by Jo McNally
“Is your breakfast just for guests staying here?” His room had been so quiet he hadn’t heard anyone else moving around or talking. But maybe that was because he’d fallen asleep so quickly.
“Yes. I keep telling Logan and his grandmother that technically we’re a bed-and-breakfast these days.” Piper frowned at a spot on the white tablecloth on the table she’d just cleared, then pulled it off the table. “Iris used to have a small restaurant here, but it’s been years since that was open.”
“That explains why the room is so big.” He could see this being a nice place for dinner.
She flipped a clean linen tablecloth over the table she’d cleared, then straightened and looked around. “We’ve been talking about dividing the room so it would be a cozier breakfast area, but the extra space sure came in handy when we had to do social distancing.”
“How’d you fare during all that?”
She shrugged. “It wasn’t easy, but we got through. Once the wineries around here opened back up, tourists were eager for something to do.” Logan came in just then, sending his wife a wink. She swatted a dish towel in his direction playfully. “And luckily my husband has a consulting firm. He was gone a lot, but it helped us survive.”
Logan set a heaping plate of steaming food in front of Owen. “Talking about the pandemic? Yeah, that was interesting. My gran is eighty-two, so we had to be extra careful about everything.”
An elderly woman came into the room just then. “Is it really necessary to announce my age to every guest that comes to this place?” Her words were sharp, but a smile played at the corners of her mouth. She was petite and white-haired, but despite the fancy gold-and-black cane she used, he sensed there was nothing frail about the woman. Particularly her sharp blue eyes, which were currently appraising him where he sat.
Logan stepped to the side. “Gran, this is Owen Cooper. Owen, this is my grandmother, Iris Taggart.”
“You used to be Lucy’s man, right? The one she dumped?”
Piper winced, and Logan’s eyes rolled up toward the ceiling.
“Gran...”
She waved off her grandson’s protest. “What? It’s the truth, isn’t it?” She walked over to Owen’s table. She was stylishly dressed, wearing a long blue skirt and a white top trimmed in the same color. He had the feeling this was a woman to be reckoned with. In a way, she reminded him of his mother, but without the hard edges. Her eyes narrowed on him. “So why are you here?”
He choked on his first bite of the breakfast scramble, coughing into his napkin before answering. “I’m here to bring her home.” That didn’t sound any better this morning than it had yesterday. It made him sound like a caveman. “I mean... I’m here to convince her to come home. With me. To me. If that’s what she wants.”
“And if it’s not what she wants?”
And there was that very scary question again. The one that opened the door to the Great Unknown. His mother was already furious that he’d chased after Lucy. Apparently, the rift that had grown between his mom and Lucy was bigger than he’d realized. Of course, losing so much money on the canceled wedding and being humiliated in front of her country club friends wasn’t helping Mom’s mood any. His father told him he was needed at the family business, and could be gone only for a week. Which was odd, since his cousin had been running the nursery and produce side of the landscaping business just fine while Owen was in the Army.
He looked up and realized all three people in the room seemed to be very interested in his answer. Which he hadn’t given yet. This felt a lot like last night, when Bridget McKinnon had grilled him before feeding him. He cleared his throat, stalling for more time, then went with the truth.
“I have no idea, but I’m not much of a quitter.” He gestured at his plate with his fork, then back to Iris. “And my breakfast is getting cold.”
Piper put her hand over her heart. “Oh my God, Owen, I’m so sorry. We’re not being at all hospitable, are we?” She moved to shoo her husband and Iris out of the room. “Let the man eat his meal in peace!”
But Iris bristled, tapping her cane on the floor sharply. “Lucy Higgins is a guest, too. Are you sure she’s okay with him being here?”
“Yes, Iris. She was very clear about it being okay. She even said good morning to him today when he came in here.” Piper pointed to the door. “Leave him alone.”
