Blossoms of Love

by J. M. Jeffries

  Greer found herself sandwiched between Logan and Daniel. The second Daniel seated himself, the waitress bent over to take her drink order unobtrusively. Greer asked for a glass of pinot noir, and Daniel ordered a bottle.

  “So how does one become involved in float construction?” Nina asked. “Seeing all those floats really started me thinking.” She selected a roll from a large basket in the center of the table.

  “It’s Pasadena. The Rose Parade is who we are and what we do.” Greer smiled at Nina. “Look at you. You’re all involved in some form of entertainment.” Her mother had given her background on the Torres family.

  Nina shrugged. “It’s Los Angeles. What else are we going to do?”

  “I could say the same about Pasadena. I love the pageantry, and I’m delighted to have a skill that is of use.”

  “Greer is a very talented artist,” Daniel explained.

  “That’s really more a hobby,” Greer replied.

  “So she’s shown you her etchings, has she?” Logan put in. He studied Greer with a tilt of his head. Daniel looked annoyed. Logan slapped Daniel on the back. “You go, bro.”

  “Did you just say something inappropriate about me?” Greer asked Logan.

  “Logan is always inappropriate.” Nina bit into her bread.

  Logan grinned. “I work very hard at it.”

  She didn’t like being under such a microscope. To cover up her discomfort, Greer reached for a piece of bread. It was cheesy and moist and tasted as delicious as it smelled. “This is very good.”

  “Pão de queijo,” Daniel said. “Brazilian cheese bread.” He glanced at Nina. “Do you know what we’re having for dinner tonight?”

  Nina nodded. “Canja, which is a soup,” she explained to Greer, “then churrasco de porco com queijo ralado, an herby pork loin sprinkled with parmesan cheese, served with barbecued pineapple and rice, and for dessert we have pudim de leite, which is a pudding.”

  “Mom’s been cooking all afternoon, hasn’t she?” Daniel asked her.

  “We have to take Greer through her paces,” Nina said, reaching for another roll.

  “You hold nothing back, do you?” Greer said.

  “I’ve spent years dealing with Hollywood people in crisis mode. I’ve saved films, careers, reputations. I can’t afford to be anything else but blunt.”

  “I appreciate that.” Greer was generally direct, but she tried to be more subtle because she was selling a service and had to consider a client’s needs and merge them with the practical aspects of float design.

  “Nina’s the family muscle,” Daniel said. “When she was in first or second grade, she faced down a bully who was extorting the little kids for their lunch money. She made him give every penny back, and then she went to the principal and made sure it never happened again. And when I was accused of stealing a friend’s wallet in high school, she searched out the person who did it and I was exonerated.”

  “So you’re the one to have on my side,” Greer said.

  “I am.” Nina nodded.

  Just then, Daniel’s parents swooped down. Swoop was the only word Greer could think of to describe the way Mrs. Torres kissed everyone, including her. Mr. Torres clapped the three men on the back with jovial humor and kissed Greer and Nina on the forehead. Behind them came two waiters. One carried a large covered soup tureen, and the other held a stack of bowls and a second basket of bread.

  “Now,” Mrs. Torres said grandly, “Manny and I are here, so the party can start.” Her husband held her chair out for her, and she sat down at the head of the table with a huge smile on her face. Manny went around to the foot of the table and sat down.

  Greer seized the opportunity to acknowledge her hosts. “Mr. and Mrs. Torres, thank you for inviting me to dinner.”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Torres were Manny’s parents,” said Daniel’s mother. “I’m Grace, and he’s Manny.”

  Logan leaned close to her ear. “We all just call them Mom and Dad.”

  Greer turned to look at him. “How did you get into the family?”

  “Who doesn’t want me?” Logan said.

  Grace reached over and patted Logan’s hand. “We took pity on the poor little rich boy.”

  “And I thank God every day,” Logan said with a beaming smile at the older woman.

  Greer figured there was a story somewhere in that statement, but she was too polite to ask. Her mother had drilled manners into her.

  Grace took Scott’s hand. “And our little family is growing.”

  Little? Greer hid a smile behind her napkin.

  As the waiter served the first course, a heavenly aroma rose from the soup, which seemed to consist of carrots, tomatoes and rice with bits of chicken floating in it.

  “Eat up,” Grace said once everyone was served. “Nina, you’re too skinny, and now you are eating for two.”

  “How wonderful,” Greer said. “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.” Nina dipped her soup spoon and took a long breath of the steam rising from it.

  Logan squeezed Greer’s arm. “You could eat a little more, too. The other night at Craig’s, you just pushed your food around on the plate and took only a couple of bites.”

  Greer simply smiled. She wasn’t about to tell him that the night had made her so uncomfortable she’d had no appetite. “I have every intention of relishing each bite tonight.”

  Grace beamed in approval. “Most men like women with a little meat on their bones. Up until the Regency period, a woman with curves was considered desirable. It meant she had a husband who made good money, and she could live a life of leisure.”

  Manny laughed. “And when are you going to start living a life of leisure?”

  “If I stayed home doing nothing, I’d probably burn the house down,” Grace replied.

  Manny grinned. “I’m not saying you should do nothing.”

