A Wildflower Summer

by Caroline Flynn

  He leaned against the counter, facing the bride-to-be. Which meant he faced away from Lily. As she took in his profile, Lily could see that his body exuded calmness, but his eyes were sharp as he treaded lightly. He was a man in an emotional woman’s conversation, uncharted territory, and all it would take was one wrong comment to send any one of the women surrounding him into hysterics.

  ‘There was a mix-up,’ she explained. Paige shrugged, and Lily’s respect for the woman soared. Not everyone would deal with an honest-to-goodness mistake with such grace and understanding. It was her custom-made wedding dress in question, after all.

  ‘And you don’t have a dress.’

  ‘It’s just under two weeks till my wedding and I don’t have a dress.’ Paige whirled around and rested her forehead on her arms, sprawled across the tabletop. ‘Just saying it is sending me into a downward spiral.’

  ‘Then don’t say it,’ Allison quipped. ‘We’re going to get this figured out. Lily, can you get Paige one of those café mochas she loves so much?’ Lowering her voice, she added, ‘Toss a shot of espresso in there, too. She needs a shot of something stronger, I think, but it’s the best I can do for now.’ Then, Allison was gone, rounding the counter and sliding in across from Paige in the booth, her phone at the ready. She was undoubtedly seeking out the North Springs bridal boutique number, preparing to give poor Mira a flustered trip down Memory Lane.

  Lily stared hard at the coffeepot in her hand. It pained her too much to glance at the poor woman in the booth behind her. Thankful to have something else to focus on, her mind raced. And now, it wasn’t only because this was the first time she had seen Jason since she’d texted him yesterday with her plan to stick around town a little while longer, or because she didn’t know how to judge his reply.

  More than okay. Not exactly the answer she expected. Yet, it set the butterflies fluttering in her stomach into a full-fledged frenzy. Sure, he was mimicking the words she had used in her previous message, but it was more than that. The inclination was there. He wanted her to stay just as much as she wanted to.

  Right?

  The butterflies that swarmed her now were due to more than Jason’s presence. A woman sat behind her, desperate for a café mocha and someone to help her salvage an important part of her fairytale wedding. A woman who had been kind to Lily, just as the rest of the town had.

  There weren’t many things Lily could help others with around these parts. She was an outsider, with a dwindling cash flow and little tangible belongings to offer up. But this was one time when she could help. When she could repay a little of the abundant generosity Port Landon had shown her. When she could show others—and herself—what she was capable of. What her dreams her made of.

  ‘I can do it.’ The words came out quieter than she meant them to.

  Jason was closest to her, and his dark eyes widened ever so slightly. He didn’t say anything, but she could see the truth in his gaze. He had been thinking the same thing.

  She thought she saw him nod. Just a slight dip of his head. Yes, you can, he seemed to silently encourage her.

  She whirled around, focusing beyond him toward the booth where Paige and Allison sat. ‘I can do it,’ she repeated, louder this time.

  The words were out. There was no going back. No matter what the likes of Michael Pennington, or even Lash Fashion, believed, Lily had to believe in herself. In that moment, she did, wholeheartedly.

  Sonya was the first to recover from her surprised stupor. ‘You make dresses?’

  Lily turned back to the drink on the counter and sprayed a dollop of whipped cream on top of the café mocha, using it as a moment to stamp down her own budding shock. Part of her was still surprised that she’d spoken up at all. But there was another part, a bigger part, that trembled with anticipation, aching to get a sewing machine in front of her and make something magical. ‘I make a lot of things.’ She nodded at Sonya. There were some things Nancy hadn’t mentioned to her sister during their gabfests, it seemed.

  Paige was up and out of her seat so quickly that one would have thought Lily had a ready-to-go dress hidden under the counter.

  Lily slid the coffee mug toward the bride-to-be.

  ‘You’ve designed weddings dresses before? And turned those designs into wearable clothing?’ Allison enunciated each word, clearly and concisely. There was a beacon of hope standing before her in the form of Lily Brentwood, and the woman took her maid of honor duties seriously. She was going to make sure there was no room for any more misinterpretation in the name of her cousin’s wedding.

