“I love what I do. I actually enjoy my career.”
She tosses an arm over my shoulders. “So do I. I enjoy every second at the flower shop. I love the joy that fills a customer’s face when I drop off a delivery. I love being a part of the celebrations of life. Weddings, births, birthdays, and Valentine’s Day. It overwhelms me sometimes. But nights like this, with people I love? Eating and laughing and just being together? That’s the best part of all.”
“You’re lucky.”
Her eyes find Sammy across the room, who’s chatting with Keller and Bran. “Don’t I know it.”
Her gaze snaps back to me. “Now, we just have to work on getting you there.”
“Let’s just concentrate on the next few weeks,” I say.
“That’s a start. Now, let’s go raid the kitchen for another beverage.”
She beckons me to stand, and I teeter on my feet.
“Whoa, maybe you need to take it easy on the spiked eggnog. You’re sloshed.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve had a drink. I have the tolerance of a fetus,” I confess.
“Water it is then.”
Bran
“This is beautiful work, Bran. Do you think, with your injuries, you’ll be able to fulfill an order for an additional twenty-five before the seventeenth?”
Martin Absure came by this morning to pick up the items I had completed for him last week. I step behind the counter and take the credit card from his hand.
“It shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll be fully functional in a few days.”
We both turn toward the entrance of the showroom as the chime above the front door sounds, and Hannah breezes into the room.
“Good morning,” I greet her.
She smiles and walks over to us.
“Good morning. Is Keller around?” she asks.
“Nope. He went to meet Bob and Barry over at Willa’s place to help unload the materials being delivered for the garden project. I’m holding down the fort,” I inform.
“Oh yeah. I forgot about that,” she says.
We stand there in awkward silence for a couple of beats when a throat clears.
Right.
“Hannah, this is Marty, my favorite customer,” I introduce.
“And his favorite supplier,” Marty adds.
“Supplier?”
“I own the lumberyard right outside of town,” he explains.
“Oh, well, it’s nice to meet you,” she says.
“The pleasure is all mine.”
He bends and takes the box on the floor into his arms. “I’d best be getting back to work. I’ll be by on the seventeenth to pick up the rest, Bran.”