Page 6 of Forget me Knot
Sam takes over the hose, blasting at the fire, which is all but gone now, anyway.
Lily is still holding my hand as we watch Sam in action. The crowd starts to disperse, and the buzz of excitement calms down. I glance at her, realising she’s still trembling slightly.
“You okay?” I ask, my voice low, just for her.
She looks up at me, her eyes wide and shimmering with unshed tears. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just glad Fred’s alright.”
“Me too,” I say, squeezing her hand gently before letting go. The moment stretches out between us, filled with unspokenwords and lingering touches. But before it can turn into anything more, she steps back.
“I should probably get back to the shop,” she says, a little too quickly, as the paramedics help Fred into the back of an ambulance.
I nod, watching her retreat into the shop. My heart aches a bit as she disappears inside. There’s a part of me that wants to follow her, to tell her everything I’m feeling, but now’s not the time.
Sam walks over after finishing up with the fire crew, looking rugged and heroic as always. His sandy blond hair is mussed from the helmet, and there’s a smudge of soot on his cheek. I mentally roll my eyes at my packmate.
“Hey man,” he says, clapping me on the shoulder. “What are you doing here?”
“Working on Lily Bloom’s garden,” I murmur, feeling inadequate and a bit of a tool in comparison to his dramatic rescue. No one cheers for the guy who trims the hedges. Sam raises an eyebrow, but I don’t give him the opportunity to ask as I ramble on. “How’s Fred?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation away from Lily.
“He’ll be fine,” Sam says, grinning. “Stubborn old man didn’t want to leave his pastries behind.”
I chuckle despite the unease still gnawing at me. “Sounds like Fred.”
The crowd has mostly dispersed now, leaving just a few curious onlookers and the fire crew finishing up their work.
“I should probably get back to it,” he says, slapping me on the back.
“Same. Catch you later.”
We part ways, and I slope off back to the shop garden, rethinking all my choices in life thus far.
Chapter 4
Lily
Fanning myself as I try to forget about Sam Knightly and his fireman’s hose, I hurry back into my shop and shut the door to block out the smell of the smoke and to give myself a few minutes to calm down. That fire in the bakery has scared me. Nothing like this ever happens here in Keeley. It’s a small town, it’s safe and charming and there are so many reasons why I moved here in the first place. The dark cloud that hangs over my head can’t help but wonder if this is deliberate or if Fred just left his croissants in the oven too long.
I head to the back room, where I keep my stash of calming teas. Pulling down a tin of chamomile blend, I start boiling some water. The rhythmic task helps settle my nerves a bit. But the echo of sirens and the smell of smoke stick in my mind like burrs.
The jangle of the doorbell breaks me out of my thoughts. I plaster the smile on my face, which is well-practiced by now, and greet the customer cheerfully. “Hey there. Can I help, or do you know what you’re after?”
The omega, blonde and petite, gives me a petrified stare, as if I’ve jumped out at her wearing a clown outfit and brandishinga knife. I shudder. Clowns scare the shit out of me. Even hypothetical ones.
“I heard…” she starts and then gulps, looking around nervously.
Frowning slightly at her skittishness, I stay where I am, hands visible, trying to appear as unclownlike as possible as I ask, “What do you need, love?”
She purses her lips and comes closer, slowly and a bit reluctantly. “You’re Lily Bloom?” she whispers.
“I am.”
“You do the scent masking things?” Her voice goes up several thousand octaves until it’s a squeak that I can barely make out.
“I’m your girl,” I say quietly, with a more genuine smile. This poor creature is terrified. “How can I help?”
She comes even closer. “I need you to get rid of this.” She gestures around her, indicating her scent, presumably.
Leaning forward over the counter, I sniff, drawing in her scent of pineapple. Sharp and sweet. “Okay, I can do that.”
