Page 10

CHAPTER TEN

OLIVIA

I wrapped the red, orange, and yellow ranunculus in brown paper, tied them together with string, and handed them to Mrs. Seabourne. “Have a lovely day.” I waved as she exited the shop.

I’d been buzzing with adrenaline since I’d returned from Red Tractor Farm. I still couldn’t believe what I’d done. I’d been about to tell Roz’s mom, in no uncertain terms, that I was certainly not dating her flower-hating daughter who’d ghosted me and stolen my favorite t-shirt, when Fred had shown up and a half-baked plan to save the flower farm had materialized in my head. Before I knew it, I was playing Roz’s girlfriend. And I had to admit I’d gotten a perverse pleasure from seeing Roz clenching her jaw as I sang the flowers’ praises. Hopefully, I’d made it difficult for her to get rid of them now.

I turned back to the flower arrangement I was preparing for a wedding at Rivers Edge restaurant.As I added some greenery, a thought struck me. News traveled fast in Sapphire Springs. There was a real risk that Fred or Roz’s family would mention our “relationship” to someone else, and within twenty-four hours the entire town would know.

Shit. I was not ready to come out to my friends and family yet. Not like this. I needed more time to work things out. I took a deep breath. If word did spread, I could just explain to my family and friends that I’d pretended to be Roz’s girlfriend to try to save Sapphire Blooms and conveniently not mention that night at Pryde with her. Unless I told them otherwise, they’d continue to assume I was straight.

The doorbell jangled. I didn’t look up. I needed to secure the flowers first with twine, or the arrangement would collapse.

A shadow fell across the counter and someone cleared their throat. I jumped, letting go of the twine and the bouquet fell apart. Shit .

Roz stood in front of me, still in her ridiculous business clothes that were completely unsuitable for a farmer. Although, I had to admit she did look good in the dark suit that fit her long lean body to perfection, a cream silk blouse underneath. I swallowed as I thought about what was beneath that blouse.

“Hello,” she said, fixing me with a cool stare.

“Hi.” I collected the fallen flowers. If she’d come here looking for an apology, she wouldn’t get one.

She crossed her arms but said nothing. Silence fell.

“Can I help you with something?” I asked. “We have some beautiful tulips in stock. Although, they did come from your farm, so while I probably shouldn’t tell you this, it would be cheaper for you if you just picked them yourself.”

Roz pursed her lips. “I’m here about that stunt you pulled this morning?—”

“Stunt? You were the one who told your mom we were dating.” I glared. Why had she told her mom that? Or perhaps she really was dating someone else named Olivia? At Pryde, she’d told me she didn’t date, but maybe things had changed since then.

“It was a misunderstanding—one I was in the process of correcting when you jumped in. Anyway”—Roz’s eyes darted around the shop—“I just wanted to confirm you’re coming tomorrow.”

I tilted my head. “Tomorrow?”

“To my parents’ house. For lunch with Fred.”

“Oh.” While my “stunt” had hopefully achieved its intended result of forcing Roz to keep the flowers, I didn’t want to spend any more time around the flower-hating, suit-wearing, rude woman than necessary. “No.”

Roz stepped forward. “You have to.”

My jaw tensed. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have to do anything.”

“You pretended to be my girlfriend, told my mother and Fred you’d be there, and for some reason, they are both looking forward to seeing you.” Roz gritted her teeth.

I bit my lip. Roz’s mom and Fred both seemed delightful. It was unfortunate that Roz was not. I would have to disappoint them. “I don’t think that’s my problem.”

“Well, it’ll be your problem when I lease the flowers for cattle fodder, and you lose your supplier.” Roz quirked a brow.

My chest tightened. She’d clearly put two and two together and worked out what I’d been up to. “But…”

“It’s obvious what your agenda was this morning. And while it may have worked temporarily—I didn’t put forward my proposal to Fred to lease the flower fields because you made it too difficult—if Fred’s investment falls through, the flowers are gone.”

I stared at Roz. “But Jim told me they were profitable!”

“They are, but I’ll make more money leasing the fields to my neighbor. And if Fred doesn’t invest, I’ll need every cent I can get to keep the rest of the farm going.”

My heart dropped. She was serious.

Roz’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Investing the amount of money I’ve asked for requires a big leap of faith on Fred’s part. He needs to be able to trust me, or the whole deal will fall through. While I don’t like it either, you’ve backed us into a corner. You need to play my charming girlfriend, or we’ll both lose. If you play along and he invests, then I’ll keep the flowers.” She wrinkled her nose. Why did she hate flowers so much?

