Page 2 of Silver Sanctuary (The Silver Springs #3)

“You are?” Embrie launched herself—backpack and all— into Lacy. The half forward, half backwards hug was awkward, but she’d never deny her sweet girl a cuddle.

“Yup. So spill before we get back to Petals and have to close up to get to your doctor’s appointment.”

“It was good.” Her backpack hit the floor with a thud. “Ms. Tillman seems really nice, and Mr. Ike sat with me during lunch!”

“Mr. Ike?”

“He’s the janitor, but he also works in the cafeteria as a monitor.

I didn’t have anyone to sit with, but he let me talk to him about the Hubble Telescope and asked me a bunch of questions about it.

And when our class got together with the class from across the hall, I met a girl who played with me during outdoor time.

She likes math and science just like me. ”

“Brie, that’s amazing.” Her heart clenched at the idea of her daughter eating lunch alone, but the fact that a kind adult had stepped in to not make her feel bad about it gave Lacy such hopes that things might be different for Embrie in Silver Springs than they were for her growing up.

They continued talking all the way back to Petals—Embrie filled her in on the rest of her day and all the nine-year-old gossip.

How the popular girls all had glittery strands clipped in their hair, and how they all seemed to share the same lip gloss.

Embrie had immediately agreed with Lacy that the practice of sharing lip gloss wasn’t actually cool, just a surefire way to catch the flu as soon as winter rolled in.

Lacy unlocked the store door and walked through, heading to the back counter where she’d left her purse. She flipped through a pile of paperwork on the counter until… yes! There were the forms she needed for Embrie’s physical.

“It would be nice to have friends, though. Last year was tough.” Embrie moved a small arrangement from the display table in the center of the shop to the window. “I think these should be over here, Mama. They’re so pretty. ”

“Thanks, ladybug. And I know last year was tough. And the year before that. But we left all that back in West Virginia, right? We’re going to have a great year now, and I’m so happy you had such a great first day.”

The door to the shop opened, and Lacy smiled as butterflies took flight in her belly. That was the way it always was since the very first time he’d walked into the shop a few months ago. Nash walked in and the weight of unrelenting worry eased from her shoulders just a bit.

The anxious feeling of not seeing him at lunchtime finally released its hold on her.

Each and every Monday—usually on his lunch break, at eleven thirty—Nash would stroll into her shop, flirt a little, and buy some flowers.

It was like clock work. Which was why her heart fell when he hadn’t shown up at his regular time.

“Hey, Mr. Nash!”

“Cheese! How was your first day of school?” Brie ran up to him and answered his outstretched hand with a high five.

“It was okay.”

Lacy looked up in disbelief. Hadn’t Embrie just talked her ear off about all the things she’d enjoyed?

“Just okay? I thought you were pumped for today? Aren’t you the same girl I saw studying that science book all summer?”

“Yeah…”

“Where’s all that enthusiasm?”

Embrie shrugged, her arms folding around herself. “It’s just hard starting over again. But I met a friend. She likes math and science, like me.”

“That’s great, Embrie. You’re still trying out for the team this weekend, right?”

“Yeah!”

“Actually,” Lacy interrupted, “I was just about to close up the shop. I thought you would have been in here at lunch time, like usual.”

His eyes bounced to hers and the biggest smile filled his face. He was so unbelievably handsome, it actually made her heart skip a beat.

“Lace, are you keeping tabs on me?”

“You caught me.” She laughed. “I just got worried when you weren’t here like usual, that’s all.”

“Yeah, you are pretty old, Mr. Nash,” Embrie added. “Have you had your heart checked recently? Maybe he should come to the doctor’s with us, Mom.”

Lacy stared at her in absolute horror. Did Nash look older than he was because of his salt-and-pepper hair? Maybe. Was it just one of the things Lacy found droolworthy about the man? Yes. Yes it was.

“Embrie!” she quickly scolded.

“All right, wise guy.” Nash chuckled, holding his hands up like he was about to surrender to her daughter.

“I was a Navy SEAL and still train like one, so I don’t think we have to go marking my grave plot just yet.

And second, no more of that ‘Mr. Nash’ stuff.

It’s just Nash, or Coach when we’re at practice. Got it, Manchego?”

“Hmm. Manchego.” She held her hand up and rocked it back and forth. “ Manchego. I think it’s probably Italy.”

Nash laughed. “Good guess, but it’s Spain. That’s one point for me.”

