Wild Card Valentine

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ella

My cellphone vibrates on my nightstand, yanking me from a deep and dreamless sleep. I bolt upright, my heart thundering in my chest. In my half-asleep panic, I almost knock over the glass of water I keep by my bed. Squinting at the phone screen, I groan when I see my best friend’s grinning face staring up at me.

I swipe to answer and press the phone to my ear. "Grr."

Gigi laughs, completely unfazed by my growled greeting. "Good morning to you, too, babe."

"It’s not morning yet," I protest, flopping back onto my pillows.

"It’s not? Are you sure? Because I’ve been up for hours." The sound of a mixer whirs to life in the background, and I can practically hear the smugness in her voice. As the owner of the local bakery, Gigi is always up at an ungodly hour. I’d feel sorry for her if she weren’t one of those obnoxiously cheerful early birds who wakes up ready to take on the world. Meanwhile, I need at least two cups of coffee and an hour of silence before I can form a coherent sentence.

I rub the sleep from my eyes. "Gigi, I’ve asked you a dozen times not to call me before six a.m."

"So make it a baker’s dozen," she quips.

I groan. "You’re a cruel woman."

"If you think that’s cruel, you’re really not going to like what I say next."

I narrow my eyes at the ceiling. "Please don’t tell me you’re out of chocolate chip scones."

Every morning, without fail, I start my day with one of Gigi’s scones before heading across the street to open my own shop, Ella’s Blooms. It’s a ritual at this point, and one I am not emotionally prepared to give up.

"Nope, scones are safe," she says, a little too slowly. "But do you remember what today is?"

A pit of dread settles in my stomach like an anchor. "Please, no…"

"I agreed to wait until February to put up my Valentine’s Day decorations," she reminds me. "Sorry, pal. Today’s the day."

I squeeze my eyes shut. "Fine. But at least promise me there’s not a fat cherub pointing an arrow at my shop this year."

"I can’t make that promise. My customers love it."

"But—"

"Ella…" Her voice takes on a grave tone, as if she’s delivering the most serious news of my life. "The Cupid has landed."

I groan, throwing an arm over my face. "I hate you."

She chuckles. "You love me."

"Not anymore."

"Really? Then I guess there’s no need to set aside that scone for you today."

My eyes snap open. "Hateful!"

She laughs, clearly pleased with herself. "Cupid and I will see you soon."

I hang up and bury my face in the pillow. Valentine’s Day. Ugh. The dumbest of all the holidays.

If I could, I’d stay in bed until February 15 th . But as the town’s florist, it’s one of my busiest seasons. I have no choice but to face the music… eventually. But for now, I’m going back to bed. Before I can even close my eyes, my alarm clock trills to life.

With a whimper, I tap the snooze button. I have the feeling it’s going to take more coffee than usual to get me going today. And Gigi owes me an extra scone…