‘Ooh, that sounds great. Maybe we can wrap a tag around them? Nothing plastic though; I know Willow wouldn’t like that. She likes things to be sustainable as far as possible.’
‘You could engrave a small piece of wood and tie that on them,’ Mary said as she tied up another bouquet.
I looked across at her. ‘That is brilliant! Hang on…’ I took a minute to fire off a message to Willow. ‘I know someone who could look into that.’ I was sure Dylan would find somewhere online we could use easily. He was brilliant at research and sourcing suppliers. I also told Willow I’d be going with Mary to the wholesaler in the morning. It felt like everything was all coming together now.
We worked on and managed to finish the bouquets with twenty minutes to spare.
‘I wish I could stay and meet him,’ I said, ‘but I better get back to the farm in case Willow has found something I need to help her with. I can’t thank you enough for your good ideas.’
‘It’s me who should be thanking you, Daisy. I was in a right pickle until you walked in!’
I chuckled at the expression. ‘I’m happy I could help.’ I looked at the pretty bouquets. They looked perfect; I was sure the customer would be happy and surely, he would get a yes from his girlfriend once she saw them. Seeing the flowers made me think about Henry’s proposal. There’d been no such thought or romance involved. We’d worked late at the office together one night and he’d received a message from his mother telling him that his grandmother was coming to stay for the weekend.
‘I’m going to ask her for her diamond ring,’ he’d said. ‘She always said she wanted me to propose with it and it will look perfect on your finger. That’s what we both want, isn’t it?’
I’d said yes and the ball had got rolling on planning our doomed wedding. I had only cared about my future feeling safe at the time, but now I knew deep down in my heart, I wanted a romantic proposal, if I ever got another one. Someone who told me they wanted to love me forever. Someone I wasn’t scared to love back the same way. Someone who knocked down my walls and made it impossible for me not give them my heart.
As I headed for the door, Mary called my name.
‘You have a real knack for this, Daisy. And you seem to enjoy it. And the work you’re doing at the farm. I know it can’t be easy to be here knowing your mother used to help out too but I want you to know, you’re great at it.’
My chest swelled with a thousand emotions. I looked around the flower shop. Yes, it was hard. Yes, it was painful. But Mary was right – I was having fun working with flowers here.
I felt a jolt of realisation then. I’d envied Willow being so passionate about the farm, but now I felt that same spark working with flowers. I was passionate about them. Just like my mother was.
‘Mary – if I can make sure I do everything Willow needs at the farm, maybe I could help you more this summer? What do you think?’ I asked, my heart speeding up instantly as I waited for her answer. I had to remind myself to breathe.
She broke into a slow, wide smile. ‘I was hoping you were going to suggest just that.’
32
I didn’t get a chance to be alone again with Blake until just before dinner time. Willow told me to ask him to come in to eat as he was still out with the ponies in the strawberry fields, so I headed out there. It had been a busy day and I was tired and hungry. But I walked with a lightness to my step. I had a plan for the rest of the summer that I couldn’t wait to tell everyone about. Just two weeks ago, I’d felt as lost as I ever had been but slowly and surely, I was finding out who I wanted to be. Who I probably always had been. I didn’t want to hide from living any more.
And Blake was part of that. I wanted to tell him how I felt.
I smiled when I saw him in the enclosure. The ponies were groomed to perfection and he was giving them a strawberry treat, patting and talking to them. His love for animals was something I really liked about him; it was so endearing.
‘How are they doing?’ I called as I walked through the open gate.
‘They’ve been really good today,’ he said. ‘I mean, they’re still mischievous and want a treat in exchange for doing pretty much anything, but they seem to be enjoying living here.’
‘I know the feeling.’ I reached out to pat Jasmine while I smiled at Blake. ‘We haven’t had much time together today. I have lots to tell you.’
‘Oh, yeah?’ His smile showed me his dimples again as he let go of Jasmine and turned to me. ‘Do you want to come to the cottage again this evening?’
I nodded happily. ‘Willow wants you to come in for dinner so let’s go back and then we can?—’
I was interrupted by Blake’s phone ringing, making us jump. The ponies both snorted at the noise. He pulled his phone out of the back pocket of his shorts and frowned. ‘It’s Sarah. It might be about the app…’
‘You should answer her,’ I said, although I didn’t really want him to but I knew they still had a lot to sort out. ‘Shall I…?’ I gestured out of the enclosure but he shook his head.
‘Stay. We can walk back together afterwards.’ Blake answered her call. ‘Hi, Sarah.’
I was pleased that there didn’t seem to be a particular fondness in his tone. It was still weird, though – listening to him to talk to the woman he had been about to ask to marry him.
‘What? Wait… why?’ he asked, listening intently. His eyes widened. ‘Really?… but we don’t know what we want to do. Yeah, I know we have worked hard. I suppose so…’ Blake looked at me as he listened to whatever Sarah was telling him. He frowned. ‘It does sound promising, you’re right. Okay, okay.’ He paced off into the pony enclosure a little bit. I watched him, wondering why my smile had faded. I was getting a bad feeling about this.
He listened to Sarah some more. She appeared to be making a long speech. And, suddenly, he was nodding along.