  Lily thought of the flowy cotton sundresses she had first begun with a few years ago, starting with something she deemed simpler, with less structure and more room for error as she learned different sewing techniques and found her own personal groove. After those sundresses came her first attempts at bustiers, with side boning and elegant beading and overlays. Only once she mastered the intricate workings of those did she attempt her first full-length gown. Currently, eight completed examples of her unique designs sat folded in a sealed plastic tote, stowed away in a storage locker she had yet to see the inside of. Just thinking about it, she winced, praying her creations were okay. ‘I have, a few times,’ she replied, nodding again. ‘But—’

  Allison jutted one long finger out, shaking her head. ‘No buts. You’re telling me that you can design and create a wedding dress for Paige.’ It wasn’t a question. ‘In less than two weeks. That’s a feasible timeframe for such artistic things?’

  Lily loved Allison’s way of talking. Never belittling other people’s capabilities or likes, even if she didn’t understand it. Allison realized that whether it was ornamental needlework or creating the perfect cup of coffee with intricate foam art, the end result took time and was still someone’s masterpiece, therefore worthy of respect. ‘I can do this, Allison.’

  Paige touched her hand to her cousin’s arm. A patient gesture, calming. It said, Easy, tiger. When she leaned on the counter, fingers steepled at her lips while she calculated the best way to approach the crisis at hand, there was a surprising lack of urgency guiding her next words. ‘Lily, there is absolutely no pressure for you to do this.’

  Days ago, she had blown the only interview to come from the numerous job applications she had submitted to Chicago companies. This was a chance to show the world what she could do—possibly her only chance. The prospect of being able to create a wedding dress for Paige made her heartbeat quicken, but it had nothing to do with pressure.

  Lily, she realized in that moment, just wanted to make Paige’s dress. She wanted to give in to her passion and let her creativity take over. If she could tap into that desire, it didn’t matter if this was her only current prospect or one of many. She would be doing what she loved. That had to count for something. ‘I know you haven’t even seen anything that I’ve designed and—’

  ‘But I have.’

  In the sudden chaos, she had almost forgotten he was there. Now, Lily stared at Jason with wide, curious eyes. So did everyone else.

  ‘I’ll vouch for her designs.’ His eyes locked with Lily’s, unwavering. ‘You’ll love her work, Paige. I do.’

  In unison, Allison and Paige squealed, two excitable teenagers trapped in adult bodies.

  ‘Oh, Lily, this is perfect!’ Paige insisted, bouncing on her heels. ‘I’ll pay whatever it takes, and I promise not to be a Bridezilla.’

  Her heart pounded hard against her ribcage. ‘Oh gosh, I’m not worried about that at all—’

  ‘Then, that’s that!’ Paige interjected. ‘Lily’s going to make my wedding dress! Right here in Port Landon!’

  Lily gawked around the room at the sea of faces as they cheered excitedly, all eyes trained intently on her. Like she was doing them some kind of favor. She couldn’t hear past the blood rushing in her ears, and there was a sense of tunnel vision overtaking her senses. Once her gaze landed on Jason, everything else seemed to momentarily fade into the background. His words resonated within her, t
hreading themselves into the fabric of her being and becoming a part of her.

  He’d said he loved her work. Vouched for her talent to the people he knew and loved. Jason had taken a chance. For her. They all were, Paige in particular.

  No, she wasn’t doing anyone a favor—they were the ones helping her. Showing her that a little belief went a long way, and that even the most validated fears were no match against the power of community.

  Or the power of love.

  Chapter 14

  Jason

  Finally—finally!—Lily Brentwood was beginning to comprehend her own talent. Beginning to take a chance on herself. Jason could see it written all over her face how much it shook her to utter those words: I can do it. But it was only because she didn’t seem to see the magic that propelled her passion—or was it that passion that made it magic?

  Jason did. He saw it as clear as any sunny day, as blatantly as any neon sign. He believed that everyone else would see it, too, if Lily offered them a glimpse.