I twirled the twine with my fingers. While it had been fun watching Roz squirm for an hour, keeping the act up was another story.

“I’ll also need you to continue this dating charade while Fred is deciding whether to go ahead with the investment,” Roz said. “Oh, and be available as necessary.”

My eyes widened. “Available?”

“In case Fred asks for you. Or if we’re doing something that a partner would usually attend, like dinner.”

I picked up a pink petal on the counter and dropped it into the compost bin. “For how long?”

“Fred said he might come back again for some more visits before he makes up his mind, so it could be a couple of weeks.”

My stomach twisted. “I don’t want to lie to my friends or family about this.” I also didn’t want them learning I was interested in women just yet. I chewed on my lip. I was meant to be focusing on finding a partner to have kids with, not embarking on fake flings. I’d loudly announced on my thirtieth birthday that rocky relationships and failed businesses were a thing of the past. I didn’t want my first “relationship” post that speech to be a short-lived fake relationship with Roz that everyone thought was real. But until Sapphire Blooms was safe, I’d have no bandwidth to focus on dating anyway.

Roz snorted. “Shame you only discovered your moral code after this morning’s tour.”

I held up a hand. “I know, I know. But it’s one thing to get, um, a bit carried away and briefly pretend to be your girlfriend. It’s another to continue the deception and expand it to include other people.”

Roz shifted on her feet. “I don’t like it either, but Fred is my only chance for funding, and without it, the farm’s future is in peril—and this place as well.” Roz looked around Sapphire Blooms, as if seeing it for the first time. The tiered round rustic wooden table in the middle, overflowing with colorful blooms. The wooden shelves featuring my homemade candles and greeting cards. The displays of hyacinths, crocuses and tulips in the front window. Her features hardened. “A fake relationship was not part of my business plan this morning, but you’ve given me no other choice.”

I almost felt bad for Roz. Almost.

I sighed. It seemed like the best option was to fake date Roz but tell my friends and family the truth. At least that way, I could buy myself some more time to sort out my sexuality and avoid them thinking I’d entered yet another disastrous relationship with my eyes closed. Although they would almost certainly judge me for getting myself into this fake-dating pickle. I inhaled deeply through my nose. All things considered, it still seemed like the better option.

“I won’t lie to my friends and family. They won’t tell anyone. I promise.” I fixed her with a stare. “It’s non-negotiable.”

Roz held my gaze for a moment. God, she had incredible eyes. The blue reminded me of the Virginia bluebells that were currently in bloom across the Hudson Valley.

“Fine,” she said.

“Okay,” I said. “I’m in.” Maddie usually worked Saturdays with me. I could still work in the morning, and she should be able to manage without me for the rest of the day.

“Okay, then.” Roz pulled her phone out of her suit pants pocket. “We’d better get each other’s numbers so we can communicate. Do you still have mine?”

“What?” Why did she think I had her number? “No, I don’t have your number.”

She stabbed the screen of her phone a few times with an elegant finger then handed it to me.

I entered my number and then clicked on her camera icon, turned it on selfie mode, leaned across the counter and adjusted the camera settings so we were both captured in the frame. “Smile!”

Roz pulled back. “What are you doing?”

“If we’re going to date, then we should have a picture of us together. Actually, let me come around so we’re standing next to each other.”

I walked around the counter and wrapped my arm around Roz’s slim waist. When I’d touched it at Pryde, there’d been no shirt between us. Her skin had been so soft and smooth. Heat sparked low in my belly. I inhaled the faint scent of cedar I’d detected in the bar and again this morning when I’d been pressed up against her in the truck. Focus, Olivia.

I held my free arm out straight, pressing my cheek against Roz’s, smiling and trying to ignore the warmth emitting from her body.

“Okay, now smile!”

Roz’s face pulled into an expression that was somewhere between a smile and a grimace. I pressed the button to capture the awkward moment and then quickly stepped back to put much needed space between us. I glanced down at the image. Roz’s smile left something to be desired, but that would have to do. I handed the phone back to her, our fingers brushing. The heat in my belly flickered again.

Roz pursed her lips, and then her thumbs flew across the screen.

“I’ve sent you a text so you have my number. See you tomorrow.” With that, Roz turned and strode out of my shop, the doorbell jangling behind her.

My phone lit up with a text, and I glanced down. Roz had sent me the photo along with a text message.

Don’t fuck this up.