“Let me see.” Zander snags my phone before I can stop him, and then whistles loudly. “Your little florist brought you flowers?”
“She’s not mine,” I say, snatching my phone back and gazing at the photos Truvy sent again.
Not yet, anyway, but I don’t say that aloud.
I don’t need to. Zander knows how I feel about Holly. He’s my best friend, and the drive to training was long.
Zander just chuckles, shaking his head. “You’ve got it bad, my friend. And that’s good.” He claps me on the shoulder. “It’s real good.”
I glance up at him, appreciating the support. We’ve known each other since high school. Served in the military together. He’s been there for me through some tough times, and the good ones too.
“It is good, isn’t it,” I agree. I glance at the phone again, swiping through to the next image—both sides of Holly’s business card. “She left her number.”
“Really.” Zander grins, and I know what he’s thinking.
“I’m not going to put her on speaker while I drive,” I tell him, shaking my head.
She’s reserved, and the last thing I want to do is broadcast our conversation to my joker of a friend.
He just laughs, undoing his seatbelt. “I’ll drive. You call your girl. But we’re getting some real food on the way home.”
I can’t help grinning as I comply with Zander’s command. In truth, I’m excited about the prospect of talking with Holly today. Even though the training demanded my focus, in the quieter moments, I’d found my thoughts wandering to her. Wondering how she was and what she was doing.
That she visited my shop and brought me flowers yesterday is huge. I’m also hugely disappointed that I wasn’t there to receive them—or her. God bless Truvy for texting, though, and God bless my cell service for logging it. You never know how things will go through outhere.
As Zander puts the Bronco in gear, I save Holly’s info to my contacts and take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves before hitting the call button.
The phone rings and rings, and I can’t help the disappointment that floods my chest as it drops to voice mail. I’d hoped to hear more than a ‘leave a message’ greeting.
I’d hoped to actually talk to her. Maybe make some plans for getting together outside of work.
Instead, I leave her a message to that effect, trying to keep things light and noncommittal so she doesn’t feel obligated, but hoping like hell she’ll call me back.
Zander, to his credit, doesn’t say a thing after I disconnect the call. He just taps the GPS in the main console and refocuses on the road.
I gaze out the window at the passing wilderness as he drives, watching the landscape shift—the snow-covered sections becoming sparser the further we get from where we camped overnight for the training.
I need a shower.
Probably a shave too, but I usually keep the beard until closer to summer. I could trim it, though.
I wonder idly if Holly has a preference around facial hair, and realize that while I’ve learned a lot about her over the past few days, there’s still so much I don’t know.
So much I want to know.
Thankfully, we have the rest of our lifetimes for that. If she’s open to that, of course. If she’s willing to give us a chance. Iknow I have no right to expect anything from her, especially considering we’ve known each other less than a week.
But damn, I hope she calls me back.
“Thanks again for stopping by,” I call to the sweet little family leaving my shop.
Who knew Sundays would be so busy?
I came in later than usual, figuring I’d finish up the floral arrangements I’m working on for Jake’s place. I got a little carried away with the variety yesterday, not sure what he and his clients would prefer, and had to call it at dinnertime. I actually slept in this morning, then puttered around my house for a bit, journaling with coffee, and chatting with my cousins Amber and Lexi.
I didn’t expect anyone to actually visit my shop today. I mean, I’m still getting situated and moving flowers into the space.
Evidently, Sundays are a big day for downtown Pineberry Springs, though, because I’ve already had several people stop by in the hour and a half I’ve been here. A record for me, especially considering I’m not officially open for businessyet.
