I growled. “Idon'tlike flowers.”
“Could have fooled me. I can't wait to find out what happens when the president realizes you're this into a place called The Flower Patch, maybe they'll think you're laundering money, because what kind of mountain man likes flowers this much, right? Unless, you know...”
“You know what?” I ground, growing more annoyed with the way she twisted around me with her words.
“The flower fetish.”
“Flower fetish?” I burst, unable to control the frustration any longer. A chuckle lit from her lips and her eyes lit in delighted joy as she wedged herself under my skin. Granted, it didn't take much, there was a reason I didn’t tangle with people much, things like conversation and communication were lost on me most days. Always had been, and I was fine with that. I'd always gotten more out of being in nature working with my hands than from chit-chat anyway. “Listen, I don't have a damn flower fetish, or any fetish, I'm as average as they come and just because you drove all the way up here, don't give you the right to—”
“To what?” She countered quickly and I faltered. She crossed her arms over her chest, squaring against me in a power pose that was in such a striking contrast to her otherwise calm demeanor, I couldn't help but feel the energy rippling off of her and filling up my space everywhere.
“The right to saunter in here with your smart mouth and stupid fucking clacky shoes and tell me anything about my life.” I paused and her lips pursed with pinched annoyance. “And next time?”
“Next time?”
“Bigger,” I ordered.
“Bigger?”
“A fuck of a lot bigger. This is nice, but when I said one of everything I meant it, you kinda shorted me.”
“Shorted you?”
“This wimpy vase hasn't met my expectations at all. In fact, I'd like to leave a review about the service.”
“The service?” Her voice lowered an octave, anger replacing the annoyance. Her cheeks turned from soft cherry pink to a vibrant shade of poppy.
“What'd you say the name of your little establishment was?”
“Th-The Flower Patch.” Her words were barely audible now, and I could practically see her fluttering heartbeat behind the thin skin of her throat.
I gulped, stepping closer and nailing her with my hardened gaze.
“Unless you meant to deliver the rest of my order tomorrow?” I peeled another hundred off of the stack in my wallet. “Will this cover it?”
Her wavering hands took the bill and she swallowed, eyes cast over my shoulder to the workbench with her bouquet behind me, before going up to the worn wooden beams of my old workshop ceiling. “You want me to come back tomorrow?”
“Unless you want to come back up tonight, but sunset comes earlier than you'd think up here, I'd hate for you to get stuck on one of those S curves after dark. Can't tell you how many people I've found huddled in their cars after sun sets, or even worse once the snow flies. Those open cliffs are deadly during the winter storms.”
“Deadly.” She nodded almost imperceptibly before suddenly spinning on her pointy little shoe and clicking her way out of my shop. I followed, hot on her heels and into the open air. This woman was a vision even in the dark, but by the light of day, she was sent from Heaven.
I shook those thoughts from my head, wanting to land one last sucker punch before she tore out of my life again. “And what's your name? For the review—I'd call you precious petal but I want to be a little more accurate when I speak to the level of customer service at The Flower Patch.”
She turned and straightened her spine, thrusting out her chin before catching my gaze and replying, “Maybe tomorrow's flower theme should be the...the grumpy asshole! And I'll be sure to sign the cardAll My Hate,Poppy O'Henry.”
And then my blood turned to ice.
Poppy O'Henry.
Captain O'Henry's daughter.
My mortal enemy.
CHAPTER FOUR
Poppy
“Fuck him.” Outright anger shook my hands as I clutched the steering wheel, backing down his stupid steep driveway. “He can shove tomorrow up his ass.”
