Tie the Knot in Good Hope

by Cindy Kirk

  “Just teasing.” Emotion suddenly darkened her blue eyes. “What would I do without you?”

  Unable to keep his hands to himself, Owen slid them up then down her arms. “I’m not going anywhere, so you won’t ever find out.”

  He didn’t understand why she insisted on going into the Enchanted Florist to help a woman who’d fired her. This morning of all mornings. It made no sense. Despite what the doctor said, she should be resting.

  Lindsay’s gaze shifted to the front door.

  Owen thought he heard her sigh.

  “I’ll bring you breakfast in bed if you stay.” It was a Hail Mary attempt, but it could work. They’d shared fruit and the coffee cake he’d picked up yesterday at the Daily Grind, but she was eating for two and—

  “Naked?”

  He blinked. “Pardon?”

  Lindsay inclined her head, her gaze speculative. “Would you be naked when you brought me breakfast in bed?”

  The devilish twinkle in her eyes had him grinning. “If that’s what it takes to get you to stay.”

  Her laughter filled the room. “Your offer is oh-so-tempting, but I promised Shirley I’d be there. Besides, I’m sure you have lots of work waiting for you at the garage.”

  Lindsay grabbed her bag and pulled out her keys.

  Owen graciously conceded defeat. “What time will you be finished there?”

  “Definitely by one.”

  “I’ll stop by then and take you to lunch.” When he saw her indecision, he sweetened the deal. “You pick the place.”

  Lindsay hesitated. “Don’t you have to work?”

  “I have an in with the boss. Besides…” Owen leaned close and whispered, “You and I, Miss Lohmeier, have important things to discuss.”

  Her smile wavered. “We do?”

  “We need to pick a name for our little one.”

  She blinked, and relief flooded her face. “We have plenty of—”

  “What do you think of Odessa?”

  “What? Odessa?” Her brows slammed together. “No.”

  “Okay.” Owen swiped the air with a finger. “Consider that one crossed off the list.”

  Her eyes widened. “You have a list?”

  “Don’t you?”

  The fact that he was teasing appeared to finally register. She gave his arm a playful punch. “You rascal. Okay, lunch at one. Don’t forget to bring your list.”

  After Lindsay left, Owen decided he had to make a stop before heading to the garage. He had too much on his mind to work right now, anyway.

  “I miss you, kiddo.” Owen’s voice was thick as he scooped up loose dirt at the base of the headstone and let it sift through his fingers. “You’d be an awesome big sister. Lindsay, well, she’d be a fabulous stepmom. I-I just know if you were here, things would be different.

  “The baby is a little girl,” Owen continued, blinking rapidly. “This afternoon, Lindsay and I are going to talk about names. I told her we should call her Odessa…”

  Despite the threatening tears, Owen chuckled, knowing his daughter would get the joke.

  His smile faded as his gaze settled on the headstone made of rose-colored granite. Mindy’s monument was an angel holding a rose with the wing draped over the top of the headstone. A picture of Mindy in her flower-girl dress smiled back at him.

  “Sometimes, I don’t think I can make it through the day. Being without you hurts so much.” The familiar tightness wrapped around his chest and squeezed out a few tears.

  For the first few months after Mindy’s death, he’d come to the cemetery every day to talk to her. Guilt sluiced through him as he realized his last visit had been nearly two weeks ago.

  Owen gently brushed the leaves from the top of the stone and had to smile. How many times had he picked leaves and grass from Mindy’s hair? Though his daughter loved all things pink and frilly, she’d also liked to play hard and hadn’t been afraid to get dirty.

  “You were the best daughter.” Tears slipped down his cheeks. “I was lucky to be your dad.”

  Lost in the memories, Owen wasn’t sure how long he’d stood there when the sound of a man clearing his throat had him swiping away the tears and whirling.

  “I hope I’m not intruding.”

  The minister stood a couple of feet away. Dan lifted the bouquet of pink rosebuds. “I was looking over some paperwork for Mindy’s Closet and felt called to visit her today.”

