Page 73 of Wild Abandon

chapter FIFTEEN

Ethel Merman.

“Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”

It’s being whistled.

By me.

I’m walking through the rose garden, toward the adorable round man in suspenders and a trilby hat. He’s humming his own little ditty as I come up behind him, and he stops as I approach.

“Nice to see someone finally pulled out of her little slump,” Ed observes.

“I wasn’t in a slump.”

“You played nothing but breakup songs all week. If I didn’t like you so much, I would have fired you. What’s the change? Mr. Moneybags finally win you over?”

My hands fly to my hips. “How did you know I was dating Brent Montavale?”

“I do have friends,” he says defensively.

I make an harrumph sound at him and wonder which friend spilled the beans. “Handsome Harry?”

“Mountain Mark. He works up at the Montavale Estates. Saw you two galloping in the fields,” Ed says with a sarcastic yet teasing tone.

I smile at the back of his head but keep an annoyed voice. “Well, looks like I’ll have to do a better job of keeping my private affairs private.”

“You do that,” Ed says as he places a rose into the basket. “I have a feeling though that Mr. Montavale isn’t the one who’s been keeping your heart occupied.”

Sometimes, my dear Ed is too intuitive for his own good. He saw Nate drive off the other day. He probably thinks it was a lover’s quarrel.

“We’re just friends.”

“What’s that old expression? Men and women can’t be just friends?”

“We can, and we are. He has a girlfriend. And I have Brent.”

Ed gets up and grabs his basket. “You can handle just being his friend without compromising his relationship with this other woman?”

“I’d rather have him as a friend than not have him at all.”

Ed seems to accept my answer, and I follow him into the ranch. He places the basket on the bar and then takes out a knife to remove the thorns.

I sit on a stool and watch him work. I’ve watched him do this for what feels like a thousand times. There’s always a fresh bouquet by the front door. But he prunes many, many more than that.

Ed places the stems he has de-thorned on the bar and moves on to another bunch. “Rosemary believed these were magical roses. She said they could cure the greatest heartbreak and most severe of bad days.” Ed smiles to himself.

“Love never dies,” I recite the words Ed once said to me.

“Love never dies.” He wraps the stems in twine and hands a small bouquet to me. “For you.”

I lean over the bar and give Ed a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, Ed.” I hop off the stool and grab my bag.

“What do you have? A hot date or something?”

I shrug. “More like a lukewarm outing with a friend.” I swing around and head out to my car.

When I get to Nate’s house, I can’t fathom leaving the flowers in the heat, so I bring them with me. Nate opens the door, and his eyes instantly land on the red petals.