Page 92 of Crowe
The morning delivery came at seven, same as always.
I heard the truck and had the back door propped open before the driver had the first box off the tailgate. It had taken two months to get the shop remodeled and ready to open, but at this point, I’d been open for four, and we had a rhythm. He handed me the boxes, I checked them against the order, and we exchanged maybe fifteen words in total. Then he was gone, and I was alone in the back room with the smell of fresh stems and flowers.
This was my favorite part. Don’t get me wrong, I loved helping someone pick just the right flower for just the right occasion, but this here, when it was just me and the flowers, was the best.
The shop was small. The old retail space next to Goldie’s had been sitting empty for two years until Wolfe had offered it to me at a rent that I was fairly certain wasn’t market rate, especially for such a great downtown location. I’d accepted without argument because I’d learned to let the people who cared about me do things for me.
I’d named itPeony & Co. My mother’s flower. Prosperity, good fortune, and a happy life.
It felt right.
I was halfway through unpacking a box of pale pink ranunculus when I heard the bell over the front door.
“Be right there,” I called.
“No rush,” a familiar voice called back.
I came out from the back, wiping my hands on my apron. Caden was standing in the middle of the shop in a moss green sweater vest and his usual bow tie. Today’s was a deep burgundy that matched his shoes and somehow worked for the holiday season.
“Hey, Caden. I have your flowers ready.” Caden had been coming in once a week to get flowers for a table that sat betweenWolfe and Hawk’s offices. He said the flowers added a nice calming touch to an area that all too often felt stressful.
“Excellent.” He turned from the display. “Oh, I also need something for the conference room. Wolfe has a client meeting on Thursday, and it’s with a potentially big client. It would mean bringing on new people even, and the room looks—” He made a gesture that communicated his feelings about the conference room’s current state. “I suggested the flowers, and he asked me to handle it.”
I was pretty sure Wolfe couldn’t care less about whether or not the conference room had flowers, but if Caden thought it needed them, he wouldn’t argue.
“What do you think he would like for that room?”
“He hasn’t said.”
“Has he said anything about the flowers you’ve been getting?”
Caden considered it. “He said the ones from two weeks ago didn’t smell like a funeral home, which, from Wolfe, is basically a standing ovation.”
I bit back a smile. “So something clean and not too sweet.” I moved to the cooler and considered. “How about white amaryllis with eucalyptus and a touch of burgundy protea. That would look elegant but seasonal for this time of year.”
“Yes,” he said. “That sounds perfect.”
“I’ll have something ready for you Thursday morning, but for now, let me grab the ones you’re here to pick up today.”
When I came back to the front carrying his arrangement, he reached out to touch one of the delicate white flowers I used as an accent. “These are really pretty.”
“Those are called Paperwhites. They’re one of my favorite flowers to use this time of year.”
“And what do they mean?” Once Caden found out I was into floriography, he’d started asking me what the flowers he purchased meant.
“New beginnings and hope.”
He nodded. “Sounds perfect.”
He took the arrangement and headed out the door, and I went back to work unpacking the boxes.
Around noon, I was finishing an arrangement for a wedding consultation when the bell jingled over the door. I looked up to see Jackson standing there holding a bag of what smelled like heaven.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Feeding you.” He held up the bag. “I noticed you didn’t bring anything with you this morning, and I know today is delivery day, so I was betting you’d be too busy to stop and go get anything. Especially since I know you have that meeting this afternoon.”
Of course he knew about the consultation I had today, because I’d been talking about it nonstop ever since they’d called. It would be insane for a small flower shop as new as mine to be selected to do one of the biggest weddings of the season, but Julius did the bride’s mother’s hair, and he’d given her my name. Even if I didn’t get the job, I was excited to have a shot at it.
