“That would be wonderful. My daughter’s wedding is next year, and your arrangements are always so exquisite. I know you’d do an excellent job for her.”
Weddings. Arrangements. Pain blanched my chest, and I quickly moved farther along the wall. My gaze leapfrogged over the titles of vintage books on flower species and an encyclopedia on botany until I reached the display windows at the front of the store, where I couldn’t hear them.
After I’d stuffed all my lingeriebackinto my duffel and explored the apartment, I not so casually waited until I saw Max’s truck pull away from the curb before returning downstairs to the flower shop to chat with Erica.
Sure enough, she was prepared for me at Max’s instruction and had started reviewing delivery protocols with me when that customer walked in. Apologizing, she’d gone to speak to them and take their order—summer bouquets to be delivered to their condo every Sunday for the rest of the month. It was being rented as a VRBO, and they wanted fresh flowers for the arrival of new guests.And now something about weddings.
I pressed my nose into a cotton candy-colored bouquet of garden roses and mini carnations, drowning my riot of emotions in their scent.It would make a perfect perfume.I wondered if there was a liquor store close by.And how would that look, Daisy? A pregnant woman buying a bottle of vodka?That was a surefire way to go from homeless to incarcerated.
But I wasn’t homeless. Not anymore.
Guilt washed over me for the way I’d lashed out at Max. I knew I should cut myself some slack because of Todd…and hormones, but I didn’t like it when the cracks in my composure showed, when the edges of those cracks started to cut people who were only trying to help. People I cared about.
“You’re not broken, Daze.”Even the memory of his words felt like a warm blanket.
Why couldn’t I graciously accept Max’s help right now? Why did I have to be a jerk about it? If there was ever a time that allowing help was understandable, it was right now, while I was pregnant, fiancé-less, everything-less—except Max.
I wasn’t without Max.
And maybe that was the problem. It wasn’t about accepting help. It was about accepting help from him when I harbored a deep, dark guilty attraction for my ex-fiancé’s best friend.
Never in a million years would I have cheated on Todd, no matter how bad things got between us, but neither could I deny the pull I felt toward his best friend. That I’d always felt toward his best friend.
Now, I was afraid to rely on Max because there was a part of me that always wanted more. A part of me that would readily sink into the space of,what if you hadn’t picked Todd?andMax never would’ve left you like this.A part of me that would’ve been instantly and completely broken if the man who’d left me at the altar had been Max.
I stopped, my gaze catching on a small framed photograph tucked into the corner on the end, and my heart pinched. I picked it up and stared at the image of Max and Todd standing in front of Max’s old farm truck, each holding a bouquet like it was a sword and pretending to duel.
I remembered when the photo was taken because I was the one who’d taken it. And right after, Max had let Todd land awinning blow, falling to his knees in mock defeat.He always let Todd win.
He always put everyone else first.
I put the frame down just as Erica returned to my side. “Sorry about that.”
“Oh, don’t apologize. I’m on your schedule today.”
“Do you have any questions so far?” she asked as we walked back to the desk.
Closing the catalogs she’d opened for the customer, she moved them aside and pulled back out the delivery schedule for the week.
“I don’t think so. It’s pretty straightforward, just making sure everything is delivered to the desired location, that the bouquets are signed for, and that all the flowers are inspected for quality before leaving,” I ran through the gist of it. “I think I have a pretty good sense of how everything flows after riding along with Max these last few days, so I should be okay on my own.”
“Oh.” Erica looked at me and then back to the schedule. “Well, you won’t be on your own for the next week, maybe two. Max will still be going with you.”
“Why?” I blurted out the question. “Sorry, I don’t mean…He doesn’t need to come with me. I can handle the deliveries on my own.”
“Oh, no.” She waved her hands. “He usually does at least a week of training with all the drivers…with every position, really.”
“He does?” I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. It sounded exactly like something Max would do.
“Oh yeah,” she said and flipped her hair over her shoulder. “He’s very hands-on, especially when it comes to the teams that are interfacing directly with customers, since a lot of our orders come through the app or online. Wants to make sure everyone is giving their best.”
I nodded but found it hard to speak.Of course Max would do that.
“There are also a bunch of our largest arrangements on the schedule, so you’ll need a second person with you for those anyway.”
“I don’t need help. I can carry them, especially if there’s a dolly in the truck. I don’t have any lifting restrictions.”Yet.
“Daisy.” Erica placed her hand on mine, stopping me. “This isn’t because of you. Or the baby. This is our standard protocol for the safety of all our employees.”
