He Loves Me Not (Bunch-A-Blooms 1)

“Yeah?”

She nodded her head. Her dark eyes pulled him in, and he leaned closer. Crash. They both jerked.

“Freaking raccoons,” he snarled.

She giggled. The moment gone, he recognized how dangerous this would be for both of them. He could be consumed by the charming woman beside him with the laughing eyes and bright smile. Would it be such a bad thing?

Step Two: Be seen out and about together.

Petunia

She’d nearly lost her heart to Mason Patten once. How could she spend years with him and remain detached? The painful future that stretched out before her was a dark cloud over her head. The lust remained between them; the minute he’d pulled her body to his, she’d felt the proof in his pants. Luckily, she wasn’t fool enough to confuse physical attraction with matters of the heart. She questioned her decision for the millionth time. Am I doing the right thing? Her brain felt stuffed to bursting as pros and cons swirled around in her head, ready to do battle as they faced each other, facts drawn like sharp swords. They’d almost kissed last night. Thank God for raccoons. Clearly, the chemistry was off the charts. It was a matter of time until they succumbed. What then? Unable to answer the question, she pulled a U-turn at the next light and headed toward the one place she turned to when she needed to think: the Loveland Castle.

The massive, handcrafted, tenth-century style beige brownstone was a testament to the human spirit. Built to honor Harry Delos Andrews and his Knights of the Golden Trail, the structure was as unique as its founder. Set at the bottom of a hill on a few acres of land, it had two stories, a dungeon, and gardens. During the summer months, they held a small, enchanting Renaissance Day filled with princesses,and knights. She’d been enamored with it as a child. Between the flowers, the costumes, and games, it’d been one of her favorite places to go.

The stillness of the space during fall and winter, however, always brought her peace and clarity. She maneuvered her way down the steep hill and found a parking spot close to the front. Putting on the e-brake, she killed the engine, and climbed out, pulling her black wool coat closer to her body. Winter would be coming soon, but they had a few more weeks left of brisk weather, which was her favorite. With the changing leaves on the trees, the cool weather, fall festivals, and fresh cider, she could always find a reason to smile.

She made her way past the entrance to the gardens where she laid down a blanket on the cool stone and sat. Hidden away from the world in the quiet space she could breathe and think. If she walked away now, the damage would be minimal. But I’ll lose the shop, and he’ll miss out on owning his own shop. Can I live with that? The part of her that believed in ‘happily ever after’ and true love wanted to think this could be a chance at something more. If anything was ever to happen, now would be the time. However, that way of thinking could be perilous. She licked her lips and placed her hands on her lap.

Losing the shop wasn’t an option. So there’s my answer. I need to train myself to hold back. I’ve spent so much of my life giving everything I have to this man. Now is the time to learn how to say no and wean myself off Mason Patten. She’d dated over the years, but the truth was no man had ever measured up to Mason. How could they? He’d had a lifetime to get to know her likes, dislikes, moods, and her body. If she wanted to move forward, she needed to loosen the chains that bound them. Pleased with her conclusions, she stood. She had a bestie to visit and huge news to share in what she hoped would be a convincing display. Olive would be the ultimate test.

Lighter after her mental battle, she walked back to her car with a spring in her step. She cranked Beyoncé and Nikki Minaj as she pulled out of the parking lot singing at the top of her lungs to “Feeling Myself”. She needed a little boost to get through what she had coming. Best friends could be worse than the FBI when it came to questions and answers sessions. Continuing the girl power anthems, she made her way to Olive’s apartment.

Her Bohemian friend lived a minimalistic life that allowed her to pay her bills and do a bit of travel on the money she made from her craft business. A master of crafts, her friend spent most of her time building bracelets, rings, earrings, and making all-natural bath and body products. As far back as she could remember, Olive had been into all natural things, gems, and metal working. It always fascinated her when she was allowed to see the world through her eyes. Parking her car outside the complex, she grabbed her purse and made the trek up three flights of steps to the second apartment on the left.

She rapped, and Olive opened the door, welcoming her with a huge hug. Her raven tresses had been tamed in a bun on top of her head, and her light brown eyes sparkled with the inner joy Petunia always found contagious.

“I have missed you so much.”

Petunia laughed. “I missed you, too. I know I’ve been a bit M.I.A.”

“Do not even apologize for that. You’ve got a lot on your plate, and this is the digital age, so I get my fix via phone, thank God.” She guided her inside and shut and locked the door. Her burnt yellow dress with b

lack tribal-like markings stood out against the black tights she’d paired with a wide-brimmed black hat. The bright color popped against her ebony skin. She loved Olive’s bold style.

“How’ve you been?”

“Good. I’ve been getting a bit of cabin fever trying to finish up my latest batch of orders, so when you called, I jumped at the chance for human interaction. I take breaks and sometimes bring my work down to the coffee shops occasionally, which helps. But it’s not the same.” She plopped onto her antique velvet couch. “I set out snacks.” Olive gestured toward the cheese, salami, and wheat crackers spread on a serving tray.

“I love you,” Petunia said as she joined her.

“What’s been going on with you?” Olive asked around a cracker.

“That’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about,” she murmured as she toyed with a slice of cheddar.

“Oh?” Olive moved to perch on the edge of the couch.

Petunia cleared her throat. “Mas and I have been dating.”

Olive squealed, and Petunia jerked.

“I knew it. I knew it. How long?”

“About six months.”

Olive shoved her. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me? Why are you telling me now? Oh my God! Are you pregnant?”

“What? No! No. And because we’re coming out to everyone. It’s time. We didn’t know if things would work out at first, so we decided to try it solo.”