Happy. Energized. Optimistic.
Don’t kill the mood.
She began making notes on pricing for flowers and shrubs. Most of these species were familiar to her; Massachusetts and Minnesota had fairly similar climates. Still, she found herself going down a rabbit hole as she researched. There was no way she was going to come across a plant called Joe Pye weed andnotlook up its origins. Who was Joe Pye? Why did he get his own weed?
Then there was New Jersey tea. Why did it have New Jersey in the name if it grew all over the place? Did they actually use it for tea?
Before she knew it, early morning had retired and mid-morning had taken its place.
Was Will coming back soon?
She saved her work and wandered toward the front of the house. Maybe he’d gotten back already, and she hadn’t heard him.
Speak of the Devil, she thought when she heard footsteps coming up the front walk.
Already prepared with a humorous tirade about his betraying her for Alessandrica and Tahiti, Emmy swung the front door open.
Paul, fist raised to knock, startled at the sudden movement. Emmy felt all the words dry up in her mouth.
“Wow, you sure know how to keep a man on his toes,” he said.
“What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you. Can I come in?”
Emmy’s “no” was wasted on him as he had already wandered past her. She left the door open, not comfortable shutting herself in with him. He’d be leaving soon, she told herself.
Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the door and straight into a face full of flowers. Sputtering, she jumped back a step. Paul held out a bouquet to her, one that looked bedraggled and… familiar. Emmy stared from the wilting blooms that hung over his clutched fist to the tangle of roots that dangled limply from the stems.
“Those are mine,” she blurted.
“Yes, they are,” Paul replied with a grin, and pushed the flowers at her again.
Emmy snatched them out of his hand and brandished them like a weapon. “No, you idiot! I mean they’remine! You pulled these out ofmylandscaping. What is wrong with you?”
She didn’t care if she was irrationally angry over this. Those flowers had meant something to her. They were the result of her hard work. And he’d ripped them out of the ground.
Paul looked confused. “They’re Barrett’s,” he said slowly. “I thought they were pretty. He won’t miss them.”
The sound that ground its way out of Emmy’s throat was more animal than human. “They’remine,” she repeated. “I planted them. You just tore up my work!”
“Oh.” Now he had the sense to look abashed. Slightly. “They’ll grow back, won’t they?”
Emmy nearly threw the flowers in his face, but held herself back. Yes, they were a lost cause, but she wouldn’t debase them further by flinging them at him. She walked over to the trashcan and laid them to rest properly.
“I want you to leave now,” she said, her back still to Paul.
“Emmy, wait, please. I know I messed up. Just hear me out.”
She turned to him. “What could you possibly have to say to me?”
Paul ran his hand through his hair. “Ah, shit. You’re mad now. I didn’t want you to get mad. I’m just… I’m no good with this stuff. With pretty words and romance.”
Emmy felt a pit form deep in her gut. “I don’t need that from you,” she said quietly. “I have Will.”
“Damn it, Emmy, I said hear me out.” Paul grabbed her hand before she could evade him. She felt callouses and sweat. “I’m no good with words,” he repeated, “but I can tell you that meeting you changed my life. I couldn’t get you out of my head. The last time I saw you, I told you I’d wait for fate to bring us together again. But then I thought, why not take fate into my own hands? I came here to tell you that I love you. I love everything about you.”
“You do, huh?” Emmy asked.