  It had been more than a week since he had first laid eyes on Lily’s sketchbook and he couldn’t get the designs out of his head. Once Paige saw Lily’s work firsthand, she would be just as enthralled.

  Enthralled, that was a good word to use in relation to Lily. There was no other way to describe his connection to her. With her schedule at the coffeehouse, and his own time spent at the garage, coupled with the looming wedding dress deadline, he didn’t see her every day. In fact, her car had been repaired and ready to go since yesterday morning, but their broken conversation between a handful of texts had advised him that she could finally retrieve it today.

  She was never far from his mind, though. It was both a blessing and curse—a blessing because he found himself wanting to be near her, if only for company; and a curse because Branch tended to pick up on his distracted demeanor, and he was only too keen to comment on it.

  ‘I hear your girl’s got a gig as Port Landon’s very own Vera Wang.’

  Torque wrench in hand, Jason levelled a narrowed gaze at his best friend. ‘She’s not my girl,’ he stated, wiping sweat from his brow. ‘As for the rest of that sentence, I have no clue what you just said.’

  ‘The famous designer?’ When Jason’s expression didn’t change, Branch waved a hand. ‘Never mind. Kait must be rubbing off on me. I swear, that’s all she’s been talking about since Monday night.’

  It made sense since Paige and Kait were so close. Until then, however, it hadn’t occurred to Jason that perhaps Branch might have known more about the current state of Paige’s dress designing than he did. ‘Has Kait seen Paige and Lily?’

  The corner of Branch’s mouth tugged up. ‘Scared she’s seeing her more than you are?’

  ‘Don’t start, Branch.’

  He held up his hands, blackened with grease. ‘It was just a question. You know, simple conversation.’

  ‘Is this some trick to get me talking about my inner feelings or something?’

  Branch rolled his eyes. ‘You’re hopeless. Especially if you need to be tricked into talking about your damn feelings.’

  Jason tossed the torque wrench on top of his toolbox and rounded on his friend. There was no such thing as simple conversation these days. ‘Look, it’s complicated, all right?’

  ‘This ain’t your Facebook status we’re talking about, Jay. Just hear me out.’ Branch wheeled the creeper he was perched on out a bit further from the sedan he was working on. ‘I know what you said before, about how I can’t understand because I’ve always loved Kait and my feelings for her were never in question. But Kait’s feelings were exactly that—complicated. Do you remember last Christmas?’ He paused, wincing. He remembered, very clearly. ‘I watched her suffer in turmoil as she tried to figure it all out, without all the facts. I might not have experienced what you’re going through, but I’m just saying … don’t rule it out because you don’t understand it. You and Lily are both conflicted, I can tell. It’s warranted, but don’t close your eyes and suffer in silence, especially when you might not have all the facts.’

  Jason’s jaw worked as he mulled it over. Branch wasn’t aware of Lily’s ex or the man’s abandonment of his daughter—those things were told to Jason in confidence; he wouldn’t tell another soul unless Lily asked him to. Lily was being cautious for a reason, and those were facts Jason did possess.

  But, as much as he hated to admit it, Branch was right. There was a difference between having some facts and having all of them. Lily could be even more conflicted about him than he was about her. And that was saying something.

  ‘Thank you, Dr. Phil,’ he mocked. ‘We’ll now interrupt this regularly scheduled program to take a short commercial break.’

  His colorless humor earned him another eyeroll. ‘Yeah, you’re definitely hopeless.’

  The faint creak of the office door pulled their attention across the garage. Lily shuffled in, sandals on her feet and sunglasses perched on her nose. The steel spiral binding of the sketchbook under her arm caught the reflection of the sun from the window and glinted as she pushed the door shut behind her.

  Branch smirked, holding his hands high. ‘I don’t think I need to say anything more.’

  That’s a first, Jason thought wryly. But his friend was still grinning from ear to ear when he trudged past him into the office.

  ‘Getting tired of walking yet?’ He chuckled, scanning the desk for the invoice he had placed there yesterday. Sometimes he wondered if the surface opened up and swallowed things whole in the middle of the night.

