Page 11 of The Floral Arrangement

“Where are we going to get our pumpkins and Christmas trees from now on?” Lottie asked, the corners of her lips dropping down. “And what will happen to all the animals?”

“Lottie’s been taking the news badly.” Matt dropped his voice. “Her symptoms came on yesterday afternoon, just after we heard the news.”

Lottie pushed in front of Matt, so her tragic face took up the entirety of my phone screen. “Can you do something, Aunty Roz? Dad said you fix sick companies.”

My heart clenched. Lottie had been through a lot in the past twelve months. Mel leaving, appendicitis… Losing Red Tractor Farm was just another blow.

An idea popped into my head, sending a rush of adrenaline through my body. It was ridiculous. Absurd. I didn’t know anything about farms. But Lottie was right. I did know a lot about saving businesses from bankruptcy. And wasn’t a farm just another business?

CHAPTERFOUR

OLIVIA

I clutchedmy phone to my ear, waiting for a loud car to drive past before I continued speaking. “I’d happily share my knowledge on setting up a geothermal greenhouse and natural pest control methods with you if that would help?”God, I sound desperate.

“We have plenty of florists who are happy to buy flowers from us already, despite our use of pesticides,” the farmer replied. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.”

“Thanks for your time.”

He hung up.Shit. I kicked a small rock. It bounced down the pavement, hit one of the cast-iron lamps that lined Main Street, and fell into the gutter.

I was screwed.

I filled my lungs with air and took the final few steps to Builders Arms. While all I wanted to do was crawl onto my couch in a tiny ball, I’d committed to attending trivia night. Hopeful it would provide a welcome distraction, I pushed open the door to the pub and walked in, scanning the packed room for my friends.

“Olivia!” Jenny waved from a high wooden table near the back of the pub, where Hannah and George were already sitting.

I waved back, making a detour to order a lemon-lime soda at the bar. Drink in hand, I weaved through the tables of trivia hopefuls and took a seat next to Hannah, managing a weak smile. “Hey.”

“We’ve already chosen our trivia name: The Whisk Takers. No prizes for guessing who chose it.” Hannah patted George’s hand fondly.

God, they were cute together. All my plans to focus on dating had flown out the window with Jim’s news about the farm.

George grasped her beer. “Well, no one else had any bright ideas. I also suggested Flour Power—spelled with an “ou”—which I thought you might like, but The Whisk Takers was most popular.”

“How are you holding up?” Hannah asked, turning to me with a sympathetic expression. I’d blown up the group chat last night, telling them about Jim’s news and my concerns.

I groaned as I pushed an empty coaster around on the table. “I reached out to all the flower farms within a reasonable distance of Sapphire Springs today. A few grow flowers sustainably in spring and summer, but nothing during winter.”

Hannah frowned. “So what do other flower shops do?”

“They import flowers, mainly from the Netherlands and South America, or buy from American farms who use energy-guzzling greenhouses.” I sighed. “But I just can’t stomach doing that. The carbon footprint is horrific. Not only is it completely against my principles, but I’ve built my whole brand around being sustainable and locally grown.”

“That sucks,” George said. “I’m sorry, Liv. What will you do?”

I swallowed, trying to dislodge the lump in my throat. I focused my gaze on the old grandfather clock in the corner of the pub. “I won’t be able to keep Sapphire Blooms going without fresh flowers year round. I can’t sell enough dried flowers and candles in winter to cover rent, and I can’t think of anything else I could sell to bring in revenue.” Tears welled in my eyes. “I’ll have to close the shop and move back home with my parents until I can find another job.” And this time, there’d be no job waiting for me at Red Tractor Farm to fall back on. I couldn’t imagine finding another career I loved as much as working at Sapphire Blooms. And then there was that ticking clock. No one would want to date me if I was unemployed and living with my parents. I cradled my face in my hands. “God, I feel terrible about Maddie. I just hired her, and now I’ll have to let her go.”

I dug my fingernails into my hand in an attempt to ward off the tears and turned to Jenny. “I’ll do whatever I can to honor all the weddings we’ve booked, but I won’t be able to take on any new bookings until we know for sure what’s happening with the farm. I’m sorry.”

“Hey, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. They might find another buyer for the farm—one who’ll keep it going. And if not, you still have some time to investigate other options.” Jenny leaned across the wooden table and patted my hand.

“I hope they find someone, because I’m all out of ideas,” I said, my shoulders dropping. I’d even considered whether I could buy a block of land and establish a sustainable flower farm myself before quickly dismissing the idea. I knew a lot about flower farming, but I didn’t have the money or the time to take on such a venture.

Dan, the pub’s owner and trivia master, cleared his throat from the makeshift wooden podium he’d set up in the corner. “Okay, everybody, we’ll be starting in fifteen minutes, so get your drinks and take your seats.”

Jenny glanced at her phone. “Blake better be here soon, or we’ll have no chance of beating The Gran Masters.”

We all turned to face the table of older women near the podium. Helen, George’s mom, and Barb, Hannah’s beloved former nanny, smiled and waved when they saw us looking.

---