  Stepping around him, Dan laid the roses at the foot of the monument. “Mindy was an amazing child. I have no doubt she’s keeping everyone in heaven entertained.”

  It was the belief that Mindy was now happy and no longer in pain that kept Owen sane.

  “Have you ever lost someone close to you?” In all the times he and Dan had spoken, Owen had never asked the question. He wasn’t sure why he asked it now.

  “A friend in seminary. But no one as close as a daughter.”

  “It’s like someone reaches inside your chest and rips out your heart.” Owen gave a humorless chuckle. “But not just one time. Day after day after day. I can’t do it again. I won’t do it again.”

  “Hopefully, you won’t have to for a long, long time.” Dan hesitated. “Still, loss is a part of life.”

  “Stop, Dan. Just stop.” Anger mingled with pain, so tightly woven that Owen couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. “Lindsay’s pregnant.”

  Surprise skittered across Dan’s face.

  “The baby is a girl.” Owen gestured to the monument. “I was just telling Mindy the news.”

  “You and Lindsay are together.”

  Owen heard the question in the statement, and he resented the hell out of it. “Didn’t I just say we’re having a baby?”

  Ignoring the sarcasm, Dan studied him for a long moment. “You seem upset.”

  “I want to marry Lindsay.” He clenched his jaw so tightly a muscle jumped. “She won’t marry me.”

  Dan took a seat on an ornate iron bench near the grave, an indication he wasn’t going anywhere. “That surprises me.”

  “Lindsay wants love.”

  “She wants you to love her, and you don’t.”

  Owen ignored the statement. His gaze returned to the monument, to Mindy’s gap-toothed grin, and his heart shattered all over again.

  “I won’t put myself in the position to lose someone I love again,” he murmured.

  The problem was, Owen knew he was already there.

  “If Lindsay is having your baby, you have an obligation to her.”

  “She won’t marry me.” It took every ounce of inner strength for Owen not to shout. “If you’re concerned I’m going to abandon her and my child, I’m telling you straight up that’s not happening.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “It probably would have been best if she’d married you.” Owen dropped down on the bench, overcome with weariness.

  “Lindsay knows her own mind. She wanted you, not me.” Dan’s gaze searched his face. “I believe this will all work out as Mindy hoped.”

  Owen scowled. “What do you mean?”

  “Mindy and I had several conversations about death. She had a strong faith.” Dan met Owen’s gaze. “There was only one thing that worried her.”

  “Why am I only hearing about this now?” The belligerence returned, but Owen didn’t care. If his daughter had been worried about something, he should have been told. He would have moved heaven and earth to ease her fears.

  “She was worried about you.” Dan’s expression softened. “Mindy knew you’d miss her, and she didn’t want you to be sad. I assured her you would eventually find joy again. I think she’d be happy knowing you have Lindsay and a new baby coming.”

  “Mindy always thought of others first.”

  “Isn’t that what love is?” Dan placed a hand on Owen’s shoulder. “Putting the needs of others before our own needs and fears?”

  Owen nodded slowly, his thoughts turning to Lindsay.

  She’d told him what she
needed.

  The next step was up to him.

  Lindsay leaned back on the park bench and let the sun warm her face. It would have been a shame to eat inside on such a beautiful day. When she texted Owen that the park sounded like the perfect place for their discussion, he’d met her promptly at one, brown-bag lunches from Muddy Boots in hand.

  Owen gave her shoulder a bump with his. “You look relaxed and happy.”

  “Getting a sack lunch from Muddy Boots was the best idea ever.” She gazed down at the Honeycrisp apple in her hand and took a bite. “The turkey and gouda panini was spectacular. Ami mentioned a few weeks ago the sandwich was a big hit, but this was my first time trying one.”

  “I’m not big on turkey, but I agree it had a really good flavor.” He paused. “I swear I tasted brown sugar.”

  “Your taste buds are on target. There’s honey mustard, onions, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Oh, and cranberry butter.”

  “Whatever the ingredients, it was darn good.” Owen slanted a sideways glance. “You haven’t said much about your morning.”

