“Okay, but I’ll come to relieve you every half hour, so you can get a coffee or go to the bathroom.”
“Every hour.”
“But—”
He kissed her hard, full on the lips, and she flapped her hands.
“Oh, my lipstick. I’ll have to reapply it before everyone gets here.”
Gray burst out laughing. “Go fix it now.”
In the washroom, she reapplied the lipstick that matched her dress perfectly and then took a quick walk around all of the other displays to check out her competition. When she got to the front of the room and saw Bolton’s floral display, she stopped cold.
It was massive, stunning, every plant huge, every flower overblown and showy.
How had she ever thought that whimsy could win the day?
Downcast, she returned to Gray and stayed with her plants while he took a spin around the room.
He came back with a big smile. “Bolton’s display is impressive, but over-the-top. Conservative. Predictable. You’ve got this in the bag.”
“Oh, Gray, don’t say that.” For the first time in her life, she actually wrung her hands. “I’ll get my hopes built up too high. God, I’m a mess.”
“Audrey, chill. Everything will work out.”
“Not if I don’t win that prize money. I won’t be able to keep Teresa on. What will I do about Dad?”
“Worry about that later. For now, put a big smile on your face, hand out bookmarks and enjoy the crowd.”
“Okay. I’ll do my best.” She handed him a small hole punch. “People are allowed to keep the bookmarks, because they advertise my store. When you give them their paper hearts, punch the bookmark and give it back to them. That way they can’t come back more than once. I don’t have enough hearts to hand out multiples.”
At one o’clock on the dot, when the security guards opened the front doors and people rushed in, she handed out her bookmarks with the map on the back of the convention floor showing exactly where she had set up her display.
So many people entered, and she had such a good time chatting them up, she missed relieving Gray at the first hour interval. When she glanced at her watch, she realized it was almost three and literally ran to the back.
She found Gray charming a crowd of people in front of her display, telling everyone what all of the different types of flowers and mushrooms were. No wonder he was such a good businessman. He had an amazing memory.
“How is the promotion going?”
“See for yourself.” He held up a small box that was full of dots of paper that he’d punched out of bookmarks. “Tons of people are following the instructions and coming to the back to claim their prize.”
He stepped close to avoid the crowd. The heat of his body soothed her nerves. “The best part is their reaction when they get here. Everyone loves it. Young and old.”
Just then, Audrey heard a voice she recognized. “Wish to hell I could see it myself.”
She spun about. Dad stood beside Teresa.
“Dad! What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to know what your work was like.” He sounded gruff, as though the last place he wanted to be was here, but a smile hovered at the corners of his lips.
“But you hate my gardening. You hate that I work with flowers.”
“Tess said it’s beautiful.” He nudged his chin toward the display.
Tess? How sweet.
“It’s amazing, Jeff,” Gray said.
“I haven’t told you about the best part,” Tess said. She described the miniature fairy garden.
“Where do you get your ideas?” Tess asked Audrey.
“I don’t know. They just come to me, and I have to act on them. I sort of feel like they are part of the universe trying to come to life through me.” She shook her head, frustrated. “That sounds dumb.”
“No, it isn’t,” Jeff said. “Sounds like the kind of thing your mother used to say when she was trying to persuade me to spend more money on the garden.”
He never spoke about Mom. “Did you ever say no?”
“Never. She always got what she wanted. Now, you are getting what you want in life, too. That’s good.”
Audrey’s heart swelled. Dad was proud of her. This monumental moment would live in her memory forever. Discreetly, she wiped tears from her bottom lashes.
Tess winked. “We’re going off for a coffee, and then we’ll come back to visit some more.”
After they left, Audrey explained a few of her plant choices to attendees, and then asked Gray whether she could pick up a coffee for him.
“I could use one.” He punched a couple of bookmarks and handed out more seeded paper hearts.
Audrey went to the café at the other end of the room only to pull up short when she saw Tess carry a couple of steaming drinks in paper cups to a table where her dad sat, and then lean forward to kiss him. On the lips.
Oh. Oh, my. Oh, the look on Dad’s face. Bliss. He touched Tess’s cheek, bringing a smile to the woman’s face, which almost made her pretty. Then he pulled her down for a deeper kiss. Audrey had never seen her dad as a sexual creature. But it was all good.
In a cloud of happiness, Audrey bought a coffee for Gray and carried it back to her flower stand.
“What’s up?” he asked. “You look strange. Are you okay?”
“I just saw my dad and Tess kiss.”
“What? Like a peck on the cheek?”
“No. Deeply. Romantically. Full of lust. I know they’ve been sleeping together.”
A satisfied smile spread across Gray’s face. “Hey, that’s really great.”
“It’s strange. I’ve never seen my dad in that way.”
“It’s good for him. It’s good for Tess, too. I like her. She got him out of that house and out of his shell.”
“You’re right. I’m happy. I’m just in shock.”
