Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 131916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131916 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 660(@200wpm)___ 528(@250wpm)___ 440(@300wpm)
Two long aisles of fresh cut flowers ran down the middle, sitting in metal tubs that slotted into the wooden holes made in the display frames.
Along the two side walls were glass refrigerated cases with different bouquets in varying styles of vases, and a whitewashed wooden counter ran the back where the woman who owned the shop clipped fresh cut flowers and arranged them.
I’d been in a couple of times before, enough that when the owner stepped out from the back, a warm smile of recognition lit her face.
“Hey, Charleigh,” she enthused, wiping off her hands on the apron she wore over a black denim jumper.
She had her long hair that was the color of the night sky in a braid that she then had twisted on her head, and a bunch of little white flowers were poked into the crown it made. She was probably a couple years younger than me, and I’d more than loved it when I found out she was the actual owner of the flower shop rather than just working there.
The first time she’d seen me pass by, she’d chased me down, following me halfway up my steps in an erratic bid to introduce herself. You could say she’d made quite the impression.
“Hi, Raven,” I returned. “How are you?”
“Amazing! How about you? I haven’t seen you in a few days. I was about to send out a search party.” She quirked a teasing brow at me.
“Just have been busy and running around at work, but I definitely can’t complain.” Or at least, I refused to.
“But you have to be so exhausted after being on your feet at that clinic all day. And dealing with blood. Yick.” She recoiled at that, her pretty face contorting in disgust.
I laughed with a soft shake of my head. “It’s not so bad. It goes by fast. And we don’t get a whole lot of bleeders, but when we do, it makes things interesting.”
I waggled my brows like I was one of those who thrived in the chaos.
Not so much.
Thank God there was an actual urgent care just down the street from us, but every once in a while, someone came in with a bad cut that needed stitches. Since Dr. Reynolds had done those sorts of emergencies for years before the urgent care had opened, he still insisted on continuing to offer that type of care to his patients.
“I would literally pass out and die.” Raven waved a hand in front of her face like she needed fresh air.
“Literally?” With a grin, I cocked my head at her.
Cracking up, she smacked her hand against the wooden countertop. “Okay, fine, maybe not die, but definitely the pass out part.”
There was no stopping the way my smile spread. She was really adorable. Gorgeous in a way that could be intimidating if you let it, but there was something so kind that radiated from her that I doubted anyone would ever feel anything other than safe in her space.
An exaggerated gasp suddenly left her, and she lifted a finger. “Wait. I’m actually really glad you came in because I wanted to give this to you, and I totally forgot to get your number the last time you were here.”
She pulled a flyer from a stack she had beside the register. “There is a big festival to raise money for the animal shelter coming up, because hello, the puppers.”
Her voice turned to an aww before she continued on in a torrent of words. “So, pretty much all the small businesses are getting together to throw this big party. There’s going to be a band and dancing and food, and it’s going to be a total blast, so you absolutely have to come.”
Her hands flew all over the place as she described the event. “I’m going to have a small booth, but I plan on having a little fun of my own, and I’ve been wanting to invite you to get a drink or something, so this would be the perfect opportunity for us to get together.”
I glanced at the little flyer she’d passed to me before I looked back up at the eagerness in her expression.
Anxiety skittered through my body.
“Oh, I’m not sure that’s a—”
“You can’t say no! You just moved to town, and you need to get to know people. I seriously can’t stand it that you’re up there by yourself all the time.”
She cupped a hand around her mouth, whispering the last while she pointed to the ceiling with the other like she was trying to keep it a secret that I lived by myself.
“I’m not alone all the time,” I weakly argued.
That time, she was the one cocking her head. “Really?”
“Well, maybe I like to be alone,” I amended.
“Really?” She challenged again before she dug her phone from her back pocket and tapped into it. “Here, give me your number so we can make plans.”