One Wish (Thunder Point #7)(89)

Grace and Ginger were under way with the flowers by seven on Friday morning. Grace was so glad to be leaving town.

Troy had texted her once in the past twenty-four hours— Are you okay? She texted back one word. Fine. Was she angry? Damn straight. This was all so familiar. Her mother had furs and jewelry, so that made her life simple? Easy? The reverse was also not true—there was family money and that made her tragic, evil and doomed? No. It made her an individual. We’re all very different with our own challenges and joys.

What could Troy give her since she had everything? Well, she didn’t have a father for her baby. My mistake, she mused. I thought he could love me no matter what.

She didn’t betray her feelings, something she’d become an expert at. She’d done it for years, starting when she was a young girl. She could be terrified and her heart breaking, but she could smile for the judges like she had the world on a string. She knew how to cope. Or cover.

She used the time to get Ginger’s story. When she gave her the job in the shop, she had no idea what Ginger had been through, the selfish husband, the baby’s death. “I think the job at the flower shop has saved me,” she told Grace. “It’s like a brand-new chapter for me. I haven’t been happy in so long, but I get excited to go to work every day. I hope you’ll need me for a while.”

“Are you kidding? You’re doing wonderfully. And my mother will be moving here in a month or so and you know all about that. I want to be able to see about her if she needs me or wants me. It’s so nice to know there’s someone who can take care of the flowers. I might have had to go to part-time hours, but with you in the shop and Justin to deliver, I’m in great shape. I can give my mother some time. When you get down to it, that’s the one thing you can’t buy or trade or borrow.”

“And you’re close to your mother?” Ginger asked.

“Yes and no. My mother was always so proud of me and my father died when I was young, so it was just the two of us, no siblings. But she was also demanding and impatient and sometimes she angered too easily. But now her life is slowly ending and all she wants is to be comfortable and near me. This is our chance to close on a good note.”

“A second chance. We should never take that for granted.”

“Your husband,” Grace said. “You said you should’ve known. Why did you marry him if you should’ve known?”

“Oh, it’s a long story, but the truth is, I loved the wrong man. I wanted him so much and put up with so much to have him. And in the end he wasn’t worth it. Listen, it was very nice of Peyton to invite us to the wedding, but do you think she’d be offended if I didn’t go? I’m completely over my ex, but a wedding might just make me very sad. I could go to the reception for a little while, just to see the wedding party with their flowers, but not the wedding ceremony. Would it hurt Peyton’s feelings?”

“Not at all. I’m going—she’s a friend of mine. But the way we usually service a wedding is to deliver the flowers early, arrange and stage them in the church and make sure the bride and her wedding party have theirs, leave the centerpieces and any other decorations either with the catering staff or if the tables are ready, put them out, then leave. Just that much takes quite a while. When we’ve done our work and are ready to go clean up, I can drop you anywhere you like.”

“And on Sunday morning, you want me to drive the van back to Thunder Point?” she asked.

“I might be going back in the van, also. I don’t know if Troy will make it. He has stuff going on. He’d like to, I’m sure, but it’s iffy. I can stay with my friends, Mamie and Ross. I’ll know for sure about Troy on Saturday night. That okay?”

“Sure. Anything you want.”

* * *

On Friday afternoon, Troy leaned in the doorway of Iris’s office, arms crossed over his chest. She looked up and raised an eyebrow. “What now?” she asked.

“Are men born stupid or does it come over time?” he asked.

“Sadly, I think you’re born with it.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. Think I can still make it right with Grace?”

“I don’t know, Troy. How badly did you screw it up?”

“I carefully explained all my doubts and feelings,” he said. “I was very articulate. I listed them and suggested there was plenty of time for me to process them. I was eloquent! She told me to go away and process. She showed me the door. I thought I had been extremely sensible and sensitive.”

“Is that so?” Iris said.

“Turns out Grace is a little bit pregnant. I didn’t panic, not me. I said we didn’t have to make any decisions about what to do right away. I got the distinct impression that wasn’t the best response.”

Iris rolled her eyes. “Wow. What an idiot. You’re lucky she didn’t fire up that Taser.”

“I think I’m figuring that part out. I bet you know exactly what I should have said instead. Why don’t you tell me and I’ll tell you if you’re right.”

“No, I don’t think so, Troy,” Iris said. “I think you should puzzle this out for yourself. I don’t want to mix you up with my words. You’ve been whispering in Grace’s ear for months now. You know what makes her happy and what doesn’t. Get your head out of your butt and think like a hero instead of an escaped convict who’s trying to dodge the law. You’re not going to be put in prison, you know. If you’re smart and lucky, you’ll get to share lives.”