Page 119 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

We both laugh. I’m pretty sure my mom’s wedding vows were lyrics from a song she later recorded, inspired by him. The exact same song that was playing in the elevator recently.

‘I think it’s a great idea. Dax is going places. Anyone who knows him can see that.’ He pats my knee. ‘I don’t know that he’ll accept that kind of gift easily, though. He’s never been one to ask for help so you may want to really consider how you tell him. If today doesn’t go in his favor, I’ll make a few calls, and we’ll get it all settled.’

‘Thank you,’ I say as he stands from the chair, pushing it back where it goes. ‘For everything, Dad. I know I haven’t been the world’s greatest daughter, and I’ve made some humiliating mistakes. I hope maybe we can move past it?’

‘Of course we can. Now, let’s get a drink. You’re buying, right?’ He flicks the check still in my hand.

‘Definitely.’

33

DAX

Two Weeks Later…

‘Hols, I lost. We don’t need to have a party.’

Yep. Two weeks ago, Leo wonBattle of the Blossoms. He earned it. To compete, we’d have needed a dozen more people helping us. I still don’t know how he got it all done. His team covered the floor of the ceremony with flowers – thousands of them.

Hollyn and I didn’t do terribly. We hung a variety of blue flowers from the ceiling like raindrops, then did a flower-covered patio umbrella as an altar of sorts. It was gorgeous, but Leo’s was breathtaking. We gasped when we walked in to see what he’d done. I played off the weather outside; he created the outside the couples wanted to begin with. He deserved to win, and I’ve genuinely got no hard feelings.

Am I depressed about it? A little. But I’m also proud. In two short years, I’ve created a suddenly thriving business and have been named one of the top florists on the west coast, right behind Leo. I’m good with that.

I’m mostly depressed someone bought my dad’s shop after we got back. Kevin sold it right out from under me the second he learned I’d lost. It wasn’t to ‘Jeremy’. Though part of me hoped it was.

‘I have a surprise for you,’ Hols says. ‘Do you trust me?’

A smile grows on my face. ‘More than anyone in the world. But I thought you hated surprises?’

She cocks her head. ‘There’s this guy,’ she says casually. ‘He’s changing my mind about a lot of things. Here.’ She tosses my car keys my way.

‘Where are we going for this surprise?’ I ask Hollyn as we walk to my car.

‘Penny Candy Records.’

‘Am I gonna regret this?’

Hollyn’s been worried about me since Seattle. It’s sweet but unnecessary. I might not have won the show or got my dad’s shop, but what I ended up with is a thousand times better.

‘Not all of it,’ she says, flashing me a coy grin.

It doesn’t take us long to get to her mom’s shop. I pull up behind her mom’s car, but Hollyn takes off across the street when she gets out before me.

‘Hols!’ I call after her, locking my car with the click of a button. ‘Where are you going?’ I follow after her. ‘Why are you walking so fast? Your mom’s shop is back there.’ I nod towards the building behind us as though she doesn’t know where it is.

She stops, turning to me in front of my dad’s old shop. ‘We aren’tactuallygoing to my mom’s shop. We’re going to yours.’

‘Mine?’ I ask, confused. ‘What do you mean?’

I watch as she silently pulls a key from her purse, sliding it into the front lock and turning it, the door popping open. I look from her to the now cracked open front door. Completely puzzled.

‘How did you—’

‘I did something,’ she interrupts me, her nose scrunched in a way I’ve learned means she’s nervous. ‘I hope you’re not mad. But when you lost the show, my heart broke. I couldn’t let you lose the reason you entered to begin with. My mom said that if I could get my trust fund money back, I should invest in something I believe in. There’s only one business owner in this town I believe in enough to invest that kind of money into. So, I bought the shop.’

‘Youbought the shop?’ I ask, follow her inside, my hand now on my head as I walk away from her, looking around the place. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Serious as a heart attack,’ she says with a laugh.

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