Mathew leftthe hospital in brighter spirits. After they’d worked through the shift change, he’d sat down to discuss his schedule moving forward. He needed to prioritize family more than he had in the past. And while River wasn’t exactly family, she was beginning to mean enough to him that he grouped her in with his siblings.
There would be the occasional long shift on the weekend, as was the norm, but his hours weren’t going to be what they once were.
Just the thought of having a serious conversation with River about their future both thrilled and terrified him. She’d been so hard to win over. She’d made him prove that she was important to him before she allowed herself to get caught up in the feelings he knew they both shared. Neither one of them was perfect, but this was the grand gesture he could offer her to show just how serious he was.
After he told her his plans, things would be looking up.
His steps faltered on his way toward his car as he considered the implications of what this meant in regard to how much he’d changed since his father passed. Victoria had complained that she’d felt neglected. She’d said they didn’t connect like they hadwhen they were dating. Would he return to bad habits if things became too comfortable with River?
No, of course not.
Mathew hated thinking about how if he’d made these changes when he was with Victoria, their relationship could have survived. There was a chance Victoria was right about him all along. How many rounds of arguments did they go through before finally calling it quits? And how much of it was his fault?
He stopped at his car, hand hovering over the handle as he forced himself to relive those memories. As painful as it was to return to that time of his life, he couldn’t deny that Victoria had been selfish. Yes, she’d told him he’d been neglecting her and that she felt distanced from him. But she’d also demanded a certain lifestyle. She’d been raised as a socialite, and she wanted the prestige of being married to a top-ranking doctor in the state. She’d wanted the lifestyle he could provide her without making sacrifices of her own.
High credit card bills. Only wearing name-brand clothing anywhere she went. Expecting expensive new jewelry to wear to every special occasion. Never leaving the house without a full face of makeup and her hair styled. To this day, he’d never seen her natural hair color. She wore a mask to everyone, including him. And perhaps that was why he had no interest in returning to that time of his life.
River was authentic.
Real.
Turning on his heel, he headed down the street toward the floral shop. It was in a prime location next to the hospital, which allowed folks to purchase flowers for those who were currently patients. Choosing this building was probably one of the smartest decisions this florist had made.
Only once he was inside did he realize his mistake in entering the perfumed shop. There were so many options to choose from.He knew what Victoria would have wanted. The most expensive, grandeur arrangement in the shop.
But River?
He couldn’t be sure she even liked flowers. Emerson had said she liked succulents. But he’d bought her flowers before and she seemed to have appreciated the gesture. But now things felt… different. He was different.
Maybe this was a mistake. What if she saw them and finally admitted that she thought it was ridiculous to spend money on a plant that would die in the next week or so, and she didn’t want him doing it anymore?
Brows furrowed, he moved over to some potted plants. Then his frown deepened. He’d bought her a few potted plants before, but he still felt like they didn’t exactly spell out how he truly felt about her. He still felt like they weren’t the gift she deserved but rather giving her a chore to do.
“Something I can help you with?”
The shop owner moved to his side.
“I don’t know what to buy,” he said. “I’m not sure she likes flowers. I’ve heard my sister call bouquets flower graveyards.” Why was finding her the perfect flower so important?
The woman’s laugh was so musical that he glanced toward her with surprise. “That’s one I’ve never heard before.” Her hands were in the pockets of her apron. “And you don’t think she’d want to take care of a plant? I saw you checking out the succulents. They’re hardy and don’t take much effort.”
He grimaced. “I’ve already given her some other potted plants, and I probably shouldn’t add to them.”
The woman pursed her lips together. “Okay, so perhaps something that will last longer than a couple weeks? I could arrange something with anthuriums. These over here.” She gestured toward what looked like waxy red leaves, but they also had a yellow spike-looking thing near the stem. Theywere definitely something he hadn’t seen in any usual bouquet. Unique and yet unapologetic.
Definitely something that reminded him of River.
With a sharp nod, he smiled. “Yes, I think she’d like these. How long do they last?”
“With proper care, they can live up to six weeks.”
His brows lifted. “That long, huh?”
She nodded, reaching for the plant out of the cooler. “Let me put something together.”
Mathew wasn’t sure what to write on the note that came with the flowers, so he opted not to get one. He’d tell River everything in his heart in person. Upon exiting the floral shop, he headed straight for his car, but then someone called his name.
He turned on instinct, then wished he hadn’t.
