Page 47 of The Floral Arrangement

When Dana was out of earshot, Matt turned to me. “Roz, this isn’t the cutthroat world of consultancy. People around here are used to a warmer and, well, a more personable approach. I know you’re a straight shooter, but I think you may need to add a few more pleasantries and open up a bit more if you don’t want to get your employees against you.”

I crossed my arms. “Dana wasn’t exactly being the epitome of warmth.”

Matt’s gaze bore into me. “I did sense some tension between you two. But I thought she was trying to extend an olive branch with her question about trivia, and you shut it down.”

I pressed my lips together.

“I know you find it hard to open up to people, but I think you’ll get a lot further in Sapphire Springs if you can be a bit… nicer,” Matt said.

My mind flickered to Olivia, who was so friendly with everyone, and her comments about how the local farmers all worked together. “I’ll think about it.”

A patter of footsteps made my head snap up. Lottie ran toward us, grinning. “Did you see the cows eat the carrots right out of my hands? It was so cool. Can I come feed them every night?”

I laughed. “Not every night. That would be a lot of driving for your dad. But you’re welcome to feed them whenever you visit.”

“Yay!” Lottie jumped up and down.

Of course, of all the animals Lottie would fall in love with, it would be the damn cows. I sighed. I couldn’t get rid of them now.

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

ROZ

Clutching the cooler bag,I approached the pub. Faint music and chatter drifted out from the open windows on the warm spring breeze. The sun was sinking behind the mountains, a soft pink-and-blue haze filling the sky.

As I pushed the door open, the music and voices grew louder. The cozy pub was packed full of people. If Red Tractor Farm’s taproom was half as popular as this place, we’d stay in the black.

I looked around until my gaze landed on Olivia sitting at a circular table near the back of the pub. She laughed, her head thrown back and her eyes flashing. She was wearing a t-shirt tonight, a gray V-neck with a flower and something written on it. Blake was beside her, one arm around a blond woman who was gesticulating wildly. That must be Jenny. On Jenny’s other side was a brunette with shoulder-length wavy hair and glasses, sitting close to another woman with light-brown hair cut even shorter than mine. And then there was Dana.

I beelined toward the bar where I ordered a non-alcoholic beer from a friendly bartender. I wanted tonight to go well. I wasn’t sure why I cared so much, but I wanted Olivia’s friends to like me. Holding my own at trivia would be a plus. It was clearly why I’d been invited in the first place. Matt’s words from earlier in the week echoed in my head.People around here are used to a more personable approach.

The bartender slid the beer across to me and I tapped the card reader with my phone. Clutching my drink, I plastered a smile on my face and walked over to the table. No one noticed me, so I pulled out the spare stool next to Olivia. It scraped loudly on the old oak floor. Five pairs of eyes turned to me.

I cleared my throat. “Hello. I’m Roz.”

They went around the table, introducing themselves.Did I sense a slight hesitation in their body language? Perhaps I was just overthinking things after Matt’s feedback.

“That table over there are the ones to beat,” Blake murmured, nodding her head toward a table in the corner. “The Gran Masters.”

I followed her gaze and blinked. Four sweet-looking elderly ladies were our main competition? Well, this should be easy.

“This is for you.” I shoved the bag into Olivia’s hands.

Her eyes widened.

“It’s a thank-you for showing me around on Sunday.” Why did my voice sound so gruff?

Olivia opened the bag and peered in, her brow furrowing.

“I learned from your mistake and covered it in cooler blocks. But it’s quark. Extremely well refrigerated quark.” As the words left my mouth, I second-guessed them. Was it weird to bring someone a tub full of quark to a pub trivia night?

An expression I couldn’t place flickered across her face before she broke into a smile. “Oh, that’s too kind of you. So, you’ve recovered from your temporary dairy intolerance?” Olivia’s tone was teasing, but I could have sworn there was a hint of wariness in her eyes.

“It seems that way.” I wasn’t about to tell Olivia that I hadn’t been able to consume any dairy since our excursion and had nearly thrown up going back to the dairy to buy the quark today.My gaze dropped to Olivia’s t-shirt. At the bottom of the V-neck, a hint of the delicate skin between the curves of her breasts caught my eyes. I forced my gaze farther down to the writing scrawled on her shirt in cursive:That’s ranunculus!A red flower, presumably a ranunculus, bloomed next to the words, over the arc of her left breast. I held back a chuckle, yanking my eyes away before anyone thought I was ogling her chest.I should really give her the t-shirt back.It was sitting neatly folded in my drawer next to my bed.

“So, Roz, how are you finding life as a farmer?” George asked, placing her beer on the table. “It must be a big change from being a consultant in the city.”

My thigh pressed against Olivia’s as I turned to George. She jerked her leg away.

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