  Greer leaned over to Daniel. “Your family is hilarious.” Her own parents were more sedate, more serious, always thinking about the work that needed to be done and the next year’s parade. They were loving parents, too, but in a more restrained way.

  “It’s a laugh riot around here,” Daniel replied.

  The soup was excellent, and under Grace’s watchful eye, she finished it and even had a second cheesy roll. The waiter and waitress removed the bowls when they were finished and withdrew again.

  Greer turned to Daniel. “Now do I have to take you home to dinner with my parents?”

  “I’ve met your entire family, but only to discuss the float.” Daniel saw that her wineglass was empty and refilled it.

  Greer knew Daniel had originally met her father when he’d first decided to sponsor a float. Her dad had left them pretty much alone until his recent interest as the time got closer to the parade.

  “That was business,” Greer said. “People are different when there’s wine on the table.”

  “I wish I’d hired your parents to create my float,” Logan put in. “My design seems all right, but it doesn’t sparkle.”

  “I’ve seen your float,” Greer said. “It’s going to look a lot different when all the decorations are done. I think you’ll be surprised. And if you’re still not happy, I’ve seen Sabrina Palmer rip a float apart and fix it in forty-eight hours.”

  “Has your company ever done that?” Daniel asked.

  “More times than I care to count, and trust me, I didn’t sleep for a week.” The memories made Greer shiver. “That was the float that made me decide to major in structural engineering so that it doesn’t happen again.” She turned back to Logan. “Don’t worry. You’re in good hands.”

  The waitstaff returned with covered plates. As one waiter uncovered a plate, the other one delivered it, and in no time everyone had their entrées.

  Grace instructed them
to begin eating, keeping up the conversation without missing a beat. “The couple of years Manny and I helped sponsor a float, we were never disappointed in your family’s work,” she said.

  “The Brazilian Mardi Gras–themed float you designed a few years ago was brilliant.” Manny pointed at a photo on the wall. “It won the President’s Trophy that year.”

  Greer loved that float. It was her first design after her graduation from Cal Poly Pomona.

  Logan jostled her arm, and she looked at him to see an amused expression on his face. “I hear Daniel took you to see the constellations last night. I can do better than that. I have an invite to a party at Emerson James’s house in Malibu tomorrow night. I can pick you up for an early dinner and—”

  “Who is Emerson James?” Greer asked searching her brain for a reference. Nothing came to her.

  “Never mind,” Logan said, looking deflated. “But for your information, he’s only been football’s MVP the last two years running.”

  “Oh, a football player,” Greer responded. “My dad follows soccer, but my sisters and I aren’t really into sports. I did play volleyball in college, but just for fun.” Rachel had played softball in high school, but Chelsea had been into more esoteric pursuits as president of the debate club at UCLA and a member of the chess club. Their desire to compete had been completely channeled into the family business.

  “Then how about just dinner?” Logan didn’t give up easily.

  Greer looked at Daniel and found him watching her intently, his lips pressed together tightly, his shoulders stiff. The rivalry between the two men made her uneasy. She just didn’t get it. “I’m afraid not,” she told Logan quietly.

  She felt Daniel relax next to her. Still, he leaned toward his friend to say, “Stop making Greer uncomfortable.”

  “I like the challenge.” Logan looked defiant.

  Grace patted Logan’s arm gently. “Logan, that’s enough. She has given you her answer.” Her voice held a command, though gently put.

  Logan bowed his head, but Greer had a feeling this wasn’t over.

  Chapter 6

  Greer had been reluctant to part from Daniel, but every day was a workday from now until the parade. She needed to check out the welder’s work on the wing and see if John had finished repairing the hydraulic system.

  But first she had another job to do. The evening she’d spent watching the constellations with Daniel had given Greer an idea. The idea had germinated the last two days and blossomed while she was getting her breakfast this morning. Suddenly it all clicked in her mind, coming together with such completeness, her fingers itched to draw it out.

  She walked into the reception area of Courtland Float Designs. Sadie, their Jill-of-all-office-chores, snickered at her.

  “What’s wrong?” Greer asked.

  “You’ll see,” Sadie said in a mysterious tone just as the phone rang and she lifted it to her ear.

  As Greer walked down the long hall to her office, Rachel peeled out of her office and fell into step with her.

  “You must have had a really nice weekend.” She drew out the word really as though it was fourteen syllables long.

  “What do you mean?” Greer asked, suddenly curious. Rachel’s remark, combined with Sadie’s odd comment, told her something was going on.

  Chelsea poked her head out of her office and grinned at Greer. She joined them.

  “Why are you coming to my office with me?” Greer asked.

  “We’re having a meeting,” Chelsea said.

  Rachel grinned. “Yeah. A meeting.”

  Greer didn’t like the way her sisters sounded. What was going on?

  She flung open the door to her office and was almost blown backward by the intense fragrance of roses. She staggered against the doorjamb.

  Every surface and half the floor were filled with roses. Dozens of roses in every color.

  “You must have really made an impression on Daniel,” Chelsea said slyly.

  Greer stared at the roses. The riot of color made her head ache. This didn’t sound like Daniel. He wasn’t this flamboyant. She found a card dangling from a stem and opened the envelope.

