“Not a bad idea,” I mutter without seriously considering something so ludicrous. Yet it would save me from worrying about customers wandering where they shouldn’t.
Ace steps closer. His brow furrows as he nods. “I hear customers are the most dangerous species on the planet.”
I ignore him, and dust soil from my palms. “What do you want, Ace? It can’t be stimulating conversation.”
“Ordering roses for Sadie. Only the best for my girl.” He chuckles, “you do remember Valentine’s Day is a week away?”
“I remember,” I grumble. Hard to forget when the showroom is decked out floor to ceiling in everything Cupid. “Daisy can help you inside. I’m kinda busy here.”
Ace shifts his weight and leans against a display. “Still working on your little project?”
Blame it on the weather, my frustration, or that I’m not in the mood for small talk, but his condescending tone strikes a nerve.
“It’s not alittleproject. It’s business.” I narrow my eyes as irritation really takes hold. “Did I call your idea to branch out into outdoor lighting alittleproject? No. I backed you. Encouraged you. Hell, I helped you run cables through frozen ground at three in the morning while you got the damn business off the ground.”
“Whoa. No disrespect. I couldn’t have done it without you.” He lifts both hands. “What you’re doing is cool. A little nerdy, but cool.”
I stare at him and shake my head. “You done?”
“Not even close.” He shrugs and grins, entirely unrepentant. “What’s the problem?”
The short answer—a woman.
The answer pops to the forefront so quickly, it takes a minute to put my thoughts in order. I let my guard down with Darby. She came in looking for a challenge and I fell right into her trap.
And enjoyed every damn second of it.
I shove the thought aside, uninterested in a Kumbaya moment, spilling my guts to Ace. So, I give him the longer answer. “I’ve done everything I can think of, but I can’t coax any blooms out of it.”
“Maybe you’re trying too hard,” Ace says. “Have you talked to Dad? Checked the internet?”
“Yes, dumb ass.”
“Just trying to help, bro.” He throws his hands up again. “Don’t kill the messenger.”
The greenhouse doors slide open behind him, letting in a draft of cold air. My attention shifts. I recognize her in a heartbeat even with her face concealed behind the rough-looking plant.
She carries the pot with both arms, cradling it to her body like it’s protection. Or maybe it’s just heavy. I run a hand along my neck and massage the taut muscles.
Ace follows my line of sight and huffs a quiet laugh. “Looks like the rose bush isn’t your biggest problem.”
Darby tilts her head. I barely get a peek at her fiery eyes, and I’m already moving. She’s either on the war path or sure to knock into something at this pace.
I slip past Ace. He stops me with a clap on the shoulder. “I’d stick around and watch the fireworks, but I don’t think you’re going to win this round.”
I scowl at him for half a second, then refocus on Darby. My heart does a little fist bump against my chest, and though I wouldn’t admit it aloud, she’s a welcome distraction. She’s all I’ve thought about for the last few days, and that alone irritates me. The trouble with a woman like Darby isn’t that she’s impulsive and headstrong. It’s that she’s gotten in my head and under my skin.
Time to nip my fascination with her in the bud.
4
Darby
“I’ll tell Daisy you said the roses are on the house.” A man’s voice carries across the greenhouse before I can even process that he’s approaching me.
“Cheapskate,” Greg’s distinct, low voice slices through the air.
A tall guy with the same dark hair and broad-shouldered build as Greg slips past me, grinning ear to ear, affable. As he brushes by, he tips his head toward me and lowers his voice.
