Sometimes things are better left a mystery.
Seeking details out wipes away the fog of fantasies. If you pull back a curtain on something you might be enchanted by, it might ruin it for you. I tend to air on the side of caution in this way. Yet, sometimes, as all of us do, I fall victim to my own curiosity, so I yank that curtain open.
After another Thanksgiving spent watching old Doris Day movies over a meal of pizza, I am still questioning myself. Why was I foolish enough to ask about the handsome man with the two adorable kids from the other night? Why did it excite me to find out he is a local guy who owns the auto garage in town?
“Because you have nothing else good going on,” I hiss at myself.
Dusting rows of hanging planters as I wander the aisles of my little shop, I blow my wispy bangs out of my eyes. I should not have asked the other shop owners if they recognized him. It made it too obvious he had made some sort of impression.
It was more than a passing impression if I am being honest. I have thought of him a hundred times since that night. Wondered where he might be. How had I never seen him before? Was the tree lighting as beautiful that night he took those little angels as it was the last time I saw it?
My heart seizes in my chest as I think about that. It’s been so long. I figured it would get easier the longer I avoided the holidays. I would get over the loss of them. Maybe I could even forget they had ever existed.
“Morning, Nova,” Hudson’s voice startles me from my thoughts.
Turning, I see him wandering in from the snow, kickingsnow off his boots. Pulling his scarf off, he holds up a large container. His mother’s Thanksgiving that she knew I would not come to, despite their offer each year. I smile at him despite myself, taking the plate with greedy hands.
“Thank you. Take your mother two of your favorite bouquets tonight, Hudson. To thank her. Heck, take one for that new girl I heard you took to thanksgiving,” I tease him with a wink as I step behind the counter.
Hudson flushes, his head ducking. “Yeah, I took Jen. I uh…not sure mom liked her, to be honest. Wouldn’t let her help with anything.”
My eyes fly up to the young man in surprise. His mother, Tatum, is a sweet soul but also not someone who tolerates nonsense. I chuckle a little as I take a bite of her from scratch cranberry sauce. That poor girlfriend of Hudson’s. From what I can tell, this is the first girl he’s dated long enough to take home. I figured they might stay together even when he goes to school after next summer. I might have figured that wrong.
“Give your mother a break,” I suggest as I go to my creation corner, grabbing some fresh material that arrived earlier. I will spend the first part of my day creating bouquets that I hope my customers love. “We women can be a little protective of our spaces. It might have been nothing more than that.”
“Yeah, I hope so. How was your holiday?” he wonders with a crooked smile because he knows damn well it was empty and uneventful.
“Same as last year. Will be the same as next year too. I do appreciate your mother feeding me well, as well as the open invite. I just.... can’t.”
Wrapping his apron around himself, he pauses. Long enough that I lift my head from my work to glance over at him. I am stunned to find him watching me with sadness in his eyes. I do not want anyone’s pity, but it is hard to ignore it when theypin you down with it.
“Orion deserves happiness. You do too, Nova. He would never deny it for yourself so why would you deny it for him and Oaklin?”
Leaving me alone to ponder that gem, he opens the store as I sit lost in thought. Because he is not wrong. My brother does deserve happiness. It was all I ever wanted for him, more so after we lost our parents. After losing so much we began celebrating whenever we could. His being with Oaklin, my very best friend who knew about our loss, should have been celebrated.
It was out of a mixture of jealousy and indignation. Why had they not come to me? Why keep such a huge secret from me? Would they not want to celebrate with me? It hurt to find out the way I had, to be awash with the feelings of betrayal, of being left out of something so important to them.
Was I such a humbug they rather lie than risk me ruining it?
“Morning honey,” a low rumble startles me. “I had to come back to thank you. My sister loved that bouquet so much, she bragged to anyone who would listen. I do believe we scored you some new customers.”
Dropping the flowers in my hand, I steady my breathing.Peter Pan. I turn to confirm it is the handsome man from the other night. Yes. Somehow, he is even more handsome in the bright sunshine of the morning. I flush as his eyes rake over me slowly, as if he can see things no one else can.
“H-hello. That is...that is very sweet. I am glad she loved it.”
“It is sitting on her mantle as we speak. Little jerk pushed a hideous family heirloom I made with the kids out of the way to display it. Can I be honest with you, honey?”
“Nova. I am... please, call me Nova,” I suggest as I press a hand over my thundering heart.
His big body moves so he has me cornered behind the counter. He is so close I can see specks of gray in his blue eyes.I can smell his woodsy, earthy cologne. It smells divine and reminds me of picking flowers in the mountain meadows. I blink up at him as he smiles crookedly, his gaze intense.
“Nova. Call me anything you want, honey. Most folks call me Niko.”
“Niko. What were you being dishonest about?”
That smile deepens, his light eyes burning brighter as he leans even closer, as if he has a secret to share. “Well, I do thank you but...I just wanted to see you again. Would you go to lunch with me, honey?”
There it is again. That weird, frantic fluttering in my abdomen. I press a hand there, as if I can control it. It has nothing to do with my vanilla chai tea this morning or the heavy scent of eucalyptus in the air. No, this is all about the smiling, sweet, good-taste guy who just asked me out.
