“Oh, you know. It’s nice to be welcomed into work each morning with a smile. My manager was so grumpy. All she ever did was complain about my work. Anyone would think I didn’t have better options available to me.”
Maybe it wasn’t as bad as Paris thought. “You’ve already got another job?”
“Not yet, but I’m working on it.” Donna looked around the store. “This is a lovely little cottage, but what’s happening next door? The parking spaces are full of construction trucks.”
“The eight cottages along Anchor Lane are being remodeled. In a few weeks, the construction crew will be working on the third cottage and father away from here. That should make parting outside The Flower Cottage a lot easier.”
Her mom wandered into the display area and studied a gift basket Paris had made. “This is so cute. It reminds me of a basket my sister made for a baby shower we went to. You must have inherited your artistic streak from Aunt Cynthia.”
If anyone had been listening to their conversation, they’d think her mom had complimented her. But Aunt Cynthia’s career as an artist had earned her more disdain from her family than anything else.
Instead of letting her mom’s words upset her, Paris took a box of ornaments off the workroom table and unpacked them. “How long are you staying in Sapphire Bay?”
Donna’s smile sent shivers down Paris’ back. “I haven’t made any definite plans yet. Jerry is in Atlantic City at a poker tournament. He could be there for two or three weeks.”
“You aren’t staying here for that long, are you?”
“I don’t have anywhere else I need to be. Don’t frown. It will give you premature wrinkles.”
Her mom couldn’t stay in Sapphire Bay for that long. Even now, Paris didn’t know whether or not her mom was drunk. All it would take was one night of binge drinking, and the entire community would know she was an alcoholic.
“Don’t you have to go back to Los Angeles and look for another job?”
Donna shrugged. “It won’t take me long to find something else. Besides, Jerry is doing well. With what he earns from the poker tournament, we won’t have to worry about money for a while.”
If Paris had put aside a dollar every time her mom said that, she’d be a millionaire. “I still think it’s worthwhile looking for another job. You can’t count on Jerry’s income to pay your bills.”
“You always were such a negative little thing. Jerry and I might have had a few rough patches, but we always have enough to live comfortably.” Donna picked up a glass Christmas ornament. “These are sweet. Where did you find them?”
“A man in Great Falls makes them.” Paris watched her mom move around the store. Why would she want to stay in Sapphire Bay? She’d never visited for more than a few days. “Where are you staying while you’re here?”
It was Donna’s turn to frown. “With you, of course. I looked online for somewhere to stay, but there’s nothing available. You don’t mind, do you?”
Paris sighed. “You know what happens when you stay with me. It won’t work, mom.”
“We haven’t spent any time together for ages. I thought this would be the ideal opportunity to heal old wounds.”
“Have you stopped drinking?”
Donna’s face hardened. “I’ve told you before. I don’t have a drinking problem.”
“You’re an alcoholic, Mom. You need professional help.”
The front door opened and Andrea stepped inside. “Oops. Am I interrupting something?”
Andrea had met Paris’ mom on her last disastrous visit. Donna had only stayed for two days, but it had felt like a lifetime. “It’s okay. Do you remember my mom? She just flew in from Los Angeles.”
“It’s nice to see you again, Mrs. Haynes.”
“You make me feel so old when you call me that. Please, call me Donna.”
Andrea’s smile didn’t waver. “Isn’t The Flower Cottage gorgeous? Paris has done such a great job of setting up the business.”
“It’s very… quaint.” Donna glanced at another display. “I wouldn’t have thought there was much point in opening a flower shop in the middle of nowhere.”
Even Andrea’s unflappable feathers bristled at Donna’s words. “We’re hardly in the middle of nowhere, Mrs. Haynes. A lot of people are moving to Sapphire Bay and the number of tourists has tripled. People come here to experience the best small-town life can offer.”
“I prefer a little more activity.”