Lacy just shook her head back and forth.

The very first time Embrie met Nash, she’d gone on and on about how special her name was because her mom loved Brie cheese.

And that was true. Lacy didn’t get to indulge in it very often, but she was hoping if business picked up, she could get a small wheel to bake at the holidays for her and Embrie to enjoy.

And thus started the cheese-origin-naming war between her child and the man who looked like he was straight out of a military edition of Hunks, Inc magazine. If that was an actual thing… which, of course, it wasn’t. She could feel her cheeks growing warmer as he caught her eye.

Breathe, Lace.

It was actually pretty funny how seriously they both took the competition. Nash really did seem like he wanted to stump Embrie, and Lacy knew her daughter wanted to impress Nash. So much so that they’d taken to reading about different kinds of cheese some nights before bed.

“Once we get through the names and countries of different cheeses, we should have a cheese tasting party.” Nash’s voice pulled her back to their conversation.

“That would be so fun! Wouldn’t it, Mom?”

Lacy nodded, checking her watch for the time. They needed to leave in a few minutes if they were going to make it to Embrie’s appointment on time. But part of her was willing to wait until the last possible moment if it meant getting to watch Embrie and Nash tease each other over cheese.

“Good. It’s a date then.” Nash winked over his shoulder. “Okay, kiddo, help me pick out my flowers before you close up.”

He moved around the small space with Embrie, and after about five minutes, during which Lacy definitely did not check out how well his ass fit into his jeans, he walked up to the counter and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket.

“Two bouquets, and only one arrangement today?”

He nodded.

Interesting. He usually bought only arrangements.

“It’s forty-five for the larger bouquet. Seventy for the large arrangement and the little one is on the house.”

“Lace—”

“You’re my best customer. That has to come with some perks. ”

“The perk is getting to spend some time with you and Brie. Charge me for the flowers.”

She sighed, knowing better than to continue pushing the issue. “If you’re sure, it’s thirty-five for the smaller flowers.”

Nash nodded. “Good girl.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit! He had to know that would absolutely kill her. He’d dropped his voice down so deep, and said it so quietly, and yet, she’d felt it fly straight into the empty depths of her belly. She was officially pathetic.

“Okay. This is coming with me to the office.” Nash set down the large arrangement on the counter, still gripping the other two tightly in his hand. “But these flowers are for a very special girl who made it through her first day in a new school like a champ.”

Lacy’s throat pulled tight as he handed the smallest bundle to Embrie. “Nash?—”

“And these flowers are for her mama. First days are a big deal. My grandma always used to make me black-and-white cookies to celebrate, but I’m afraid I didn’t get any of her baking skills.”

Her eyes instantly filled with tears. “This is too much. You didn’t have to…”

“You’re surrounded by these beautiful flowers all day, every day, but you have to give them away.

I wanted you to have some to take with you.

Some that were just for you, and some that were just for Brie.

” He turned to her daughter. “Maybe you can put them in your room. Do you have a window that lets in a lot of light? Those purple ones really seem to like the sun.”

“Oh, no. My room has a leak?—”

“Embrie! We better let Nash go. We’re almost running late for our appointment.”

The wrinkle between his eyebrows said he wanted to push Embrie to finish what she was about to say, but instead, his shoulders relaxed and he nodded as he grabbed the arrangement off the counter.

“Thank you again for such a sweet gesture.” Lacy watched as Nash smiled, giving Embrie a high-five before he left the shop.

“Mom, do we really have to do this?” Embrie whispered from her chair in the waiting room of the Silver Springs Health Clinic.

“Brie, I thought you wanted to play soccer? If you don’t it’s okay, but this check up is nothing to worry about. You need an updated one for school anyway, so we can just get it done now and have everything taken care of.”

“I do want to play, I’m just tired. I want to start on my homework too.”

“Homework on the first day of school? That wasn’t very nice of your teacher.”

Embrie shrugged. “I asked for some. It’s extra math practice and some vocabulary words.”

“I should have known.” Lacy laughed. “Just remember, it’s okay not to get one hundred percent on everything. You don’t need to know all the spelling words, or all the science terms, or how to solve every math equation right now. It’s okay to be a kid.”

Embrie shrugged. “That’s why I’m playing soccer.”

What was she going to do with her very practical child? “Okay. As long as you’re happy.”

“I am, Mama. I promise.”