Page 68 of Beneath the Scars
“I needed that check-in in the middle. I never want to do anything that actually hurts you. It’s one of my biggest fears.”
I drop my chin to my hands to keep eye contact with him. “I’m glad you made sure I was okay. It was a good reminder for me that I’m the one who holds the power here. You were incredible, Michael. Between bringing my fantasy to life and ensuring I didn’t get unnecessarily hurt, it couldn’t have been more perfect.”
Michael’s hands continue to roam my back. A flash of vulnerability shoots across his dark gaze before he swallows and looks away. “I’m in love with you, Adalaide Jackson. I have been for a very long time. I never dreamed we’d end up here together. You deserve so much better than me, but unfortunately for you, I’m a selfish asshole, and now that I have you, I won’t ever let you go. You’re mine, and I’m bound and determined to do whatever it takes to keep you.”
My eyes fill as the words I’ve longed to hear from the love of my life are finally said. “You’re the only man I’ve ever loved, Michael, and I’ll stand by your side through whatever comes our way. Nothing will ever take me from you—in this life or the next.”
Chapter 37
Addie
“Will I get kicked out of the family if I’m bad at this?”
Zane’s question has me cracking up as Ryan flips on the lights at Blooming Beautiful. It’s stupidly early to be awake on a Sunday morning. The flower shop we own isn’t even open today, but Ryan got a call twenty minutes ago from a panicking bride whose flower delivery never showed. He’s a sucker for a damsel in distress, so he told her he’d throw together some quick centerpieces for her tables and a few bouquets for her wedding party.
He called in the whole family for help. Mom, Dad, and Vivi brought a sleepy-eyed Zane, and Michael and I hitched a ride with Ryan.
“Yep. Better start studying,” I tease.
“Welp. Guess I’d better leave now. I was always shit in school.” Zane pretends to turn around for the door, but Dad stops him, throwing an arm over his shoulder.
“Oh, no, you don’t. If I can be helpful, so can you. We’ll decorate the vases and let the creative types work their magic.”
Zane melts under Dad’s acceptance. His small smile is adorable, and I find myself feeling incredibly gratefulfor my family. They’ve brought Zane under their wing without a moment of hesitation.
“All right,” Ryan starts. “Mom, Vivi, and I will handle arrangements, Michael and Addie will de-leaf and trim, and Dad and Zane will prep the vases.”
“Sir, yes, sir.” I salute him. He glares at me without any heat behind it. I don’t think Ryan is capable of that kind of negative emotion.
He continues as if I didn’t interrupt him. “The bride said her main color is navy blue, but she’d take black roses if it meant she got to hold a bouquet as she walked down the aisle.”
Mom frowns. “Aw, poor girl. We just got those blue thistles in our last order, didn’t we?”
“That’s exactly what I was thinking. Along with some Nigella.”
“Yes! And eucalyptus is a must.”
“Focus, you two. We need directions,” Dad teases.
Mom and Ryan grin apologetically. Ryan hands out specific instructions, and we all dive into our jobs.
The morning flies by while we work. The sun shines through the glass front of the building, highlighting the fairy-garden feel of the store. Over the past few years, Mom has slowly been handing the reins over to Ryan. She’d have given him the whole store a long time ago, but he kept saying he wasn’t ready. We all knew he was just too nervous to take over, so she started getting sneaky about it. Every few months, she’d ask him to help with a different business task, until he was basically running the store while she merely helped out up front.
Ryan called her out on it one day, and she just gave him a wink and told him she knew he was capable of running the store the whole time. He’s been managing ever since, and I swear they’ve never been more successful.
Eliza, the full-time employee Ryan hired a few months ago, comes in a little while later with a tray of coffees and a bag of what I hope are pastries from The Café in hand. She flicks her brown bangs out of her eyes as she moves deeper into the store. “I figured you guys might need an energy boost and someone to tap in soon.”
We’ve gotten quite a bit done in the three hours we’ve been working. Beautiful sprays of blue, lavender, and greenery fill a table on the side of the room. We’ve just finished the centerpieces, and now Ryan and Mom are working on the bouquets while Vivi wraps the boutonnieres.
“You have perfect timing.” Dad helps Eliza with her armload of treats. Her pregnant belly looks more like a basketball under her shirt than a baby. She’s yet another lost soul we’ve adopted into our family. I’ve never met someone so genuinely kind despite all the reasons she has to be angry at the world.
She moved here with nothing but the shirt on her back after escaping her abusive ex. She didn’t even know she was pregnant until a few weeks after she started working at the shop. The whole town has rallied around her, supporting her the way only a close-knit community can: with love, food, and nosy neighbors unafraid of barging in to check on her.
We take a break, chatting with Eliza while we fuel up on coffee and pastries.
“How’s the little mister doing?” Dad asks her.
Eliza rubs a hand across her belly. “Great. At the last ultrasound, he was hamming it up for the techs. Then the little turkey kept bouncing around too much, and it took forever for them to do their checks.”
