“Who said that?”
“Marie Curie. A very smart woman. First woman to win the Nobel Prize. First person to win a Nobel Prize twice, and first person to win a Nobel Prize in two scientific fields.”
Nana is the most amazing woman. She always has an appropriate inspirational quote for every situation and conversation. How she remembers all of them astounds me. I struggle to remember the contents of the chapter I studied this morning on planting design and maintenance, and there’s Nana with a whole encyclopedia of knowledge stowed away in her head. She is truly remarkable, and she will always remain the most inspirational woman to me.
“I’ll try to heed her advice.”
“This is too much.” Nana shakes her head as she surveys the supplies covering her lap.
“No, it’s not. I love you. It’s your birthday, and I can never repay you for everything you’ve done for me.”
She kisses my forehead. “You give me so much joy, Stevie. That’s all the repayment I ever need.”
“I’m looking forward to coming back to work. I learned a few new things from Sharon I thought we could try.”
A slight grimace slides across her face, but it’s gone fast. Still, I know Nana. “What was that look for?”
“It’s nothing we need to talk about now.”
“Nana.” I fix her with my fiercest expression. “Tell me now.”
“I don’t want you to worry, but we had a bit of an incident this week. The roof caved in on the barn, destroying most of the shop and supplies.”
Nana’s floral business is not your typical floral business. She used to buy flowers from the market and sell them from the barn her grandparents set up as a floral shop years ago. This property is on fifty acres of land, and most of it was going to waste until Nana established a flower farm fifteen years ago to grow her own flowers. It was a way to ensure a variety of flowers and to keep the prices down. She hired a guy to help her develop the farm, and he recommended these specialist greenhouses that mean we can grow cut flowers all year round. It was quite cutting edge at the time, but most flower farmers use this method now.
The barn was remodeled at the same time. A large area contains shelving where buckets of various flowers are stocked daily. Customers can pick the exact flowers they want for their bouquet or purchase one of the ready-mades. A variety of accessories are for sale, and at the back of the room is a small seating area where customers can avail of snacks, baked goods, and coffee, all supplied by local businesses. One of Nana’s friends manages it. It’s proven to be a great draw for locals who sometimes only come here for coffee but end up walking out with flowers.
“Oh no. Will the insurance cover the costs?”
“Unfortunately not. The last safety inspection we had noted a weakness in the left side of the roof. Because I failed to act on it in a timely manner, the insurance company is refusing to pay out.”
“Why didn’t you get it fixed?” I cry, horrified at what this might mean for the business. That kind of damage will cost thousands to fix. Another horrifying thought flits through my mind. “You couldn’t afford it, could you?”
She pats my hand, her gaze flicking to Garrick intermittently as we talk. “I don’t want you to worry. I’ll figure out a way to resolve it. We’ll have to manually repair most of the damage to the shop ourselves, so prepare to get your hands very dirty.”
“You shouldn’t have given me that money for college,” I protest, mentally calculating how much I have in my savings account. “I have money I can give you. It’s not going to make a dent, but it’s a start.”
“Absolutely not.” She clasps my face in her hands. “Listen to me, Stevie, and listen to me good. This is my problem to fix, and fix it I will. I gave you that money because I wanted to contribute to your future, and that still stands. I will not take a penny of your money, and don’t insult me by attempting to offer me anything but your labor.” Air expels from her lips as her features soften. “This is why I didn’t want to have this conversation tonight. And we’re not discussing it anymore. I don’t want you to worry, honey.” She kisses both my cheeks as she pulls me to my feet. “This is a party, and I’ll have no glum faces.” Tucking her arm in mine, she leads me toward Garrick. “Now, let’s go rescue this young man of yours.”
ChapterSeventeen
Garrick
“What about anal?” Hadley asks, popping a square of cheese in her mouth and fixing me with a cool expression like she hasn’t just put that out there. “Into it or not?”
I stare at her like she just sprouted horns from her head.
She could be the devil.
It sure seems like she’s only here to torment me.
“Kidding.” She smirks before slurping her vodka cranberry through a straw. “Kind of.” She giggles. “You should see your face right now.”
“I’m not used to being drilled on my kinks while sitting beside my future girlfriend’s mother.”
Man, I wish I didn’t have to drive.
I could use a beer or ten.