  She gave a dismissive laugh. “We were too busy chowing down on the sandwiches.”

  “We’re done now.” He made a go-ahead motion with one hand. “How’s life at the floral shop?”

  “Before she left, Shirley told the girls to divvy the work into thirds.” Lindsay made a face. “They didn’t. I ended up doing mostly cleanup stuff.”

  “That had to be disappointing.”

  She shrugged. “Tell me about your morning.”

  “I went to the cemetery.”

  Lindsay slowly lowered her half-eaten apple.

  “I ran into Dan there.”

  “Was there a funeral?”

  “What? No. He was bringing flowers to Mindy’s grave.” Owen met her gaze. “I told him about the baby.”

  Lindsay closed her eyes.

  “It just came out.”

  “It’s okay.” She gave a weak smile. “My mom. Now the minister who was once my fiancé.”

  He leaned over and kissed her. “All downhill from here.”

  “How did Dan take the news?”

  “He said Mindy wanted me to be happy. Dan thinks she’d be happy knowing you and I are together and having a baby.”

  “That was nice of him to say.”

  “I believe it, too.” Owen slipped a lock of hair behind her ear. “Speaking of the baby, I think it’s time our girl had a name.”

  Our girl. Lindsay liked the sound of that, liked it a lot. “What do you think of gender-neutral names?”

  “Gender neutral?”

  “You know, a name that can work for a boy or girl.”

  His brows pulled together in puzzlement. “I thought that’s why we found out the sex, so we could pick a girl name.”

  Lindsay wondered if all couples having a baby chose the name together. Probably. Unless one of the partners wasn’t involved or just didn’t care. Not Owen, she thought. He was fully involved, and she loved him for it. “I’m glad you want to do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Argue about names.”

  “Are we arguing?”

  “Not yet.” She grinned. “But we may be, once we compare lists.”

  During her break at the Enchanted Florist, Lindsay had written down several favorite names. She reached into her purse for the paper and wasn’t surprised to see Owen pulling one from his pocket.

  “Let’s see how many we match.” The eagerness in her voice surprised her.

  “Yes. Let’s.”

  A minute later, they both sat back. Lindsay rolled her eyes. “What are the odds? Not a single name in common.”

  “I can’t believe you listed Riley. I played football with a Riley.”

  “I didn’t even think of it being gender neutral,” she admitted. “And the flower names on your list definitely have to go. The Bloom family has those names sewed up in this town.”

  “Understood.” Owen pushed to his feet. “Once we come up with more names, we’ll do this again. And hey, maybe there’ll be several we both like.”

  Lindsay frowned, disappointed. “You’re leaving?”

  “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.” He smiled. “Since you have the afternoon free, I thought we could look at furniture for the nursery.”

  Lindsay’s heart simply melted. Reluctantly, she shook her head. “I’m not sure I’ll still be in my apartment when the baby comes.”

  “Then we’ll do the nursery in my house first. Hopefully, I’ll convince you we belong together, so we only have to do one nursery. But”—he lifted a hand as if to ward off her protest—“if not, once we finish with mine, we’ll start on yours.”

  Although an afternoon of shopping for baby furniture with Owen sounded like heaven, Lindsay stifled a sigh. “I’d love to, but I don’t have the money right now.”

  “My baby. My house.” He pulled her to her feet. “My money. Today’s shopping spree is on me.”

  Instead of stepping away, Lindsay looped her arms around his neck and gazed up at him. “You’re a pretty good guy.”

  He tapped her nose with his finger. “Remember that when I present you with my next list of names.”

  Twenty-Four

  Anticipation had Owen taking the steps to Lindsay’s apartment two at a time. Though they didn’t have plans for tonight, he hoped to tempt her with dinner or a movie. Maybe both.

  He knocked on her door and waited. When he received no response, he knocked again.

  “Just a minute.” Lindsay’s voice sounded from inside the apartment.

