He hadn’t been prepared for her, but after a few minutes, they had addressed the basics: hours, responsibilities, and pay. Jake hired her on the spot. It wasn’t like he was getting a ton of bites. The sign had been sitting in the window for a couple of years, since he opened the doors to West Family Law. Besides, Jake was good at reading people, and all of his senses told him he could trust Julie.
So when he found Julie lingering in the doorway in the late afternoon, he found it a little suspicious. Not because she wasstanding there, but because of the giantI know something you don’t knowsmile on her face.
“Hey, Julie. What’s up?” The email from Paul was long forgotten.
“I just got off the phone with Rosie,” Julie started.
“Rosie? Is she okay? Does she need help with anything today?” Jake asked, his forehead creased with concern.
“Hmm? Oh, yes, she’s fine!” Julie chuckled as if Jake had made a funny joke. “Actually, she called to let me know she heard through the grapevine you may be interested in the whereabouts of a young supermodel, and she was a little offended you and Marley didn’t include her in the plans.”
“Uhhh…” Jake winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “About that…”
“She also said Gia stopped by to smell the roses and asked about the sign in her window. Rosie thought you should come by.”
“Gia went by Rosie’s shop?”
“Yep.”
“And she was asking about theFor Salesign in the window?”
Julie nodded.
Curiously, he mulled over the information. When they were teenagers, Gia used to stop in to visit Rosie every once in a while and help when she could. The two formed a bond, and when Gia left, Rosie was devastated. Gia had been like a granddaughter to her.
The fact that Gia felt comfortable enough to visit her old stomping grounds could only mean she was getting more comfortable being back home, couldn’t it? He couldn’t imagine it meaning anything different. It probably took a lot for her to step foot in the flower shop and visit an old friend. Especially since it reminded her of her younger self.
Jake was up and out of his seat before he realized it.
“Hold my?—”
“I’ll hold your calls foryou.”
Jake smiled sheepishly.
Was he so obvious? Desperate for any breadcrumbs left behind by Gia?
The simple answer was yes. He was desperate.
“Thanks, Julie.”
“Go get ‘em, tiger.”
Julie backed up to let Jake through the door, and he squeezed her shoulder affectionately.
It seemed the whole town knew about his and Marley’s schemes. Hopefully Gia didn’t catch wind of it, because he could not afford to send her running out of town again before he made her fall back in love with him.
Jake opted to drive the short distance to Blooming Petals. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered having a car in a town as small as Willowbrook, where everything was within a ten-minute walk, but it came in handy most of the time. With a screech, he pulled his car to a halt in front of Blooming Petals. The lights were dim, but he knew that didn’t mean it was unoccupied. Ever since Rosie retired, she had been slowly cutting back on expenses. Unnecessary lighting and floral arrangements were some things she’d cut back on.
Rosie had had the sign in the window for almost a full year now. She’d had some interested buyers but declined every offer, claiming she was waiting for the perfect person to walk through her door. He wondered if she was waiting for a particular person, or if she didn’t want to sell the store, which had been in her family for generations, to anyone. Unfortunately, Rosie’s husband had passed nearly two decades ago, and she never remarried or had children.
Getting out of his car, Jake loosened the tie at the base of his neck as he headed to the front entrance. The door squeaked in protest when he yanked it open, announcing his entrance. Rosie asked Jake to get rid of the bell above the door a few months back, saying it was more of a nuisance than anything else, and the door was loud enough to be heard in the back. At least once everycouple of weeks, he’d get a summons from Rosie to help her with something. He knew it was more her way to get him to visit than actually needing help, because while Rosie was in her late seventies, she wasn’t an invalid.
They both knew even if she hadn’t reached out to him, Jake would have found a reason to stop in—but old habits were hard to break, so Jake let Rosie have her fun calling him every once in a while.
“Took ya long enough.” Rosie came from somewhere behind the counter. When her head popped up, he nearly jumped back. He hadn’t been prepared for how spry Rosie was.
“There you are. Heard you got a visitor.”
