“And is Doc still treating you like a queen?”
She gives a lusty sigh of happiness. “Absence might be good for the heart, but a small bed and a starry sky do wonders for the libido.”
I snort out a laugh. “Sounds like it really is a trip of a lifetime.”
“As long as his ticker holds up.” I can hear Doc mumble something in the background and a light slap that might or might not be on naked skin. “But what about you? Are you getting enough sleep? Is Leo still shooting up like a pole bean?”
“He’s good. And yes, he’s put on another inch since you left. But…” I flap a hand at my warm cheeks, even though she can’t see my flushed face. “Well, I have some news. Last night Logan and I bonded…”
I don’t get to elaborate, because I’m pretty sure they can hear her shriek in Denver. “About damn time, my girl! Oh, I’m so happy for you, Lily! We should pack up and come home so we can celebrate together.”
“Don’t you dare!” They’ve barely started their vacation, and I know that once they get back, it will be a long time before Rosie can tear herself away from the farm again. “Enjoy your trip and we’ll have a bonding ceremony when you get home. Right now, things are a little crazy here, anyway.”
“Crazy how?” Her excitement quickly morphs into concern. “Is it busier than usual? Are you running yourself ragged? I hope you’ve hired those extra field hands, like I said.”
“Take a breath and I’ll explain everything.” She settles down with a grumble but listens quietly as I recap the highlights since our last phone call. She gasps a bit when I tell her about Ellis Castle being Leo’s father, but Rosie is too practical to be starstruck, and only wants to know if we’re safe at Willow Manor. “We’re fine here. They have security on the property, and the guys have been really welcoming.”
“Well, trust me to take a vacation when things get interesting for the first time in years,” she huffs. “Hold on, Doc wants to talk to you.”
It still amuses me to hear Rosie call her beau of thirty years by his professional name, but that’s what everyone in Knotty Falls calls him. “Hello, Lily love,” he says in his slow, patient way. “I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but if it all gets too much for you there, why don’t you come visit? You could fly to Denver, and we’ll rent a little place in the mountains until it blows over. There are some mighty nice things to look at around here.”
I’m pretty sure he’s talking about the rosy view right in front of him, but my heart melts at the invitation. “Thanks, Doc, but I don’t want to derail your trip. We’ll be fine here for a few days.”
“Alright, but the offer stands. Wherever we are, you’re always welcome to join us.”
“She knows that,” Rosie clicks her tongue at him as she wrestles back the phone. “But there is something else I want to talk to you about.” Rosie has her bossy voice on, so I settle back for one of her well-meaning but sometimes long-winded lectures. “Now you're bonded, we should plan for some other changes. I think it’s important that you have more time with Logan, so you can properly enjoy mated life. Since he’s busy starting up his business, you might like to get yourselves anapartment in town near his gym. Leo would be closer to his school, and you could stretch your wings a little. Maybe think about going back to get that degree you used to talk about.”
I blink, lost somewhere back where she suggested getting an apartment in town. “Wait up, I’m not following. Why would we need another place? If you and Doc want privacy, Leo and I could move into Logan’s farmhouse when you get back.”
Rosie clicks her tongue again, but it’s a soft sound, edged with something I can’t place. “No, that’s not what I want at all. I’m saying that maybe you should think about what life you’d like to have outside of the farm. The way things are going, it might be time to let someone else fill the vases and pies of Knotty Falls.”
Can I be hearing her right?A sick, cramping feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. “You mean... sell Rosie’s Blooms?”
“It’s an option. You’ve got a new life ahead of you and it seems that Doc and I have caught the travel bug. We’re talking about extending our trip, maybe even going on a cruise somewhere, but there’s no point starting fresh if we’re all still tied to old places.”
I shake my head, bewilderment and panic building inside me. I knew this trip was important to her, but I never thought it would lead tothis. “What are you talking about, Rosie? Are you saying you don’t want to come back?”
“No, sweetheart.” I press a hand to my racing heart, because it sounds like she’s trying to soothe a spooked animal. “Knotty Falls will always be our home. But not because of the farm. At the end of the day, that’s just fields, fertilizer, and crops. Wherever you and Leo and your pack are,that'shome for me.”
This means so much to me – her endless, unconditional love - but I still can’t believe she’s talking about uprooting our lives. It’s always been me and Rosie, and the only home I’ve ever known is the one she gave me. “But you’ve worked so hard to make Rosie’s Blooms a success. You gave up so much…”
“To put food on the table and a roof over our heads,” Rosie says in her matter-of-fact way. “We don’t owe the farm more than that. And just in case I haven’t been clear enough, you don’t owe me anything more than your love, my girl. That’s what I cherish the most, and I won’t let the farm’s problems ruin that.”
I sit in stunned silence, trying to picture a life where Rosie’s Blooms isn’t the backdrop. I always thought Rosie loved the farm, so how can we just walk away from it? The sick feeling in my stomach tightens, until it feels like I have a fist forcing its way up my throat. Does she regret putting me in charge? She must know I’m struggling and doesn’t want me to feel guilty for failing her. Oh, God.Rosie must think I’m going to lose her family’s legacy…“But what if I can bring in more money? Things are a little tight right now, but an ad agency wants to film a campaign at Rosie’s Blooms. They’ll pay enough to cover our bills, and if we’re careful, we could probably stretch to some upgrades.” Rosie is quiet for a moment and I hurry on, “Please don’t act rashly, Rosie. Just give me a few weeks to get things back under control, and then we can talk about some changes if you still want them.”
Rosie sighs, and I’m pretty sure I can hear Doc murmur something soothing in her ear before she says, “Fine, but you need to think about your options, too. There’s a whole world outside Knotty Falls, my girl, and I want you to experience every bit of it.”
I don’t feel equipped to deal with Rosie’s bombshell on my own, so the next call I make is to Kaysie. She usually has a hot date with a revolving door of eligible men on Saturday night, but my best friend must hear the wobble in my voice because she pulls up at the manor less than half an hour later, a bottle of wine under her arm and a pair of killer cowboy boots on her feet.Cooper just happens to be standing beside me on the porch as she climbs out of her battered hatchback, and I swear I can feel him grow an extra couple of inches as their gazes meet. But then she’s striding towards me, a ride or die look on her face. “Who needs killing, and which direction should I point Mark in?”
“Mark?”
“Cooper,” she explains, jerking her head in the bodyguard’s direction. “He’s Mark.”
“Since when?” I ask, but the look they exchange speaks volumes, and I bite my lip to hide my grin. “Oh. Good for you.”
“Good forhim, especially because he gets to use that nasty little knife he keeps in his boot,” Kaysie quips, pulling me in for a tight hug. “Now, tell me who put that sad look on your face so we can go and unleash hellfire on their heads.”
“No need for that,” I murmur, hugging her an extra second before pulling away. “I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed is all.”
