Page 41 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
Amber goes to the door and unlocks it, and Harriet, wearing a floral dress and green wellingtons, is suddenly upon us. ‘Well, it’s all looking marvellous,’ she says, surveying the premises. ‘You’ve done a splendid job. I’m sure today will go swimmingly for you. I can’t stop – far too much to do, as always. We’ve a huge cub and scout jamboree at the church hall later today. Will you be able to pop along for a few minutes in between customers to support us? We’ve lots of stalls along with all the fun!’
‘We’ll have to see how it goes, Harriet,’ I reply cautiously. ‘If we’re busy, there’ll need to be more than one of us serving in the shop.’
‘Of course, of course. I understand!’ She salutes. ‘Right, that’s me off. Toodle pip and good luck!’
As Harriet leaves, Woody arrives. They exchange pleasantries outside, and then Woody appears in the doorway.
‘Good morning, ladies,’ he says, removing his hat and tucking it under his arm. ‘How are we today?’
‘Good thanks, Woody,’ I reply, as Amber returns to her flowers. ‘How are you, busy as always?’
Woody is rarely busy. St Felix isn’t exactly a hotbed of crime. The most he’s had to handle since I arrived was a mix-up over two neighbours’ recycling bins.
‘I’m very well, thank you, Poppy,’ he says, puffing his chest out. ‘A policeman’s work is never done. You never know when there might be a need for authority.’
Amber and I glance at each other, but decide to humour him.
‘Of course,’ Amber says, wandering over to Woody with a tiny white flower in her hand. ‘I’m sure your presence would make any criminal think twice.’ She smiles at him and deftly tucks the flower into his lapel. Woody flushes red, all the way from his neck up to his curly hair.
‘Yes… well,’ he stutters. ‘Luckily I’m not often needed to exert my authority, but —’
‘If you were, we’d feel safe knowing you’re there to protect us,’ I finish for him. ‘Wouldn’t we, Amber?’
‘Oh yes.’ She nods. ‘If Iwasto be arrested here in St Felix, I’d definitely want it to be by you, Woody.’
I grin at Amber – assuming she’s winding Woody up. But instead she virtually flutters her eyelashes as she looks coyly up at him.
‘Right, well – let’s hope I won’t be required to do that,’ says Woody, trying for brusque, but it comes out as a squeak. He clears his throat and continues, his voice softer now: ‘However, if I was to arrest you, Amber –’ he takes the flower from his lapel and offers it back to her – ‘I’d be very gentle about it.’
‘I have no doubt you would be, Woody,’ Amber says in the same tone, taking the flower gently from his hand.
‘Ahem!’ I say, grinning at the two of them. This, I hadn’t seen coming.
‘Yes, well, I must be off,’ Woody says, straightening up. ‘Ladies.’ He nods at us and puts his hat back on. ‘I’ll be back later, for your grand opening – crowd control, you know.’
I very much doubt we’d be in need of that. We’ll be lucky to get any sort of a crowd, let alone an unruly one, but I play along with him. ‘Yes, of course, Woody,’ I say. ‘See you later.’
Woody leaves and I look at Amber as she bolts the door behind him.
‘What?’ she asks, trying to look innocent.
‘Are you serious, Amber?’
‘About…?’
‘About Woody.’
‘He’s nice – I like him,’ she says coyly, pretending to rearrange some irises in a long vase as she passes.
‘Ilikehim,’ I say, ‘but not like that.’
‘Well, we all have different tastes in men, and Woody isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met before. He’s kind and gentle – I’m not used to that.’
I watch Amber return to the desk and furiously begin rewinding pink ribbon on to one of the many multicoloured rolls we have stashed under the desk. I wait for her to continue, but she doesn’t.
I’m about to come right out and ask what she means when Ant and Dec appear outside with the tray of cupcakes I’ve ordered to give away to our customers this morning along with the posies.
So we open the door for a third time.