“Well, get over it and get back to the front door. You need to hand out more bookmarks.”
She did, for another two hours before heading back to Gray and sending him off to get an early supper.
“What about you?” he asked. “You must be starving.”
“I’m too nervous to eat.”
“Listen, here’s the deal. I’ll go grab a bite, but only if you promise to let me bring something back for you.”
“Okay, but keep it small. Honestly, my tummy’s full of butterflies.”
He left, and Audrey handed out plenty of hearts.
While he was gone, Shelly and the children showed up. Two of the children—Sam and Tiffany.
“Shelly, what are you doing here?”
“We came to see your show.”
Humbled, Audrey considered the cost of bus fares and entrance tickets for the three of them.
“You didn’t have to come.”
“We wanted to,” Tiffany piped up.
“Who’s watching Joe?” Audrey asked.
“My neighbor is going to check on him every half hour.”
“Mom’s never left him alone for so long before,” Sam said.
“He’s twelve years old, but his needs are so special.” Shelly bit her bottom lip.
Sam said, “He made mom come out. Said he’s not a baby anymore.”
“You’re all still my babies. Always will be.” Shelly hugged Sam hard enough for him to complain.
“Mom.”
“I love your display.” Shelly touched an orchid. “It’s incredible. How do I vote for it?”
Audrey explained about the computer terminals at the exits.
“Do we all get a vote?” Sam asked.
“As long as you have your ticket stub, yes. Input the number on your ticket and you’ll get to vote.”
“Cool.” Sam
shoved his hands into the pockets of his low-slung jeans. “I’m voting for you. This is awesome.”
Tiffany squatted on her haunches, fascinated by the fairy garden. Audrey hunched down beside her.
“Do you like it? Who do you think lives in the houses?”
For the next five minutes, Tiffany spun a tale about fairies and goblins and a troll who resided under the tiny bridge Audrey had built out of toothpicks.
Audrey stood and said to Shelly, “I’m impressed. She’s got a great imagination. Maybe someday she’ll be a writer.”
Gray came back with a tea and a croissant. “How’s this?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
He handed over the food and turned to hug Shelly. “Hey, sis.”
“Hey, bro.” Audrey heard affection and satisfaction resonate in Shelly’s voice.
“We have to go. I can’t bring myself to leave Joe at home by himself much longer.” She explained to Gray about the neighbor who was checking in regularly. “Half an hour intervals are too long for him to be alone. I’m worried.”
Audrey held her for a moment, moved that Shelly would come all the way out to the convention center to support a woman she’d met only once.
Gray walked them out and then came back.
“I’ll take over again. Go find a quiet spot to sit and eat.”
She went to the back, behind the curtains away from the crowds. She needed a quiet moment to collect herself. There were computer terminals in place at the exit doors at which the attendees could cast their votes before leaving. At six o’clock, the organizers would tally the votes, and by seven, she would know whether she’d won. How was she doing?
“I told you to stop worrying.” A disembodied male voice on the other side of a curtain sounded annoyed. “Cripes, how many times do I have to reassure you? Bolton will win. The software’s been set up so if anyone comes close to beating Bolton, it will add more votes to keep Bolton on top.”
Stunned, Audrey dropped her half-eaten croissant.
Sabotage? Of the voting system?
She held herself still and listened.
“How can you be sure it will work?” a female voice asked.
“I had my nephew set it up. He’s a computer genius.”
Anger, no rage, poured through Audrey. After all of her effort, hours and hours making boxes, trellises and seed-infused paper hearts, and backbreaking times hauling soil, planting seedlings and nurturing them to perfection, she might lose—no, would lose—because Bolton Florists decided that winning was so important they had to cheat.
No way in hell would she let them get away with it. If she lost here today, she would lose to someone honest.
She left her tea and croissant and ran from the back.
When Gray saw her face, he grasped her arms to steady her.
She explained what she’d heard.
“There’s no way I can win when the software’s been rigged.” Her voice shook, because a fireball burned inside of her. Ethics, morals, were important, huge, to her. “I have to find the organizers and raise the roof.”
“You need to concentrate on your booth and talking to attendees.” He grasped her chin. “You’re as important here today as your flowers. You’re beautiful and perky and passionate. People respond to that. They love you.”
In the middle of this whirlwind of tension and anger, he had to go and say something wonderful like that, and she couldn’t respond? They were in a room jam-packed with event attendees. But if they were alone, she would throw her arms around him and kiss him breathless.
“Let me handle this,” he said.
“Okay. Give them hell, Gray.”
He stalked away, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as he left.
* * *
GRAY REFUSED to let this happen to Audrey, not when she’d worked so hard. He called the local police and was put through to the fraud division. He told them what Audrey had heard, urging speed to get this fixed before the end of the show.
They promised to send out a couple of detectives, along with a computer geek who did freelance work for the department.
