Page 11 of Finlay

From what I could gather, Riley had taken it upon himself to make sure Danny never went through another September fifth alone. It was easy to see how Danny had fallen for him. Even before Riley could admit his feelings, his actions had shown the love he had for my alpha.

Was I jealous of Danny? No. Of course not.

Was I jealous of how easy he was to love? Yes.

I wasn’t that easy. I couldn’t be, otherwise why would I still be alone after all this time?

Probably because you don’t let anyone in.

My inner voice was correct. It fucking terrified me, but I’d never move on if I didn’t try.I sighed, letting my instincts guide me and taking a left turn towards Inverness.Going in this direction took me through the local town, somewhere I didn’t visit often.

A shop sign caught my eye.Thistle Do Nicely. My lips twitched at the pun, even as the inevitable sadness hit me.Maybe this was a sign from Sarah. Thistles were her favourites.I’d never commemorated her passing, other than by shutting myself away on the anniversary.

Perhaps it was time I did so. Maybe a physical manifestation of my grief would help me close the door on this chapter of my life. It had been a painful, brutal chapter, but one I wouldn’t erase if I had the chance again. I’d been privileged to love Sarah.

I just had to hope my heart would allow me to love another too.

Pulling into a space just down the street, I made my way over to the shop. I lingered outside the door for a moment, marvelling at the displays. I couldn’t say I’d paid much attention to florists in the past, but even I could see that whoever had created these had a special talent. The pops of colour were subtle, tying the arrangements together without overpowering them.

Yes. This was the place to get something. I could feel it in my bones.

The scents hit me as soon as I stepped into the shop. All the flowers, mixed with something that reminded me of the loch. Ancient. Earthy. Perhaps the soil the florist used? It wasn’t unappealing or overwhelming. If anything, I wanted more of it.

“Reid? Is that you?”

The deep voice that floated from the back of the shop wasn’t local. Or Scottish, for that matter. It was English. Northern. Yorkshire, perhaps?

I cleared my throat, shoving my hands into my pockets. “No…sorry.”

There was a quiet groan, too quiet for human ears. Hurried footsteps sounded before a tall man appeared. “I’m so sorry, I thought you were my employee. I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

I meant to answer, but the connection between my brain and my mouth had been severed at the sight of the stranger. I couldn’t stop myself drinking in every inch of him.

He was only an inch or two off my own height. His shoulders were broad, thick arms shown off by his T-shirt sleeves. A green apron was tied around his stocky waist, and he had stubble covering his jaw. Several leather bracelets wrapped around his right wrist, and his blond hair was short but tidy.

There was nothing outwardly unusual about his looks. I was sure I passed people every day who were just as attractive.

But none of them had struck me dumb like this.

The man cleared his throat, and my eyes flicked up hastily. Shit, I’d been openly ogling him. From the blush he was now wearing and how he was keeping his blue eyes averted, I’d embarrassed him.

Fuck.What the hell had got into me? Rubbing the back of my neck, I offered him a sheepish smile. “Um, hi. I was hoping to get some flowers?”

His lips twitched as he inclined his head towards one of the plant laden walls. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. What’s the occasion?”

Occasion.My reason for being here slammed back into me. I’d had such an unexpected response to the stranger that everything else had been temporarily erased.

I hadn’t realised what a relief that had been until it all came screaming back.

A lump formed in my throat. “A death. Two, actually.”

His eyes softened. “I’m sorry. Why don’t you come back through here?”

Back there? What for? My confusion must’ve shown on his face, because he elaborated quietly. “You don’t have to, but my clients often find it preferable to be out of sight of the windows while they talk about what they’d like. But if you’re more comfortable here, that’s fine too. Whatever works best for you.”

That he took such care and consideration told me I was in the right place. “Thank you. Back there is grand.”

He lifted the partition and gestured for me to step through. The floral and earthy scent was stronger as I passed him. I found myself inhaling deeply before catching myself.Pull yourself together, Finn. Yes, you’re attracted to him, but don’t make it weird.

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