Chapter1
Becky’s gran would turn in her grave if she knew why the buckets of lovely roses were sitting on her workbench.
“Are you sure you want us to take the petals offallthe flowers?” Laura, her part-time florist, asked.
“It may seem a little extreme, but the Pearsons have a grand aisle for their daughter to walk down.”
“And the bride wants to see a carpet of pretty pink roses,” her sister Molly added.
Becky refused to look at the grin on her sister’s face. The bride, Cheryl Pearson, was a lovely young woman who struggled to separate her needs from those of her mother. Becky only hoped she wasn’t swapping one overbearing relationship for another on her wedding day.
“I’ll not be listening to any of your comments about my clients,” she said in an Irish accent that hadn’t mellowed with the passing of time. “Next you’ll be telling me to pick and choose who I agree to help.”
Molly sealed the first bag of petals and carefully placed them in the refrigerator. “I’ll not be telling you how to run your business, but it would be nice to work for clients who appreciate you.”
“In their own way, they do.” Becky opened the spreadsheet on her computer and updated the file. Tomorrow afternoon, Cheryl Pearson would marry the man of her dreams. The fairytale wedding would outshine anything ever seen in Bozeman and would be the talk of the town for weeks. For that reason alone, Becky was happy to work with someone who would try the patience of a saint.
With the list of tasks updated, she returned to the three-foot-high centerpiece she was creating. “Are all of your photos ready for the exhibition?” she asked her sister. Molly was a talented photographer who had shown her images around the world. To help Becky with the last details of the Pearson wedding, she’d taken a day out of her hectic schedule.
“I still have one to finish, but I have enough time to add a little magic to it.”
Becky hoped so. Molly had worked hard to build a career that would see her through the ups and downs of life. She didn’t want her to miss a deadline because she was helping in the flower shop.
The bell over the front door of Happy Petals jingled.
“I’ll get it.” Laura hurried across the workroom. “If I need a hand, I’ll let you know.”
“That would be grand,” Becky said as she reached for a long-stemmed rose. “If it’s Doris, tell her I’ll see her tonight.”
Molly grimaced. “Better you than me,” she whispered. “I don’t know how you put up with her meddlesome ways.”
“She reminds me of Gran. Beneath her no-nonsense exterior is a woman with a heart of gold.”
“If you say so.”
Becky’s lips twitched. “I do. When you’ve finished with the petals, come and give me a hand.” Her cell phone rang as she was about to add another flower to the vase. “Hello. You’re speaking to Becky at Happy Petals. How can I help?”
“It’s Lynda Graham, Mary’s teacher. Can you come to the school to talk to her? She wants to go home.”
And just like that, Becky’s world tilted on its axis and all her plans went out the window. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Is everything all right?” Molly asked.
Becky ended the call and grabbed her keys. “I need to see Mary. Will you be all right for half an hour?”
“Of course we will. Go and talk to our little girl.”
As she drove toward Bozeman Elementary School, Becky took a deep breath and focused on what was important. And Mrs. Pearson’s last-minute changes to the floral arrangements didn’t even come close.
Sean steppedout of the barn. Late afternoon was his favorite time of the day. The sun had lost its unrelenting heat, but wasn’t ready to sink below the horizon. Depending on the season, most of the ranch hands were usually finished for the day—hanging up their cowboy hats for a hot shower and a cold beer. Apart from the odd snort, woof, or meow from his sister’s army of shelter animals, it was as if nothing existed beyond the wire fences circling the Gray family ranch.
Taking a deep breath, he surveyed the wide-open pasture surrounding him. For three generations, his family had raised beef and bison on this land. When prices had plummeted and demand slowed, they’d plowed the fields, diversifying into wheat, corn, lentils and peas.
“Are you going to stand there all night or give me a hand to change the tire?”
He glanced over his shoulder at Matthew, his twin brother. “I’m appreciating what’s around us.”
“Appreciate it another day. I promised Ashley I’d take her into town for dinner.”