  Roses are red.

  Roses are blue.

  But they don’t compete

  With the beauty that’s you.

  —Logan Pierce

  “What is this?” Chelsea grabbed the card. “Logan Pierce? I could have sworn these roses came from Daniel.” She sounded so disappointed, Greer almost laughed.

  “Not his style,” Greer said.

  “And it is Logan Pierce’s style,” Rachel said.

  “How do you know about Logan Pierce’s style?” Greer asked.

  “I’m a fan,” Rachel replied. “I watch his show.”

  “But you don’t like sports,” Greer said.

  “I like to look at guys who play sports.” Rachel’s voice was defensive.

  “What are you going to do?” Chelsea gestured at all the flowers.

  “We’ll get Dad’s truck and take them over to the children’s hospital. But first, I should call him and say thank you.” Greer reached for her phone and walked back out into the hall. The scent of the roses was so overpowering, she was getting a headache. Rachel and Chelsea grinned at her and leaned against the wall.

  “Go away,” Greer said.

  “Not a chance,” Rachel said.

  Greer dialed Logan’s number. He’d flown back to New York the night before, so at least she didn’t have to agree to a date with him as a way of thanking him. Fortunately, her call went to voice mail. “Thank you so much for the lovely flowers. They’re beautiful. I appreciate them.” After that succinct message, she disconnected the call.

  She glanced back at her office. Too bad he hadn’t sent them closer to Christmas. Chelsea could have recycled them onto a float. But this early, they would never last.

  “Boy, did he get it wrong.” Chelsea bent over a bouquet and sniffed. “But it was a worthy try.”

  “He should have opted for daisies,” Rachel said.

  “Cut him some slack,” Greer said, feeling as though she needed to defend Logan but not understanding why.

  “He’s pretty to look at. I’ll give him that,” Chelsea put in. “All that blond hair and his muscular body. His football career may be over, but his football body is still kickin’.”

  Chelsea liked a man who looked good and was uncomplicated. After spending four years married to Mr. Faux-genius who spent all his time trying to impress people with his superior intelligence and make everyone else feel stupid, she needed uncomplicated. Logan would be perfect for her.

  Rachel opened the door to the broom closet and pulled out a wheeled cart while Chelsea went to their father’s office to get the truck keys. Rachel pushed the cart into Greer’s office and started putting the vases on it. “Aren’t Logan and Daniel really good friends?”

  “They’re best friends,” Greer said as she grabbed a vase and set it on the cart. “But they seem to enjoy competing over everything.”

  “How does that make you feel?”

  “I find them both amusing.”

  “Apparently you’ve made your choice, since you’re not sleeping with Logan,” Chelsea said as she entered the office, the truck keys jingling in her hand. “How are things going?”

  Heat flared across Greer’s cheeks. “He doesn’t think I’m a stick-in-the-mud.” After their interlude in his office, if he had thought that, he didn’t anymore.

  Chelsea laughed. “Where are the two of you heading?”

  “I like being with him, but I don’t want anything more complicated than that, at least not right this moment.” She loaded some more vases and instructed Chelsea to park the truck at the front door. “We’re going to have to make several trips.”
r />   Chelsea trotted down the hall. Greer and Rachel finished filling the cart and pushed it down the hallway to the front door.

  “That’s quite a haul,” their mother said from the doorway to her office.

  “We’re taking them to the children’s hospital,” Rachel explained.

  “Don’t do that. Children would rather have a stuffed animal. Take them over to the retirement community on Main. Where did they come from?”

  “Logan Pierce is determined to sweep me off my feet,” Greer said.

  “I’d wish him good luck, though I know Daniel has already won.”

  “Logan is very likeable, too.” She defended the man, because she couldn’t admit her mother was right. It irked her that everyone in the world knew about her love life. She didn’t even have secrets from her mother. She glanced at Rachel, who looked away, a guilty expression in her eyes. Rachel never could keep a secret, and their mother relentlessly exploited her susceptibility to parental pressure.

  “Of course he is.” Her mother turned back into her office with a tiny wave of her hand.

  * * *

  A stagehand placed two chairs on a ten-by-ten-foot square of carpet in the center aisle of the huge tent. Floats, arranged in long lines, filled the tent, while volunteers swarmed the area like an army of ants. The sounds of hammering, laughter and squealing hydraulics surrounded Daniel as he watched the film crew set up for the next segment.

  “What are we doing?” his director asked.

  “We’re having a parade float safety drill.” Daniel’s brother Nick looked amused.

  “What exactly does a float safety drill entail?” Nick’s dance partner, Michelle, stood to one side of the float, staring up at it. She was a tall, willowy blonde with intense blue eyes and a creamy complexion that reminded Daniel of a woman he’d met on a trip to Ireland.

  “I have no idea,” Daniel replied. “For all I know, it could involve lifeboats. In case of flood.”

  One of the two cameramen snickered. “When I was filming Titanic, I ended up as an extra and died when the boat went down.”

  Daniel grinned. “Big surprise there. I promise, if anything happens, you’ll be the first person I save. You always make me look good.”