He finished his breakfast after they left. Lucy’s “Good morning” may as well have been a “Drop dead,” based on her tone. Only a fool would let a woman like Lucy get away, but he’d managed to do it. It might be time for a desperation move. He pulled his phone out and started scrolling through the Dr. Find-Love app until he found the You Screwed Up? page. He hadn’t been keen on the idea of groveling when Logan mentioned it, but these were desperate times. He opened the article.
Step One: She can’t forget you if she keeps seeing you. Find a way to subtly stay in her orbit without being creepy.
* * *
LUCY HAD BEEN working at a frantic pace all day Saturday. She’d been that way since Owen’s arrival. There was something about him being at the Taggart Inn this week that put her on edge, and she’d always been one to keep busy when she was uptight. She’d told him there was no reason to stay. And then she’d turned right around and said “but stay if you want to.” Why?
She’d been getting up extra early every morning to beat him to breakfast and get out of the inn so she could avoid him. She’d leave right after eating, walking around town and killing time until she was needed at the shop. Fortunately for her, there was plenty of work to be done today, so she’d been able to start early and keep herself distracted.
And speaking of distracted, Connie hadn’t been herself that morning. She said she wasn’t feeling well, although Lucy suspected there was more to it than that. But she told Connie to sit at the register for walk-in customers, and she’d put her to work on cutting ribbon for the wedding arrangements. Meanwhile, Lucy had finished putting together not one, but two large wedding orders for that day. She couldn’t imagine how Connie would have managed it without her help, but Connie said she used to farm out large orders to other florists, which cut sharply into her own profits. June was wedding season, and was often a make-or-break time for flower shops. The first wedding order of the day, a relatively simple one in a pastel rainbow theme, had already been delivered to the Methodist church up on the highway.
Lucy had been across the street grabbing a quick lunch from Evie Hudson at the diner when the temporary delivery guy picked it up. Lucy crossed her fingers, hoping everything got there right side up and intact. Connie’s usual delivery person when the college wasn’t in session, was Greg Charles. But he was off this week to see his new grandchild. She said this new guy was doing some work at her house and offered to help, so she’d hired him for the weekend. All she cared about was that he handled the flowers carefully so her work didn’t get ruined.
The second, and much more elaborate order was almost ready for pickup. The wedding planner for this one was a control freak, but that worked out okay for Lucy, because it meant she didn’t have to ride along with the driver to help set up the tables at the reception. The planner insisted on doing everything. Not very practical, but fine. Anything that kept Lucy out of a wedding hall or church was perfectly fine.
The shop phone rang. She always smiled when that happened, because it was actually a wall phone. With a cord. Out front, Connie had a cordless phone, but she snippily insisted there was nothing wrong with the phone in the workroom, so there was no need to replace it. Connie was taking care of a customer, so Lucy answered the call.
“Hey, Lucy. I’m glad I caught you...this is Lucy right? This is Becca up at Rendezvous Falls Methodist.” Lucy’s heart dropped.
“Hi, Becca,” she answered. “Did the wedding flowers arrive all right? They weren’t late or anything...?” She’d murder Connie’s new driver if he screwed th
is order up. She’d met the two women getting married when they stopped in last week for a final consultation. They were both happy and funny and so obviously in love with each other.
Becca laughed. “Relax! The flowers were on time and gorgeous. Both brides burst into tears when they saw them—the good kind of tears. Everyone’s happy. Which is why I’m calling...” Becca explained her sister was getting married that fall and was looking for a florist. She’d sent her photos of today’s bridal flowers, and her sister loved them. They set up a planning appointment for the following week. Lucy didn’t mention that she might not be in Rendezvous Falls by October, but she could show Connie how to make whatever the bride was looking for. Whether or not Connie would listen was another matter, but she couldn’t control that. Becca said something and Lucy realized she hadn’t been listening.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said thank you for sending that delivery guy.”
Lucy frowned. “You want me to thank the delivery guy? Did he do something special?”
“Oh God, don’t say anything to him. I’d die of embarrassment. Just...thank you for hiring him. He is one hot hunk of man.”
