“Mm-hmm. You bet I did.” Rosie lifted something from below the counter and handed it to Jake. “Here, she’ll like these.”
Jake took the bouquet Rosie had artfully arranged, which included lilies, roses, and baby’s breath. He couldn’t recall the names of the other flowers, but it was an artfully arranged assortment with colors in varying shades of pinks and oranges.
“Thank you.” He hugged the bouquet to his chest, reaching into his back pocket for his wallet.
“Don’t you dare, Jakey.”
“I have to pay for these.”
“If you give me your money, I will never let you live it down. I’ll make your life miserable until the day I croak.” She pointed a knobby finger at him.
Jake pressed his lips together, suppressing a smile. He knew she was serious.
“Okay, okay. If you insist. But dinner is on me next Sunday at The Lotus.”
“Fine.” She sniffed, turning her nose in the air. “I accept your offer. Now, do you want to hear what I have to tell you, or do you want to stand there looking like a lovesick fool?”
Jake grinned. “Let’s have a seat and chat.”
Rosie led the way to her back office, where she had a cup of tea and some biscuits. The room was small and cramped, but hecrammed his tall frame into the small wooden chair and listened with rapt attention as she recounted her brief reunion with Gia.
“She is going to be the next owner of the shop.”
“She is?” His eyebrows nearly reached his hairline.
“Well, she doesn’t know it yet, but I know she will. She just needs a reason to stay.” Rosie stared at him knowingly.
Jake nodded. Seemed like he wasn’t the only person in town who wanted Gia to stick around.
“I’ve been holding on to the shop for this reason. I can feel it in my bones. It’s meant to be hers.” Rosie’s conviction bolstered his confidence.
Even if he could convince Gia to leave Hollywood behind, he knew she needed more than him to hold her here. Her family and nieces were helpful, but he was afraid she would feel restless or, worse, useless without a goal.
Leaning forward, Jake rested his elbows on his knees.
He stared into Rosie’s depthless eyes. A sheen of tears coated the dark brown. She gave him a wobbly smile, fighting to keep the tears from falling.
“Are you ready to talk about your will, then?”
“Yes, I’m ready.”
The sun was setting over the mountains as Jake helped Rosie close up shop. With the giant bouquet in hand and instructions not to “screw this up” ringing in his ears, Jake ran across the street to The Lotus. He’d grab his car later, but he had flowers to deliver.
The cool air was refreshing as he jogged along Main Street, offering nods or waves to pedestrians who stepped aside for him with bemused expressions on their faces. He’d barely broken a sweat by the time he stopped in front of theOpensign in the restaurant’s window. From his viewpoint, he could see thethinning dinner crowd. His eyes locked onto the tall, dark-haired beauty who was talking to a table of familiar faces: Diem and Alina.
Jake felt the telltale signs of his heart racing at the mere sight of her. It lurched forward when she threw her head back and laughed. His eyes traced her pert nose, continuing down the slim column of her neck and then to her breasts as they bounced with laughter.
He probably looked like a creep or a stalker with the way he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, even as she moved on to the next table. She was magnetic, drawing all eyes to her, and she was oblivious to the pull she had on people. Every movement was effortless, as if she were a ballerina dancing her way through life. She moved with such grace, it was no wonder people fell in love with her.
Her beauty wasn’t what drew Jake to her, though. It was in the way she made every person feel like the center of her entire world when she was with them. Or how she took care of people without wanting the credit. He knew she stopped in to check up on Rosie because she cared about the widow like family, despite how long it had been. For all she knew, Rosie was long gone or holding a grudge for the way Gia had left town—but despite the risk, Gia still made time in her day to see her.
And here she was, helping her family and caring for her nieces. He’d heard she offered to take the girls shopping so Minnie could have a little break. Jake knew if Marley asked her for a favor or her time, Gia would say yes without hesitation.
He stared at the woman who had been an integral part of his entire world when they were younger, and the woman she’d grown into. She was no longer naive. Her eyes told him she’d seen too many things and had lost her innocence, but she was still the same kindhearted person who made him feel less alone in the world.
Gone was the Gia who laughed easily, who had a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. In her place was a resilient woman who hadfought countless battles and lived to see another day. Now, every laugh and every smile he could squeeze out of her was a gift. A treasure for him to hold on to in his memories.
So when Gia turned, having probably sensed his eyes on her, and the smile on her face slipped into a scowl, Jake grinned back brazenly and flashed a wink. He could practically hear her growl of frustration at his display, but when he lifted his hand and brandished the bouquet, the frown slipped off her face. For a moment, he glimpsed the tender woman inside the hard shell she’d grown around herself. The one who was surprised by the simple gesture of surprising her with flowers at work.
