He just hoped today wasn’t one of those days.
Paris’ heart pounded when someone tapped on the front door of The Flower Cottage. It was all very well working late, but when she was in a building with no one around her, every little squeak made her jump.
When she saw who was standing under the security light, she smiled. “This is a nice surprise.”
Jack showed her his tool belt. “Dad said you’re working. We brought our tools in case you need us to build something.”
“I don’t need anything built, but you could help me make some displays.”
“What kind of displays?”
Richard handed Paris a large basket. “The kind that makes people want to hire Paris as their florist. I didn’t know if you’ve had time for dinner, so I brought something for all of us.”
As soon she lifted the lid, her stomach rumbled. “I haven’t eaten anything since lunch, so this is lovely.” Three containers of pasta and a delicious apple pie filled the basket. “I didn’t know you were such a good cook.”
“The hospitality class at Pastor John’s church had some leftovers. We put it with some things we got from the supermarket.”
She smiled at Richard. “I thought you’d spent all evening cooking.”
“Not tonight. Would you like to eat now or later?”
“Now would be great. We can sit in the kitchen. It’s a lot tidier than in here.”
On his way across the room, Jack looked at a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. “It’s so sparkly.”
Paris picked up some empty boxes, hoping it made everything look a little tidier. “It came from an old theater in Polson. It’s my favorite thing in the entire room.”
Jack stood in front of one of the displays she’d made. “I like this, too. Why is there a fire engine in the middle of the flowers?”
“It’s to show people what I can do. Last year, I made some special flower arrangements for a dinner for the chief of the Polson Fire Department.” Paris showed Jack a picture of the fire chief standing in front of his station. “This is Chief Morgan. He’s been a firefighter for more than thirty years.”
“That’s a long time.”
“It is. I used red flowers like these ones for the table decorations and made lots of goodie bags filled with candy-shaped fire engines. For this display, I’ve used dried flowers instead of fresh ones. Are you ready to see what your dad’s doing in the kitchen?”
Jack nodded but didn’t move. “Dad said you’re probably too busy, but I’ve never had someone come to the mothers’ and friends’ day with me. Can you come with me? It’s tomorrow.”
She looked into Jack’s wary gaze and her heart squeezed tight. Life could be tough when you’re eight years old, especially when you’re worried you don’t fit in. “The parents’ and friends’ days aren’t fun, are they?”
Jack frowned. “Did you have them at your school?”
“We had daddy and daughter days. My dad never came because he didn’t live with me. I used to tell my mom I had a tummy ache whenever he was supposed to come to school.”
“Where was your dad?”
“I don’t know. He left one day and never came back.”
“My mom left, too. Grandma and Granddad looked after me when I was little.”
“You were lucky you had them.” Paris pulled an old crate closer and sat down. “What would I have to do at the mothers’ and friends’ day?”
“My teacher said there will be running races, ten-pin bowling, and all kinds of things to try. You get points for doing stuff and extra ones if you win.”
“And we’d do the activities together?”
Jack nodded. “If you don’t want to do something, that’s okay.”
“What time does it start?”