“Really? I haven’t met him yet. Cutie, huh?”
“I don’t know if cute is the word I’d use. He’s not seventy-five-year-old Greg or one of Connie’s college kids. He’s a man in his prime who’s been...well...blessed by God in the looks department.”
Lucy laughed. “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed his...delivery.”
After the call, she wondered why Connie never mentioned the new guy was a Chippendale look-a-like. Then again, Connie probably hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t as if Connie was looking for a hot guy. And Lucy wasn’t, either.
She put the last of the bright tiger lily boutonnieres in a flat box and covered it in plastic wrap before sliding it back into the cooler. Twenty-one matching centerpieces of orange chrysanthemums, and tiger lilies in dark blue bowls, with two larger arrangements for the bridal table. Five bridesmaids’ bouquets of yellow rosebuds and lilies with long streamers of sparkly orange and blue ribbons. And two bridal bouquets—one for the church ceremony and one for tossing. The tossing bouquet was a colorful sphere of orange and blue chrysanthemums, made fluffier with baby’s breath. Apparently both bride and groom were avid fans of a college sports team from Syracuse—so much so that the flowers were in the team’s blue and orange colors. All except the bride’s.
Lucy pulled out the deep plastic-wrapped box holding the bridal bouquet. The bride had apparently drawn the line at walking down the aisle looking like a cheerleader. Her bouquet wasn’t sporty at all. It was a decadent waterfall of traditional bridal flowers, from lush white peonies at the top to white roses and then cascading white calla lilies. The bouquet was heavy, but the planner said the bride wouldn’t care about that. She may not have wanted to look collegiate walking down the aisle, but she’d played basketball for the school for four years. She could handle a heavy bouquet.
The back door opened behind her, and she pushed the box back into the cooler. The delivery guy was right on time. Once this order was out of the shop, she could go back to the inn, sneak up to her room and get some rest. The bridal box stuck for just a heartbeat on the shelf, taking her breath away when it started to tip. She steadied it and stood there, eyes closed in relief. Here she was fretting about a new driver and she’d almost dropped the most important box herself. She really was running out of steam. Connie came into the workroom and greeted the delivery driver.
“Good, you’re right on time. The wedding planner is handling all the setup, so you just need to get it inside for her. This is a big order, Owen, and a very expensive one, so I need you to be extra careful...”
Lucy spun on her heel. The cold from the open cooler door behind her was nothing compared to the chill growing in her chest.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
He held up his hands in innocence. “This isn’t what it looks like. I did a landscaping quote for your boss and she said she was in a bind this weekend.”
She couldn’t believe this was happening. “How very convenient.”
“Honest, Luce. It’s only temporary.”
Connie looked back and forth between them in confusion, then her eyes went wide.
“Wait...this guy is your ex? You left this—” she gestured at Owen’s admittedly good-looking form “—standing at the altar?” Then she swatted at Owen, earning a startled laugh from Lucy. “And you! You made that girl so unhappy that she left the whole damn state to get away from you? You took this job under false pretenses. Are you even a landscaper, or did you fib about that, too?”
“I offered to help,” Owen protested.
“Whatever.” Connie glared at him. “I won’t have you harassing my employee. You’re fired.”
Lucy straightened. Not only did she appreciate Connie coming to her defense, but she’d just called her an employee. So maybe that battle was settled.
“Don’t fire him on my account, but I hope he told you he’s only in Rendezvous Falls for a couple of weeks.”
“Actually,” he said with another grin, “you gave me a month, remember?” A glint of humor appeared in his eyes. “I have to pay for that room somehow.” He looked at Connie. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Connie. And I really am a landscaper.”
Lucy started to understand what happened. “Is this the guy you hired to do work at your house?”
Connie turned to her with regret in her eyes. “Iris Taggart recommended Owen to do some landscaping. I need some shrubs removed and trees trimmed away from the house. When he heard I’d lost my delivery guy for the weekend, he said he’d be happy to help with deliveries.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet he did.” Lucy shook her head. “Iris Taggart, huh?” Lucy thought the older woman had given her a funny look yesterday morning. Sort of a Cheshire cat grin, like she had a delicious secret.
