The sound of the happy skaters faded into the background, and the crunch of their boots on the frost-covered ground of the trail around the lake was the only thing she was aware of.“I arrived in Houston full of confidence that I could make this dream come true.Show my family that I could start my own business, like my parents had with the flower farm.Chrissy was in Buffalo, married, and working an accounting job.Sunny was Dad’s right-hand person.I was Tulip, the one who had great ideas, but always failed to complete them.I’m sure that’s why Chelsea asked you to help me.To make sure I saw it through.”
Zach gave a noncommittal shrug, and that was all the confirmation she needed that her assumption was correct.Not that she was mad.It made sense that the mayor would do whatever was necessary to ensure that the event went off without a hitch.
In the end it had worked out because she and Zach were getting closer.And why would she be angry about that?
“I got a job at one of the large department stores as a personal shopper.After a month, I figured I had enough knowledge and experience to quit and start my own business.I got cards made up and started giving them out to customers.”She caught Zach’s wince out of the corner of her eye.“Don’t say it.I was too cocky, and I got fired because I wasn’t supposed to be soliciting business from the customers who were paying the stores for the same service.It was a silly mistake born out of someone who had grown up in a small town, where everyone supported each other.Totally different from the big city and working for a big store, where the rules were different.”
Zach pulled her to the side as a group of teenagers raced toward the lake, laughing and joking with each other.“We’ve all made stupid mistakes in our youth, but we also learn from them, and I’m sure that at your next job, you didn’t make that same mistake.”
“It wasn’t that easy.I tried to get another job, but I also had to put that company down as a reference.Of course, when they phoned them, they found out what I’d done and so no way did they want me, in case I did the same thing.After a few weeks my savings account was looking very sick.I was ready to go home when I got a call from one of the women I’d given my card to.She wanted my help in picking out an outfit for her son’s wedding.She liked the outfits I’d selected, and money wasn’t an object.I helped her, and she recommended me to a couple of her friends.I thought I’d made it.”
Tilly looked up at the stars, so bright and clear, without any of the light pollution found in cities.She’d missed looking at the stars when she was in Houston.
“I’m guessing you hadn’t made it?”
“No.The clients were happy with me, but it wasn’t like they were buying new wardrobes every week.I still had to try to hustle to find clients.Not to mention, I found I didn’t like living in such a busy city.The roads scared me.I hated driving there.I was also really homesick.I’d never been away from my family before.I don’t know how Chrissy was able to live on the opposite side of the country and be happy.Maybe it was because she had Beau, her first husband.I was lonely.I hadn’t made any friends.My phone wasn’t ringing with clients wanting consultations.I didn’t know what to do.It all became too hard.Too overwhelming.In the end I packed up my bags and headed home.I told everyone the job didn’t work out, and no one questioned me.I think they were happy to see me back.”
They were getting closer to the lake again, and Tilly’s feet were aching.Her face was numb from the cold night air.
Zach pulled her tight, and she rested her cheek against his chest.“Thank you for telling me.I understand how difficult that time was, but you need to be proud of yourself for taking that leap.So what if it didn’t work out?It doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dream totally.”
She sighed.She was exhausted, both physically and mentally.“I don’t know.I’m happy with my life.I’ve got my own place, and a steady income from a job I don’t mind doing.”
“I don’t think you should totally give up on it.You’re older now.You know what you did wrong the first time.You created a business plan for the poinsettia idea for the farm.You can do that with this personal shopper business.Start out with the stores in Marietta.They’ve seen what you can do with their customers.Or if you don’t want to start here, go to Livingston or Bozeman.Grow slowly and with purpose.Build your reputation, and then you can expand to other places.”
“You make it all sound so easy, but it’s not.What if I did do all that work?All the research?Created a business plan, and it still doesn’t work out?That would mean I’ve failed twice.”This was the first time she’d ever talked out loud about her dream.Being vulnerable and saying her fears out loud wasn’t something she normally did.With Zach, she felt safe doing so.Tilly could be vulnerable, and he wouldn’t make fun of her.
“I won’t lie and say that’s not going to happen, because when it comes to everything in life, there are always risks.But the way you lit up when you told me about helping people was breathtaking.You’re older now and know what not to do.Edison failed over one thousand times while inventing the lightbulb.”He held up his hand when she went to interrupt.“I’m not saying that you’re going to fail that many times, but you owe it to yourself to try again.You wouldn’t have to give up your current job to give this a go, would you?You work from home.You said you have flexible hours.Is there any reason why you can’t do both?”
Everything Zach was saying made sense.She knew that, but it was like there was a big wall in her brain that she couldn’t knock down.A barrier that had always stopped her when things had gotten too hard, and so she’d always taken the easy way out.
The Christmas show was different, though.She’d managed to find a small crack that enabled her to follow through on her promise for this particular project.Was it because of Zach, or because belief in her abilities had started to bloom within herself?A tiny strand of hope that, with more time, would grow into something stronger.Something that would knock down that wall and give her the freedom to chase the dreams.
You owe it to yourself to try again.
You owe it to yourself to try again.
Out of everything that Zach said, those few words resonated with her the most.Would it be any different from anything else she’d done if she did try to start her personal stylist business again?And he was absolutely right.Nothing had to change with her current employment situation.Weekends would be the perfect time to book people in.Or maybe she could take one day a week off as well and do it.
The more she thought about it, the more everything seemed to fall into place.The spark of confidence that this time was going to be different ignited.“You’re right.I should give it another try.I can do it differently.Do it better,” she announced.
“Damn straight you can do it.”Zach’s face lit up with a smile.A smile that reached his eyes and crinkled the corners of his mouth.A smile just for her.
“Thank you.”She didn’t need his belief in her that she could do it, but it certainly helped.
Zach curled his hand around the back of her head, his pinky brushing the exposed line of flesh from the bottom of her beanie to the top of her jacket.“No thanks necessary.You’re going to be amazing, Tulip Bloom.Because that’s who you are.”
Chapter Seventeen
Acombination ofnerves and anticipation partied in Zach’s belly as he drove Tilly home after skating on the lake.A party he wasn’t used to hosting and wasn’t too happy about.In the past when he’d been with women, he hadn’t felt this way.Of course, there’d been sexual attraction, but what he was feeling for Tilly was more.More intense.More of things he wasn’t used to feeling.
Ever since the fire that had thrust him into the limelight, he’d curtailed his affairs with women, preferring to read in his evenings.Since he’d met Tilly, though, he hadn’t had his gaze focused on his Kindle reading the latest bestseller.He’d been busy with her and the concert, and he found that when he was by himself, he spent most of his time thinking about her.Thinking of ways to make her smile and laugh.Wishing that he was with her and not at his home.
Zach had it bad for her.He liked to think she felt the same toward him, which was why he was nervous about taking this next step.He wanted it.Wanted her badly.Her responses to his kisses suggested she wanted to take the next step with him as well.
“Do you want to come in?”she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.
“I would like that.”