  A moment later, she opened the door. She wore yoga pants and an oversized faded tee and had pulled her hair back in a ponytail. Lines of fatigue edged her eyes. “Owen. This is a nice surprise.”

  He smiled and leaned over to kiss her. “You texted you were having a bad day. I came to see if I could cheer you up. Maybe take you out for dinner? Or we could catch a movie?”

  She stepped back and motioned him inside. “It’s sweet of you to stop by, but as you can see, I’m right in the middle of something.”

  Lindsay gestured toward the kitchen where a long, folding table had been taken over by buckets of flowers.

  He cocked his head. “Are you doing a little moonlighting for Shirley?”

  Lindsay gave a self-conscious-sounding laugh. “Actually, going back to the Enchanted Florist was a bad move. Today, I’d had enough. The girls were—”

  She paused as if trying to find the words, then gave up. “It just didn’t work out.”

  “What’s with all this, then?”

  “A last-minute wedding job for a bride in Egg Harbor.” Lindsay moved behind the long table that swallowed up all the space in the tiny kitchen. “The friends who offered to make up the bouquets for her wedding tomorrow backed out at the last minute.”

  “And you stepped in.”

  “I was happy to get the business.” Lindsay shifted from one foot to the other. “I don’t want to be rude, Owen, but I really need to get back to this.”

  “I’d like to help.” Owen stepped close, not bothering to hide his eagerness. This was the perfect opportunity to show Lindsay he meant what he said about supporting her. “You tell me what to do, and I’ll do it. I’m a wiz at following directions.”

  “Okay.” She smiled hesitantly. “Let’s get to it.”

  Over the next hour, Owen cut stems, removed leaves and tied ribbon around finished bouquets. They quickly fell into a relaxed rhythm.

  While she arranged big burgundy carnations, tiny white carnations, baby’s breath and some glossy, waxy foliage called salal into amazing bouquets, he learned more about her week.

  “Working at the Enchanted Florist wasn’t a good fit anymore.” With well-practiced expertise, she tied a shiny burgundy ribbon into a knot around the stems before fashioning the strands into a beautiful bow. “While the extra cash was nice, not having to work there will give me more time to focus on growing my business. Especially now that the sel
ler’s permit came through.”

  Lindsay handed him the finished bouquet, and he put it in the bucket beside several others. “That’s the last one.”

  “Do you need me to put the buckets in the refrigerator?”

  “I’m keeping the temperature in the apartment on the cool side. Since the wedding is tomorrow, they’ll be fine.”

  “Why not just put them in the refrigerator?”

  “Flowers and fruits and vegetables don’t mix.” Lindsay tossed the last of the stems into a waste can she’d designated for green waste. “Fresh produce emits chemicals that can wilt, or even kill, flowers.”

  “I learned something new today.” Owen flashed a smile and received an answering one in return. “How about I take these garbage sacks down to the dumpster?”

  “That’d be lovely.” Lindsay stepped close and kissed him lightly on the mouth. “Thank you. You’ve been a great help.”

  Owen found himself whistling as he descended the stairs. As a result of working side by side with Lindsay this evening, he understood her profession in a way he never had before. She had talent. That was evident by the way she’d taken what she’d told him were inexpensive flowers and fashioned them into something beautiful.

  This bride, whoever she was, had hit the jackpot.

  Lindsay had been available to step in and help the bride because Shirley had disappointed her.

  Such was life, he thought.

  He opened the lid of the dumpster and discarded any lingering philosophical thoughts along with the trash.

  Lindsay would get good publicity from this wedding, which would hopefully lead to more business.

  Now that her work was done for the day, she was tired and in need of serious pampering. That’s where he excelled.

  Owen couldn’t wait to begin.

  “Besides the obvious, what exactly goes on at a gender-reveal barbecue?” Owen asked the next evening, his head tilted back to take in Eliza’s impressive home.

  Lindsay laced her fingers with his as they ambled down the stone walkway leading to the back of Eliza and Kyle’s three-story Victorian.

  Even if the invitations hadn’t specified the backyard, the bursts of laughter floating on the air would have told them where to go.