Page 57 of Picking Daisies on Sundays

Dani: Maybe I have a sugar daddy that pays for my cab rides.

Levi: Does this sugar daddy go by the name of Mandy or Linda?

Dani: *gasp* how dare you name them!

Levi: I’m picking you up at 5.

Dani: I’ll already be in the cab by then.

Levi: Dammit, Daniella. I’m sending you money then.

I texted,I don’t want your blood moneyat the same time that he texted,I swear to God if you call it blood money.

I laughed, causing one of the people in the store to turn and give me an odd look. I covered my mouth to stifle my laugh.

Dani: Making money off the backs of students could be considered blood money…

Levi: They torment me!

Dani: See you at 5 ;)

The cab didn’t cost much since it was only a fifteen-minute drive. I wouldn’t have minded walking if it weren’t for the fact that I

closed the store later than expected. Levi also ended up sending me money with a message that said:The blood money you requested<3. Hopefully, the IRS wouldn’t flag that…

I knocked on the door with a bouquet of pink tulips—mine and Sarah’s favorite—when the person who opened the door wasn’t a Coldwell, but Bella.

“Oh, hi,” I said.

She looked surprised to see me. Her strawberry blonde hair was wrapped in a perfect bun, while mine was messy, hiding under a silk scarf. She had a pretty cotton dress on that emphasized her hips. She looked effortlessly perfect. I struggled to not look down at my linen pants and old shirt. At least I had lip gloss on.

“Hi,” she said back in a rather uncomfortable fashion. She reached forward to take the flowers out of my hands. I didn’t have time to think over how to react, so I let her take them. “These for Levi?”

“Um—no, no. They’re for Sarah, actually.”

“Oh, that was nice.” She looked at me as if she was surprised. The way a person looked when they learned a new morsel of gossip.

“It’s not much,” I shook my head. I would ask her how she was if it didn’t involve me standing on the door step any longer or having to relive her watching Levi and I kiss last night in my mind.

Before our conversation could continue though, Sarah shouted. “Is that Dani?”

Bella turned, “Yes. She brought you flowers.” She opened the door for me and walked away. I chose to ignore the odd interaction because there were numerous other things to be focused on. Like seeing Levi and acting like we didn’t just kiss last night—and that it was the best kiss I’ve ever had. Romance movie level kissing. Heartbeat-pounding-in-my-ears-when-he-leaned-into-me-type-of-kissing. The type of kissing that would make you reconsider your marital choices ten years down the road like he was the one that got away.

I stepped through the warm threshold and was met with an instant hug by Sarah clutching her pink tulips. They matched the consistent rosiness of her cheeks. I hugged her back in joy, laughing. Levi and I were older than her by a year, but she always felt older. Her confidence in herself and her decisions made me feel younger.

“They’re just flowers, Sarah!” I laughed as she squeezed me. It was easier to say that than to explain the symbolism of the type of flower you give. Tulips symbolized perfection and love; two things that Sarah exuded.

She pulled away from me in haste. “They’re notjustflowers. They’re myfavoriteflowers. If I weren’t getting married, I’d steal you away from my brother!Did you hear that, Levi!”

“Yes, Sarah!” Levi shouted back from another room. My legs immediately tensed up with nervousness. Why hadn’t he opened the door if he was down here?

“Youhaveto see the photos from last night!” The way Sarah always emphasized one word in her sentences made me laugh. A smile that made my cheeks hurt was glued to my face anytime I was around her. She oozed positivity and excitement that was contagious.

The dining room table was covered in printed photos of Sarah in her a beautiful white dress from last night, sparkling in diamonds. Black and white and low exposure photos of her alone, and then her and Jeff dancing in the crowd. Most of the pictures focused on her dress, which made me laugh, because the point of the event was to focus on Jeff’s family. But Sarah was meant to be photographed; she glowed.

“Dani!” I turned and found Trish approaching me for a hug.

“Hi, Mrs. Coldwell,” I said warmly.