“Does Iris always meddle in her guests’ business?”
Connie snorted. “Iris Taggart meddles in everyone’s business. I should have known there was a reason for her showing up the other day to sing this man’s praises. Nothing’s random with that woman.” She shook her head. “It’s too bad, because I really do need to get that work done at the house. I couldn’t keep up with it, and my daughter-in-law is using that as evidence of my so-called decline.”
Lucy cleared her throat. “It’s fine. I don’t want to keep Owen from employment, even if it is very temporary. And he is very good at landscaping.” She leveled a look at Owen. “Well, don’t just stand there—grab these boxes. The centerpieces can go out first. Then the altar piece and the rest of it. I want the box with the bride’s bouquet on the front seat, strapped in safely.”
He moved past her to take the boxes she’d pointed to, murmuring a soft but playful “Yes, ma’am.”
“This isn’t going to work, you know.”
“What?” He straightened with two boxes in his arms. “The delivery? Centerpieces first. Then the rest, with the bridal box in the front seat. Strapped in. I got it.”
She gestured at the small distance between them. “This. Us. Whatever game you think you’re playing is not going to work. You can stay at the inn. You can work for Connie. But I’m not going back to Greensboro with you.”
He stunned her by just saying “Okay” and giving her a quick kiss on her forehead before turning away for the door. Her mouth dropped open. She didn’t think Owen had ever kissed her forehead. It was...sweet. Casual. As if he was letting her know that he wasn’t there to argue, but he also wasn’t giving up. Connie watched him go out the door, a bemused smile on her face.
“Did you just let that man kiss you?”
Lucy rubbed her forehead, suddenly agitated. “On the forehead, Connie. That’s not a kiss. That’s.... something grandparents do to their grandkids.”
Connie stared off wistfully. “In our
early years, Danny would give me a peck on the forehead whenever he was leaving. It was his silent goodbye-and-I-love-you. His way of saying he couldn’t wait to give me a real kiss later on.” Her eyes narrowed on Lucy. “There was nothing grandfatherly about it.”
Lucy turned away to pull more boxes out of the cooler. “Whatever. It was weird.”
Except...it wasn’t weird. Unusual, maybe. Unprecedented. But the quiver she’d felt inside when his lips brushed her skin shocked her. That was the heat of desire. And Owen Cooper had lit the spark. If Owen continued to be so charming, it was going to make it much more difficult for her to walk away.
CHAPTER NINE
OWEN PULLED HIS BRONCO into the parking lot of the Purple Shamrock on July Fourth and let out a low whistle at the number of cars already there. Finn O’Hearn told him that after they’d added the big patio behind the pub, the Fourth had been one of their busiest and most profitable days ever. It looked as if this year was going to be a rocking success, too. He found a parking spot and headed toward the sound of music and laughter on the patio.
He’d heard from Piper that Lucy was coming to the Purple Shamrock tonight for the fireworks, so maybe he could make some headway by putting himself in her orbit one more time. If only she’d give him a chance, he could prove how much he loved her. And he did love her. Perhaps more than ever. For one thing, she’d stood up to his mother by walking away, which wasn’t easy. But he was sensing something in Lucy here in Rendezvous Falls that he hadn’t seen in a while—a lightness...a brightness in her walk and her smile.
It was her bubbly, sassy attitude that had attracted him to Lucy in the first place. He felt like a fool for not seeing that was slipping away while he’d been busy playing soldier. And now she had it again...after leaving him. That stung.
He’d been in Rendezvous Falls for a week now, and he had no idea if he’d made any real progress in the Win Back Lucy campaign. He’d put himself within her orbit by working at the flower shop for a few days, but he’d spent most of his time at Connie’s house, trying to salvage the shrubs growing out of control at her slightly neglected lakeside cottage.
