She gnawed her lip, thinking quickly. It probably wasn’t wise to take him straight to Iris’s coffee shop without some kind of explanation first. A pleasant, neutral meeting place would work better, and Millie’s pretty garden came to mind.
‘Maybe we could meet at the garden centre?’ she added. ‘I haven’t been for ages, and I’m thinking of getting some new plants . . .’
Greta hung up and gripped her phone, wondering if Jim would believe her wild story. But then a smile crept across her lips. For the first time in ages, she was reaching out to him with something positive to share.
She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. ‘See, Iris,’ she said aloud. ‘I’m pushing forward on my own. No coffee required.’
Chapter 12
A FEW DAYS LATER,Greta applied a fresh coat of coral lipstick before she headed to the garden centre. She wore the pearls and dug out a black floppy-brimmed hat from the back of her wardrobe. Teamed with a black dress, boots and faux fur coat, she looked like she was stepping out for a pretheatre dinner. She didn’t look quite as polished as she’d done in Mapleville, but it was a start.
With time to spare before meeting Jim, she wandered the aisles of potted plants, admiring the miniature roses and poinsettias. Freshly cut flowers were arranged in buckets on a striped cart with wheels, looking like something from the streets of a romantic movie. She inhaled the earthy pine smell of the real Christmas trees on sale.
There was a pet section, gifts, and a coffee shop housed in the same building. When Lottie was a little girl, she used to love giggling at the gerbils as they scurried in the sawdust. She’d especially enjoyed the aquariums where fish flitted and fake treasure chests overflowed with shiny plastic jewels.
Greta decided to take a cautious approach with Jim, a leisurely look around together before she told him about Iris’s coffee shop.
As she browsed, Greta noticed a couple of women pausing nearby, glancing in her direction. She couldn’t help overhearing their conversation.
‘She looks glam. Is she famous or something?’ one murmured.
‘Not sure. She looks like she should be . . .’
They both laughed, their tone warm rather than unkind.
Greta’s cheeks speckled pink with pride.
She was lost in thoughts about Millie’s elegant home décor when she spotted Jim near the garden tools, examining a pair of shears. He wore his denim jacket slung over one shoulder and sported the khaki cargo trousers she’d always liked.
An unexpected wave of attraction swept over her, leaving her feeling a little dizzy. She approached him with a casual smile. ‘Fancy seeing you here . . .’
Jim glanced up, barely registering her at first. ‘Greta?’ He did a double take. ‘You look . . . different.’
Greta flicked the brim of her hat. ‘You mean fabulous?’ She laughed. ‘Looks like one of us made the effort.’
His gaze lingered longer than she expected. ‘I didn’t realise there was a dress code for plant shopping,’ he said. ‘I feel a bit underdressed.’
‘Maybe we could start a trend.’
Jim set the shears back on the shelf. ‘I miss having a garden,’ he said quietly. ‘Didn’t think I’d ever miss hanging out the washing, or reading the papers in the sun.’
‘There’s a solution for that,’ Greta quipped, watching to gauge his reaction.
But Jim only offered her a small, guarded smile.
They began to meander along the aisles together, though Greta felt like an invisible barrier was still holding them apart.
She picked up a small cactus off a shelf, noticing a tiny orange flower growing amongst the spines. Jim, meanwhile, seemed engrossed by a display of hydrangeas.
When they reached the clothing section, a Panama hat caught Greta’s eye. It reminded her of the one Jim had sported in Mapleville, and she picked it up.
Flicking the brim with her fingers, she offered it to him. ‘If you’re still feeling out of place, this might suit you,’ she teased.
Jim hesitated before taking it, turning it over in his hands. ‘Yeah?’ He placed it on his head and struck a pose. ‘What do you think?’
Greta took a step back to see. ‘It looks surprisingly good.’
‘Yeah? Jim glanced at a nearby mirror. ‘I’m not so sure. Maybe if I was going to an Indiana Jones convention, or on a Nile cruise.’ He laughed and placed it back on the shelf.
