Page 7 of The Floral Arrangement

I carefully added the ferns to the flower arrangements next to the window and then stood back to check they looked balanced.

If I was going to have kids, I needed to get a move on—if I wasn’t already too late. Realistically, I probably had to allow for at least one year to find a partner and two years to make sure we were compatible before it would be reasonable to consider having kids with them. That would bring me to thirty-four. But what if I met some duds on the way, wasted a year, or more, in a relationship only to discover we didn’t work? That would bring me to thirty-five, thirty-six… possibly even older if it happened more than once before I found the right person. My chest tightened. Maybe I should look into egg freezing again. But last time I’d investigated it, it was prohibitively expensive. Sapphire Blooms was going well, but notthatwell.

I shook myself. The best option was just to throw myself into dating again. It was a numbers game, and I needed to play the game to have any chance of winning. Heaviness settled in my stomach.

I walked back to my workbench, where I selected a round glass vase and began preparing the flower arrangement Mr. Livanidis had ordered for his wife’s birthday.

I sighed. Maybe there’d be someone eligible at the pub on Thursday, although it was doubtful. My mind skipped over all the failed possibilities I’d found there. Will, the local handyman who was nice enough, but things had fizzled out after a couple of months. Henry, the friendly tour guide, who was full of fun facts about Sapphire Springs. Unfortunately, the chemistry between us was severely lacking. Drew, the handsome New York banker visiting for the weekend, who’d looked perfect on paper, except he lived in New York and, as it turned out, was married—a fact I hadn’t discovered until two months into our semi-long-distance relationship. After my string of business failures, I’d been distrustful of men in suits. That experience with Drew had only cemented my dislike. And then there was the fact that corporate America was destroying the environment. At the rate they were going, if I did have kids, there’d be nothing left for them anyway. I scanned the bucket of tulips next to me and selected a handful. I’d made an exception to my no-suits rule for Roz, and look how that turned out.

Sure, my visit to Pryde had confirmed my attraction to women, but it was a stark reminder of how painful and undermining dating could be. Ghosting, mixed messages, lies, and even, in Roz’s case, theft.

The memory of Roz’s soft lips on my mouth, her toned lean body pressed against mine, and that amused glint dancing in her eyes filled my mind. I scrunched my eyes, willing the image to fade away. It had been six months—far too long to be dwelling on the striking woman who’d disappeared with my t-shirt.

I stabbed a red tulip into the vase. I couldn’t let these bad experiences discourage me.

The doorbell jingled.

“Flower delivery!” Jim Wardell called, walking backward pulling a cart of flowers. A cowboy hat sat on top of short gray hair that framed his wrinkled brown face. As usual, he was wearing mud-spattered boots and blue overalls covered in dirt.

Grinning, I hurried over to help him. “Thanks Jim. Why are you doing the delivery today?” Maybe the farmhands were tied up.

Jim’s smile faltered as he unloaded a bucket of daffodils.

“Is everything okay?” I took the bucket from him.

“We’re selling the farm.” Jim shuffled his feet, ducking his head.

I froze.

“Selling?” The word came out as a squeak. “To who?”

“We’re not sure yet.” He handed me another bucket, overflowing with lavender crocuses. “We knew we’d have to sell at some point—Penny and I are getting on in age, and none of the kids want to take over—but we’d been putting it off. Then Samadhi Resorts approached us out of the blue with a generous offer, and it felt like a sign that it was time. We’d rather sell to someone who’ll keep the farm running, so we’re putting it on the market to see if we get any other takers.” He gripped the handle of the trolley. “But if that falls through, we’ll sell to Samadhi.”

My stomach plummeted. Samadhi Resorts would bulldoze everything. The petting zoo, the pumpkin patch, the corn maze, the orchards and strawberry fields, and most importantly, the flowers.

A montage of memories of Red Tractor Farm spun through my head. As a child: picking pumpkins and bumping along on the hayride in fall, devouring juicy strawberries in the strawberry fields during summer, and eating fresh fluffy donuts and apple fritters at the café all year round. My first job as a teenager: serving customers at the café over the summer break. The day Jim had asked if any of the café staff could give him a hand in the flower field, and I’d volunteered, starting my love affair with flowers.

I let go of the bucket too soon, and it banged on the counter.

“I’m sorry Liv. I know how much you love the farm. Hopefully, we’ll get some other offers.”

My throat clenched. “I can help more with the flowers if that would lighten your load.” It was a ridiculous thing to say. Jim was in his seventies, and the flowers were only a small part of Red Tractor Farm’s business. No amount of help from me would make much of a dent in his overall workload.

“Thanks, Liv. I’m sorry. I know this is going to make things difficult for you.” His eyes misted over.

“That’s okay.” I swallowed, reaching out and squeezing his hand. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

Jim swiped his eyes with his hand and then twisted around to pick up another box.

“If the deal with Samadhi goes ahead, when will it all happen?” I asked, my chest tightening. If Red Tractor Farm was bought by Samadhi Resorts, I’d lose my only supplier. There were other flower farms in the Hudson Valley, but they were established businesses with their own clientele. It was highly unlikely they were going to accommodate my needs the way Jim did. And as far as I knew, none of them had a greenhouse that sustainably grew flowers over the winter season.Shit.

“We’re going to put it on the market for three weeks, but if there are no other takers, we’ll have no choice but to sell to them. We can’t risk losing their interest if another option doesn’t come up.” He pressed his lips together. “There’ll likely be some time before the sale closes, but we’ll need to spend that time shutting down operations, including the flower farm.”

The corners of my lips wobbled.Get it together, Olivia. Don’t make this harder for Jim than it already is.Jim leaned in and patted my shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Liv. If that happens, I’ll try to keep the flowers going for as long as possible to give you time to find another supplier. But I think, at the most, it’ll be two months.”

Tears welled in my eyes.Two months.

---