But this? This was actuallysculptural. And compelling. I stepped even closer. I couldn’t deny it...I went to an art school—this wasart. And Rowan? I was no floral-sculpture expert, but I could see the weirdo was like some sort of floral savant. No wonder Addison was pissed her ex wasn’t going to help her win that competition.
“Juniper is as good as you at this stuff?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Careful, Thirst Trap. I think you just complimented me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m just trying to figure all you people out. Addison was, like, totally negging Juniper to get her on her team, and you—you’re researching flower meanings to convince her. As far as I’m concerned, both are manipulative.”
His nostrils flared. “I’m not manipulating her; she’s mysister. I want her to...” He paused. “I’m trying to protect her.”
“Okay, so, that’s admirable and all, but you should be letting Juniper do what she wants.” And I suspected all Juniper wanted to do was read books. And maybe talk about books. Photograph books. “Thisiscool, though.” I gestured to the flower arrangement and sighed. “I admit, I am impressed.”
He snorted. “High praise, coming from you.”
“Actually, it is.” I shook my head. The guy’s flower talent was distracting me from my point. “Honestly, I can’t see how you and Addison are the slightest bit compatible, but whatever. I’m not going to pretend to understand the love lives of the hayseeds and flower children. Wait, what did she call you? Flower Power?”
He huffed. “Addison and I arenotcompatible. That’s why we’re not together. I’ll talk to her. Get her to leave June alone.”
I waved my hand and headed back to the table to get my backpack. “You do that.”
“Tahira, wait. I need a favor.”
I turned back to him, one eyebrow raised in question. What could I possibly do for him?
He walked around the workbench and came closer to me. I couldn’t make out his expression anymore because it was getting dark and the bright colors in the sky had dimmed. “You’ll be working with June this summer, and for some reason she really likes you. Can you just, I don’t know...keep her safe from people like Addison?”
“You want me to protect your sister from your girlfriend?”
“Ex-girlfriend.Look, June’s...she’s dealt with a lot of crap at school, and she took our grandmother’s death last year pretty hard.”
I winced. June talked so warmly about her grandmother—I hadn’t realized she’d died recently. “Oh. I’m sorry. Is this the grandmother who taught her about flowers?”
Rowan nodded. “She lived here with us for the last five years, and June and her were close. Anyway, June’s head’s in the clouds lately. I don’t want people like Addie taking advantage.”
I didn’t want that, either. I slipped my backpack straps on. “I didn’t like the way yourexwas talking to Juniper. No one is going to bully mycoworker on my watch. Gia and I have already decided she will be our teen-comedy sidekick.”
He snorted. “Mean Girls?”
“Clueless.”
He laughed out loud. “Well, you certainly have Cher’s pout mastered.”
Huh. Rowan Johnston knewClueless. “I don’t pout,” I said.
“You’re pouting right now. You’ll tell me if Addie harasses her again?” he asked.
I shrugged. Getting involved in Bakewell drama when I wanted to focus on work was probably ill advised, but I didn’t want June disrespected by a snobby brat.
“Fine. Good night, Plant-Boy.”
I left the beautiful douche canoe alone in his garden.
8
TEARS, PEP TALKS, AND DIGGING GARDEN HOTTIES
Iended up texting Matteo for a while from my sleeping loft when I got back to the tiny house. Gia was watching something on her phone from her bed with headphones. Matteo had a lot of ideas for elements to add to my proposal for Lily, but since the store didn’t carry menswear, I wasn’t sure I could use any of them. I promised I’d hire him as a consultant if we ever sold clothes for guys and then said good night. I still had a crap ton of work left, and between my mother, my boyfriend, and the grumpy plant nerd in the yard, I’d had enough distractions for one night. I stayed up late writing by the light of my phone to finish the proposal. It was fine—my body was used to little sleep when I was designing or sewing, anyway.
The Lilybuds schedule normally had one person (usually Shar) opening the store at ten, with one or two people joining at noon, since that’s when most of the customers came in. But on Tuesday, Gia and I both opened with Shar since some tour buses were going to be passing through town on the way to some immersive flower experience. The tour-bus ladies (because most were older women around Shar’s age) came soon after we opened, browsed for what felt like hours, and bought barely anything. Waste of time, if you asked me. Whenwe rebranded the store as Lily, people wouldn’t drop in while passing through town—we’d be a destination in itself.