They arrived forty minutes later.
Gray huddled with them, and they decided to hunt down the organizers. Gray left it to the cops to explain what was happening.
He knew they were right when one of the men and the lone woman in the group blanched.
“We’ll be asking our computer expert to take a look at your program when the voting ends. He’ll determine who the winner is.”
The other detective said, “If he finds signs of fraud, we’ll be taking all of you in for questioning and placing charges if they’re warranted.”
The woman looked sick. The one man who Gray was sure was the other guilty party fidgeted and bobbed around as though he had to go to the bathroom. Good. Let them stew.
Back at the display, he calmed Audrey’s fears, updating her on who he’d called.
At six o’clock, when the doors closed, they broke down the display and loaded up the rental van.
* * *
AT SEVEN O’CLOCK, the florists and their families gathered in the auditorium of the convention center. Dad and Tess had stayed.
Now that the moment of truth had arrived, Audrey’s nerves skittered. She didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t win. She’d seen pretty stiff competition in the other displays.
Gray stood on her one side, and her dad on the other.
Dad wrapped his arm across her shoulders and said, “No matter what, Audrey, I’m proud of you.”
Knowing how much it cost Dad to finally accept her new career, the sentiment brought a lump to her throat. “Thanks, Dad.”
The microphone at the front of the room squealed, and then the soundman got the levels right.
The head of the organizing committee, Walter Reed, stood behind the mic with the results of the voting in his hands. Audrey assumed at some point he would be investigated about the fraud.
Word had rippled through the florists that the detectives’ computer geek had found the software Audrey had overheard the man talking about, and it had indeed been rigged in Bolton’s favor. Two members of the organizing committee, a man and a woman, along with the son of Bolton’s owner, had been taken away in handcuffs.
Audrey hoped they got the book thrown at them, and, if Walter were found to be involved, that they’d string him up by his thumbs and leave him to hang for a few days. Pompous ass.
Word had also come down that Bolton would not be disqualified because the owner himself had apparently not known about the fraud. Yeah, right.
As Walter began to speak, Audrey gripped both Gray’s and her dad’s hands. She wasn’t sure, but she might have been crushing bones.
“The jury’s winner is Bolton Florists.”
Audrey slumped. Surprise, surprise.
Grumbles ran through the audience, none of them too happy that Bolton was still in the race, given the fraud charges.
“The winner as determined by our attendees’ votes is...Audrey Stone.”
Audrey’s knees buckled. Gray hauled her into a hug that nearly crushed her. Dad gripped her next, and his cheek against hers felt damp. Tess kissed her cheek.
As though she’d left her body and watched from a great distance, she registered the crowd’s cheers and applause. Apparently, they liked her a heck of a lot better than Bolton.
“As you know—” Walter calmed the crowd and continued, “We used a points system to determine the overall winner, by adding points from both our jury selection and the attendee votes. I’m pleased to announce that our overall winner and the recipient of the $25,000 award is...”
Audrey grew dizzy. She’d stopped breathing.
“Audrey Stone!”
The crowd went wild.
Audrey had to sit and put her head between her legs. “I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it,” ran like an incantation from her lips.
Hands patted her back. Words of congratulations washed over her.
At length, she lifted her head and stood.
“It’s really true?”
Gray’s grin answered the question before his words did. “It’s true, Audrey. You did it.”
She laughed and cried, while Gray whooped and spun her about in his arms. Everything she’d hoped for was coming true and it was too much to take in. The work, the dreams and the chance she had taken starting her business had paid off.
She was filled with so much happiness she felt almost numb. The best part, though, was Dad’s smile. Her heart overflowed.
After she picked up her trophy and the check, the four of them left the building together.
When they got to the parking lot, Dad said, “Audrey, I have something to tell you. I hope you think it’s good.”
Audrey waited.
“Tess and I are getting married.”
She started to laugh and cry again, not quite sure how that was possible, but she was doing it. “Oh, Dad, I’m so happy for you. You, too, Tess.”
Well. Times had changed. So much was working out for the better.
“I’ll have to find a new place to live.”
“No,” Tess asserted, with the adamant pressure of a hand on Audrey’s arm. “That house is your home. You belong there.”
“Not anymore. It’s long past time for me to move on. You two will need your privacy. I’m so happy about this.”
“I had to fire the woman to get her to agree to marry me,” Jeff said.
“I’ll still need to work, though. I talked to the owner of a care facility for seniors. She’s going to hire me part-time so I can still spend a lot of time with Jeff. Now it won’t be duty, though.” She cast an adoring glance at him. “It will be pleasure.”
“No, Tessie. It will be mine.”
Love was in the air, and it was a beautiful thing.
“Come on,” she told Gray. “Let’s get these flowers back to the greenhouse.”
* * *
THEY FINISHED UNLOADING the plants from the back of the rental van and then delivered everything else to the store.
Because of Audrey Page 26
