Page 16 of The Floral Arrangement

“Are you okay?” Matt asked, appearing beside me, slightly out of breath from having jogged over from the house.

“Yes, I’m fine,” I snapped, still shaken by the whole situation.

A loud creaking noise made me turn my head again. Dana was back on the tractor, slowly driving it off my car.

“The tractor seems to be fine,” she called.

“Oh, thank god,” I muttered, kicking the dirt. “The tractor that’s probably as old as I am is okay.”

I couldn’t bear the thought of dealing with my car, so I strode toward my parents and Lottie, who were still standing next to the farmhouse.

“Sorry, Lottie, I won’t be able to take you out on a hayride today,” I said once I’d arrived. I’d need some time to recover and some more practice before I was willing to risk driving Lottie around on the wagon.

Lottie let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously like a sigh of relief. “That’s okay.”

Before anyone had a chance to comment further on what had just happened, I clapped my hands. “Let’s go inside, and I can give you a tour.”

I ushered them into the kitchen and then down the long hall and into the formal dining room, where Jim’s huge walnut dining table took center stage. Back in the hall, I swung open the door to the small powder room before continuing to the sitting room, which held four cozy armchairs circled around a fireplace, empty bookshelves lining the walls. I led them back into the hall and then into the study and living room.

“This place is huge!” Lottie exclaimed as we walked up the staircase.

“How many rooms did you say are here?” Mom asked, peering into a spare bedroom.

I opened the door wider, so everyone else could see the empty room. “There are five bedrooms and three bathrooms.”

“Well, that’s too many for just one person,” Mom said. “You’ll have to find a nice woman to settle down with and have kids to fill up all these spare rooms. You know, I think that woman who drove your tractor off your car”—Mom grimaced—“might be gay. Diana?”

My jaw clenched. “Mom, seriously. I’ve got a lovely niece”—I rustled Lottie’s hair—“and I’ve just bought a farm that will bring joy to thousands of children. That’s enough for me.”I began walking toward my bedroom.

Mom ran her hand along the balustrade. “But you always wanted kids?—”

“Mom!” I swiveled on the oak floorboards. “Iusedto want kids. Not anymore. Can you just drop it?” Having children with someone was the ultimate show of trust. And my trust had been broken so strongly that I couldn’t imagine putting myself in that position. “And even ifDanais interested in women, I’m not dating my employees. It would be highly inappropriate.”

“Well, you should at least give dating a try again. It’s been years since Sadie. When was the last time you went to that gay bar?” Mom raised her eyebrows, tilting her head forward.

I stiffened. I hadn’t been back to Pryde for just over six months.

Not since Olivia.

“My dating life is none of your business,” I snapped.

Mom looked away, but not before I saw the shimmer of tears in her eyes.

My chest tightened. Our relationship had always been rocky, even before I found out what she and Dad did to try to get me into college, but since we’d reconciled I’d made an effort to keep things between us on good terms, especially for Lottie’s sake. Right now that felt like pulling teeth. Why did Mom always have to bring up my lack of a love life?

I opened the door to my bedroom. “And this is my bedroom.”

Mom sniffed, walking inside and immediately began straightening the framed photo of my parents, Matt, Lottie and Mel that hung on the wall. Lottie’s little eyes darted back and forth between us. Mom sniffed again.

“I did actually meet someone last time I went.” Hopefully that would cheer her up a little. She didn’t need to know how it had ended.

Mom’s face lit up. “Oh, really? What’s her name?”

I hesitated, but it was too late to go back. “Olivia.”

“Well, you’ve kept that quiet! When can we meet her?”

I internally groaned. I should have kept my mouth shut. What a day. Totaling my car, and now this.

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