranger’s salary only goes so far. But Mimi has never been married before. She wants everything perfect. I can see both sides.”
They’d reached Petal Creations. Despite the cold Jack paused at the door. “Perhaps my brain isn’t working right,” he said. “But if Mimi wants everything so perfect, why is she allowing a friend to pick out her wedding flowers?”
“She trusts me. She knows I’ll do everything I can to make this wedding perfect,” Lexi said. “Hank’s okay with it because he knows I’ll keep it within their budget.”
“It still doesn’t make sense, but I guess it doesn’t have to.” Jack reached around her to open the door. “Tell me again what role I’m to play?”
“Just a guy,” Lexi said with a wink, “who can’t wait to help pick out flowers for his upcoming wedding.”
If her job as a hospital social worker fell through, Jack decided Lexi could have a great future as a wedding planner.She’d come to the meeting with the florist fully prepared with a list of questions. Oddly, Delia appeared more interested in talking to him rather than to Lexi. Jack wasn’t sure why, other than if Hank had “hit the roof” the florist was probably going overboard to make sure he was happy and felt a part of the discussion.
Lexi had even brought along a color swatch of her bridesmaid’s dress, a pink chiffon that made him grimace. Thankfully for Mimi, Lexi could make a sack look good.
“The ceremony will be held outside,” Lexi reminded Delia. “Since it will be a casual event, I was thinking of a hand-tied bouquet made up of an assortment of spring flowers. For the ceremony itself, a floral arch.”
Delia cast a sideways glance at Jack before responding to Lexi. “Would you like to make this color the focal point of the arrangements?”
Lexi’s gaze dropped to the swatch Delia held between her fingers. Though Lexi’s expression never wavered, something told Jack that Pepto-Bismol pink wasn’t her favorite color. “Lex?”
“I say no,” Lexi said. “The pink stands out enough on its own.”
Jack nodded. Very tactfully put.
“Have we answered all of your concerns, Mr. Snow?” Delia asked.
“The only other concern I had was the smell,” he said. “And since it will be an outdoor wedding, the smell of whatever flowers we choose shouldn’t be a problem.”
Delia sat up straight in her chair. “Smell?”
“Jack has a sensitive nose,” Lexi said, offering him an understanding smile. “For some people floral scents can be a real issue.”
“Good to know.” Delia made a note on the paper in front of her. “I’ll avoid tuberose, freesia and gardenias.”
“And roses,” Jack added. “We don’t want roses in any of the arrangements.”
“Absolutely not,” Lexi added, shooting him a wink.
The conversation moved to accessories like boutonnieres and corsages as well as the centerpieces. They scratched the latter off their list. Since the B and B did so many weddings, Coraline would be supplying the centerpieces.
In short order, everything was decided. Lexi seemed perfectly satisfied with the arrangements but Jack still had a few questions. “Can you tell us what kind of guarantees there are regarding freshness, availability and substitutions?”
It must have been a common question because not only didn’t Delia act surprised, she rattled off the answers as if she’d recited them a thousand times before.
“Is that acceptable?” Delia asked.
Jack exchanged a look with Lexi, then nodded.
“Okay, well, here’s the contract.” Delia shoved a piece of paper in front of Lexi and handed her the pen.
“Do you mind if I look at it?” Jack asked Lexi.
She smiled and placed the contract between them. “Two sets of eyes are always better than one.”
Delia moved behind him and leaned forward, her breast pressing against the side of his arm. He supposed he should be flattered by her attention, but all he felt was irritation.
Granted she was aware that these weren’t his wedding flowers, but she had no knowledge of the nature of his relationship with Lexi. Being flirtatious in Lexi’s presence bordered on disrespectful.
“This is our standard contract,” Delia said.
Jack scanned it again. “I don’t see a repercussions clause.”
“What’s that?” Lexi asked.
“It would state the florist’s liability in the event of a delivery snag.” Jack narrowed his gaze. “The refund policy should also be stipulated.”
Delia batted her long lashes at him. “I’d be happy to include that…just for you.”
Jack met her gaze and held it. The florist must have finally seen what he was trying to convey, because she took a step back and broke eye contact.
“Make sure you specifically state what the refund will be if Mimi cancels the order as well as what Petal Creations will pay if they cancel,” Jack added.
Delia straightened. “I always follow through on my orders.”
Jack smiled. “Still, we need it included.”
“I should have the contract ready for you by tomorrow afternoon.” This time Delia focused her entire attention on Lexi. “If you want to bring your checkbook tomorrow, you can sign the contract and we can get the wedding on the books.”
<
br /> “We can stop by and pick up the contract,” Jack said. “But the bride-to-be will be the one signing.”
“I don’t mind—”
“This is a legal agreement.” Jack took a moment to consider his words. He wasn’t about to tell Lexi what she could or couldn’t do, but it was important she understand the ramifications of signing such a document. “If for some reason Mimi doesn’t pay—or something else goes wrong—you could be financially liable.”
To his surprise Lexi lifted her chin in a stubborn tilt. “I really don’t think—”
Impulsively Jack reached over and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it. “Trust me on this one, sweetheart.”
“If it were me,” Delia said with a pointed gaze. “I’d give the man whatever he wants.”
Lexi’s cheeks turned a becoming shade of pink. She grabbed her bag and stood, meeting Jack’s gaze. “Okay.”
“Thank you.” His gaze dropped to her lips and the now-familiar electricity filled the air. Everything faded and it was only her and him.
“I had fun.” Lexi’s gaze never left his.
“Me, too.” He took a step closer and held out his hand.
She placed hers in his. For a long moment neither of them spoke.
“Are you sure you’re not the ones getting married?”
The attraction that had been building between them shattered.
Jack dropped his hand to his side.
Lexi turned to Delia. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I know these flowers aren’t for you,” Delia said. “But if you ask me, you guys are a heck of a lot more compatible than the two who were in here last week.”
Chapter Eight
L exi tried not to think about Delia’s comment while having lunch with Mimi the next day in the hospital cafeteria. The soon-to-be bride had been eager to hear about the flowers she’d be carrying at her wedding.
“No roses at all?” A look of disappointment crossed Mimi’s face.With her hair pulled back in a ponytail and not a hint of makeup on her face, the twenty-three-year old strawberry blonde could pass for a high school student. Though she liked to spend money on clothes—she’d confided to Lexi that the ragged jeans she had on had cost over a hundred dollars—she always looked like she’d just tumbled out of bed.