  Lily pushed her sunglasses up on top of her head. ‘It’s not so bad walking in town,’ she replied with a smile. ‘At least it’s nice out, and there’s always something to see.’

  ‘Careful, you’re starting to sound like a true-blue resident.’

  ‘Got to see the glass as half full, right?’

  He glanced up. ‘A true-blue resident and an optimist.’

  Laughing, she set the sketchbook on one of the chairs by the door. ‘I blame you for that one. So, you’re really done with my Cruella, huh?’

  ‘As done as I can be. She’ll get you where you want to go now, at least.’ Something twisted in his gut at the mention of Chicago, but Jason forced it down, ignoring it.

  ‘That sounds promising.’ Her purse made a heavy thud on top of the desk. ‘It also sounds like I owe you some money.’

  Jason scanned the invoice in his hand. He had shaved off as much as he could for the labor charges, having done all the work himself and not necessarily during work hours. The bill still had too many digits lined up in a row for his liking. ‘You don’t have to pay me all at once,’ he reminded her. ‘And there’s—’

  ‘Just give me the bill, Jason.’ She reached out and took the paper from him, turning it so she could read it. It might have just been Jason reflecting his own feelings onto her, but he swore she paled a little as she read it. ‘And you’re sure you’re okay with me paying in installments?’ she added, still staring at the typed calculations.

  ‘Of course. I know money is tight. I don’t want you to strap yourself.’

  She set the invoice down. ‘And I don’t want to take advantage of your generosity, though it might already be too late for that.’ Unzipping her purse, Lily pulled out a brown envelope and held it out to him. ‘Five hundred, that’s what I’ve got. Allison paid me yesterday. I also heard from the hotel in Chicago—finally.’ She let out a relieved sigh. ‘They’re refunding me all but the first night’s reservation fee. So, I should be able to pay you the rest of it next week when the refund hits my bank account. They said five to seven business days.’ She crossed her fingers.

  ‘That’s great that they’re going to give you your money back. Took ’em long enough.’ He tentatively reached for the envelope. ‘This is a big chunk toward your bill. Thank you, but are you sure?’

  ‘I mean, if it’s negotiable as to whether or not to pay you …’ A teasing grin played on her lips. ‘Trust me, Jason. It’s fine. It’s your money
. I’m going to pay you back every penny as soon as I can. It’s hardly enough considering all you’ve done for Eden and me.’

  He shoved the envelope into the drawer to his left. ‘I just try to help when I can. I’d do it for anybody.’ Even as he said it, he regretted it. But the words had already come out, sounding too generic. ‘Do you want a receipt?’ Hardly a smooth recovery.

  She waved her hand dismissively. ‘I’ll get one when I’ve paid it all in full.’ Lily looked around, which caused him to follow her gaze. As soon as their eyes met, Branch immediately turned back to his task at hand.

  Busted, Jason thought. His friend was hanging on every word.

  ‘Has it been busy today?’ Lily asked.

  Jason didn’t believe for a second that she had missed Branch’s wandering intrigue, so she was obviously going to pretend she hadn’t noticed. Two could play at that game. For now, anyway.

  ‘The phone keeps ringing and the vehicles keep showing up to be fixed, so it’s definitely busy enough. Benji will be here tomorrow as well, so the extra hand will help get a few things knocked off our list.’

  ‘Yeah, let me guess, you’ll get caught up right around the beginning of autumn, just in time for folks to start calling and wanting to book an appointment to have their winter tires put on.’

  Jason raised a brow, impressed. ‘That’s quite the guess. And very much correct.’

  She shrugged. ‘My cousin worked as a mechanic at a Ford dealership. I remember him saying there is no getting ahead when it comes to repair work on vehicles. If it’s not repairs that need to be done …’

  ‘It’s maintenance,’ Jason finished for her. ‘Right again.’

  Beaming, she reached for the sketchbook. ‘Have you got a minute? I came to pay you, obviously, but there was something I wanted to show you.’

  Obviously. His curiosity piqued, Jason rounded the desk, leaning against it with his hands in his pockets. ‘If this is about the dress gig with Paige, I’m not sure I’m going to be much help.’