A Passion for Potions (Petalfall #1)

26. Twenty-Six - A Flower Delivery

Twenty-Six - A Flower Delivery

Edric

I ignore the fact that I can see Misses Scoggins standing on her porch on the other side of the square, watching me walk up the steps to Ana’s potion shop.

The dressmaker can see what she likes and if public opinion pushes Ana closer to us... I won’t complain.

Viggo isn’t the only one who’s eager.

The door opens easily, but I have to stop when I get inside.

There is an enormous man at the counter. He has to be at least half giant.

I step to the side, partially to be out of his way when he turns to leave. And partially to keep the flowers in my hand out of sight. They’re for her, no one else.

I keep the shelf laden with her wares between me and them and pretend that the jars of tablets and powders have caught my attention. But the half giant has managed to do that instead, and it has nothing to do with his size.

He likes Ana. The way he leans forward—not actually putting any weight on the counter—the fact that he has clearly put on half of the village’s supply of cologne... the way he smiles at her.

I can’t blame him... even if I don’t enjoy watching him try to flirt with her.

He accepts her rebuff easily, though.

I wonder how many times she’s turned him down.

When he turns to go, he sees me and flinches. But he offers an uneasy smile before he leaves, glancing at Ana as if to make sure she doesn’t need him.

I don’t say a word.

Misses Scoggins can think what she wants. This man... he can think whatever Ana wants.

Ana, whose attention is fixed on me.

Ana, who deserves all of mine.

As soon as the door jangles closed, I go to her and hand her the bouquet of wildflowers I picked while surveying the forest this morning.

“They’re beautiful.”

“They were until I compared them to you.”

She rolls her eyes at me, but a little smile presses at her lips. She doesn’t argue as she puts them in a vase and sets them aside.

“Do all of your regular customers want to court you?” I ask, reaching out to twist one of her curls around my finger. “That man fancies you. Should I worry that he might come to fight me for you?”

“I don’t think so,” she says, leaning on her counter and looking up at me. “Jawn wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

“He might, if that fly was between you and him.”

She shakes her head and her curls skew. “He comes into town once a week to pick up his mother’s potion and ask if I might be willing to hurt myself on him. Once he has her potion and I’ve told him no, he goes away again. No fuss, no issues.”

I don’t remind her that men of any species tend to change when they perceive a rival. Because maybe she’s right, but I do say, “No one who wants you would give you up easily, Ana.”

The smile melts from her face and she licks her lips as she studies my face. “And if I turned you two down?”

“We would mourn your loss until the end of our days.” I kiss her, even though the door isn’t locked. “And we would pray to the Goddess that you would change your mind and return to us.”

She leans into it, even though we could be interrupted at any moment.

And when we break apart, she sighs. “Viggo came to visit me last night.”

“I know.”

“And my sister saw him.”

“I know that too.” I tuck her hair behind her ear.

“I didn’t realize she had such strong feelings about vampires.” She shudders and then shakes away whatever thought she had. “Mina doesn’t remember, of course, but I brought up vampires at breakfast and I’m going to work that ridiculous fear out of her system, if it’s the last thing I do.”

She winces. “My father’s stories were almost entirely from the war and he didn’t like the night cavalry, so he didn’t sugar coat their actions. She certainly latched onto the more gory of his stories.”

“Most people do. Drinking blood, looking a little dead... there are plenty of reasons they make others uneasy.”

“We live in a modern world, we should be past those arcane ideologies by now.”

I could not agree more. “It’s part of the reason I came to bother you this morning.”

“You’re never a bother. Neither of you are.”

I truly hope she means that.

“We’ve decided we need to introduce Viggo to the village or vice versa. We had planned to do so eventually... but I will admit, without you, we may have simply never gotten around to it.”

“Eventually someone would have given you a reason.”

Eventually we would have found you.

There’s a jangle behind me and I lean closer, “Will you come to us tonight, so we can explain?”

“Of course,” she says, smiling at her customers over my shoulder. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

I want to kiss her goodbye. I don’t dare even kiss her hand.

And when I turn around, I’m grateful.

Leaf, the gnome woman glares up at me.

“M’lord,” she says mockingly. “What brings you to the shop today? Boils?”

I nod, and as solemnly as I can, I say, “Yes, horrible ones, all over. I just can’t seem to get rid of them.”

Her lips purse as she tries not to smile.

I turn back to Ana, “Have a lovely day.”

“I will and I’ll see you later.”

Leaf doesn’t seem surprised by that, or upset.

Good.

I want her friends to like me. I want to find a way for us to seamlessly fit into her life.

And getting the village used to Viggo is our next big step.