Page 54 of The Floral Arrangement

“Yes, even the overalls. Just in case, god forbid, I need to help with manure management.” Roz’s mouth twisted to one side. “Hang on.” She stopped. “Didn’t you say you needed a hat as well?”

I nodded. I’d been so engrossed in Roz’s wardrobe makeover, I’d forgotten.

“What about this one? I think this would suit you.”

Roz placed a wide-brimmed straw hat on my head and gently tugged it down, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. A shiver ran down my spine.

She stepped back and stared at me. “Perfect,” she whispered.

My stomach flipped. What was wrong with me?She gives me one compliment and I turn to jelly?

I looked in the mirror, focusing on my reflection. “That’s actually quite nice. Maybe I should take you shopping more often.”

“Hard pass. Now I know my sizes, all future clothes will be ordered online.” She paused, holding my gaze. “But thank you for accompanying me. I wouldn’t have stepped foot in here by myself.”

We stared at each other for a moment, the air suddenly heavy between us.It’s all in my head. It’s all in my head.

I cleared my throat. “No problem. Anyway, I guess we’d better pay and head back.”

CHAPTERNINETEEN

ROZ

I stoodon the back deck, thermos of coffee in hand, surveying the farm. It was hard to believe all of this—hundreds of acres of fruit and Christmas trees, strawberry fields and green pastures—was mine. A hint of pine wafted on the southerly breeze. Now all I needed was for Fred to greenlight the investment and I could really relax.

A loud thump, followed by muttering, broke my reverie. I followed the noise to the side of the house. Dana was inspecting the locking mechanism on the door of the van we used to transport produce.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

Dana turned, her cheeks pink and jaw clenched. “The door won’t shut properly.”

I gripped my thermos tighter. Everything around here kept breaking down. As I approached the van, I spotted a colorful assortment of flowers through the window.

“Are you heading over to Sapphire Blooms?”

Dana nodded. “Yeah, I’ve got to drop these off to Liv.”

My pulse leaped. “I’ll figure out the door and drive it over. I know you’ve got a lot on your plate with fixing the irrigation to the strawberry fields.”

Dana frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, it’s fine. I know I’m not much practical help around the farm, but this is something I can do. Besides, I owe you for the other night and the whole McKinley debacle.” Insisting my answer was righthadled to our defeat, after all.

But more than that, I wanted to see Olivia.

I stiffened at the thought.It’s just because I need to ask her something, that’s all.

“You don’t want to give Ronnie a hand with Thelma and Louise?” Dana raised an eyebrow. “He’s just heading over there now.”

“News travels fast around here, I see.” I pressed my lips together.

“Welcome to small-town life.” Dana smirked. “Will may have mentioned your milk bath at the pub the other night.”

I ran my hand over the side of the van door. “Yes, well, I think I’ll let Ronnie stick to his area of expertise, and I’ll focus on things I can actually help with.”

“Just don’t crash the van.” Dana threw me the keys and winked. “We only have one of them. By the way, I like the new wardrobe.”

“Thanks.” I wasn’t going to admit it to Olivia, but I’d been loving my new clothes. They were so much more practical than my usual attire. I’d even worn the ridiculous overalls yesterday when cleaning out one of the old barns.

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