Fall Into Temptation (Blue Moon Book #2)(23)

Carter and Jax took the hint and, after using nearly the entire spray bottle of mat sanitizer, dragged a reluctant Beckett out the door with them. They decided to go to Shorty’s to get a beer before heading home and were debating on how to spin the triple-loser situation to Summer and Joey when Gia locked the door behind them and laid her forehead on the cool glass.

It was only then that she allowed herself to laugh.





10





Beckett gave Gianna until the following afternoon to cool off before attempting his apology again. He knew she was avoiding him. That much was obvious from her skilled brush-off the night before. But the longer he waited, the worse he felt about it. Not only had he accused her father — a man she held in the highest esteem — of taking advantage of and intruding on the Pierce family, but he had then shown no qualms about dragging Gianna into the midst of a dispute with his brothers and making her settle it.

He thought about flowers as an apology accessory, but decided it would send the wrong message. A houseplant, however, was an unromantic, friendly gift, wasn’t it?

He swung his SUV into the parking lot of Every Bloomin’ Thing after his last appointment of the day. The tiny florist shop, tucked between a hair salon and handmade pottery studio, worked in partnership with Gordon Berkowicz’s seasonal garden center on the edge of town. While Blue Mooners flocked to the garden center for all their spring and summer landscaping needs, they came to Gordon’s younger sister for year-round blooms.

Stepping inside the shop always made him think he was entering a rain forest. The air was thick with the scent of hundreds of blooms. A bubbling indoor water garden provided a peaceful backdrop of noise and color just inside the front door.

From the ceiling hung dozens of planters spilling over with greenery and color.

He found Elizabeth, wearing a lime green smock, behind the counter arranging orange roses and succulents into a glass vase. She wore her curly hair pinned up under a wide paisley headband. Chunky bronze earrings dangled from her ears.

Her make-up-free face brightened when she spotted him.

“Well, hello there, Mr. Mayor. What brings Blue Moon’s fearless leader into my shop today?”

“Hey, Liz,” he greeted her and leaned against the counter, content to watch her work. “I was in the market for a houseplant.”

She efficiently snipped off the ends of the stems before tucking the shears back into her pocket. “Is this a green friend for you or a gift?”

“A gift.”

He watched Liz snake a royal purple ribbon around the neck of the vase with deft fingers. “And what is she like?”

“How do you know she’s a she?” Beckett countered.

Liz arched an eyebrow at him. “Would you buy a man-friend a houseplant?”

“Good point.”

“So, what’s she like? Classical, romantic, studious, serious, playful?”

Beckett brought the image of Gia collapsing out of her handstand and laughing to mind.

“Playful … and romantic.”

“A free spirit?” Liz tucked a blank card into the arrangement she’d just finished.

“Definitely. She likes to laugh. She’s very … warm.”

“And what’s the occasion?”

An apology for being an *, Beckett thought.

“Housewarming,” he said instead.

“I’ve got the perfect thing,” Liz said, wiping her hands on a towel. “Come with me.”

She led Beckett through a tangle of hanging plants and potted ferns to a corner display of glass globes. “This is what I’m thinking,” she said, holding up one of the globes. Tucked inside were tiny airy plants and mosses.

“A fairy garden,” Beckett said, lifting the globe higher. “It’s perfect. It’s exactly her.”

“We’ll make one just for her,” Liz said, collecting plants and opening drawers.

In the end, Beckett settled on an open globe that was flat on the bottom. They selected tiny tufts of moss and delicate stalks of greenery and tucked them into the globe on a foundation of rich earth.

“Any fairy accessories?” Liz asked.

After a considerable amount of deliberation, Beckett chose a delicate bench made out of twigs and two river rocks with the words family and home etched into them.

“You’re very good at this,” Liz said, leading him back to the cash register. “Any time you want to give up mayoring and the law, you come see me. I’ll put you to work.”

“Thanks, Liz. I’ll keep that in mind next time the town meeting runs amuck,” Beckett grinned.



Prize in hand, Beckett didn’t even bother going inside when he got home. He marched down the driveway and around the garage to the backyard.

He hopped up onto the front porch of the guesthouse and rapped on the door.

“Come in.” He heard Evan and Aurora call out together.

Beckett pushed open the front door and stepped inside. Aurora was sitting on the stairs, her little chin in her hands. “Hi, Bucket,” she said sadly.

A dejected Evan was frowning at the laptop on the dining table and reluctantly making notes with a pencil and paper.

The mood was definitely somber.

“What’s going on?” Beckett asked.

“We’re being punished,” Evan sighed heavily.