Page 96 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
‘It’s good to know the old gal is being put to use,’ he’d said with pleasure in his eyes. ‘I don’t like to think of her standing empty.’
‘Everything is going fine,’ I tell him now. ‘With the party at any rate.’
‘And with everything else?’ Stan asks.
I glance at him. ‘Not so well.’
‘Is it the shop?’
I shake my head. ‘No. We’re doing better than ever.’
‘Friends?’
‘Kind of.’
‘Kind of… Hmm, let’s see, then it must be your love life?’
I’m silent.
‘Is young Ash giving you grief?’
‘Oh, no, Ash is lovely. We get on great.’
‘Do you?’ Stan asks, his eyes narrowing.
‘Yes. Ash is lovely to be with. Chilled, relaxed. Just what I need right now.’
Stan studies my face before speaking. ‘Those are telling words – “right now”. If Ash is perfect for you “right now”, then who is it that might be perfect for you in the future?’
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ I lie.
I know exactly what Stan means because Amber said pretty much the same thing when I got back from Jake’s yesterday…
‘How did you get on?’ Amber asks, looking up from some sweet peas she’s arranging in a vase.
‘With…?’ I ask, letting Basil off his lead.
‘Bronte?’
Bronte. With everything that had happened with Jake, I’d almost forgotten that’s why I’d gone over there in the first place.
‘She’s definitely going to supply us with some of her jewellery. It’s very good.’ Damn, I’d been in such a hurry to get away, I didn’t go back to Jake’s house to collect Bronte’s box. I’ll have to text her and ask her to bring it down to the shop when she comes in to talk about the job. There was no way I could go back to Jake’s, not after what had happened. ‘And I’ve asked her to work part-time in the shop – weekends, that kind of thing. When you’re busy with arrangements.’
‘That’s a wonderful idea! I like Bronte.’ Amber smells the flowers, then places them down on one of the tables. ‘Did you see Jake while you were up there? He came into the shop earlier. When I said where you were, he dashed off pretty quickly.’ She gives me a meaningful look from under her big lashes.
‘Yes, I did, briefly. He arrived home just as I was finishing up with Bronte. Then he showed me around his nursery. Why?’ I can’t bring myself to tell her about the greenhouse, that would only complicate things. And things were already complicated enough.
‘No reason. I thought he’d probably head home when he knew you were there.’
I watch Basil noisily lapping water from his bowl until it’s nearly empty. ‘Hey, fella, let me fill that for you again,’ I say, picking up the bowl and heading out the back to the sink.
‘So what if he did?’ I call to Amber. ‘It’s his house.’
‘It is indeed. Made even more inviting knowing you’re there, no doubt.’
I carry Basil’s water bowl through to the shop and set it down next to where he’s crashed out on the floor after his excursion.
‘Explain yourself, Amber,’ I say sternly, folding my arms and turning to face her.
