Chapter Fifteen
After a few minutes of soaking in the warmth and comfort of his embrace, Cammie pulled away, attempting to compose herself once more.
“You’re going to think I’m a nut job when I tell you why I panicked,” she said, twisting the tissue in her hands.
Allen caught her gaze and held it steady. “What if I told you I panicked three years ago in a toy store, trying to buy my nephew a Transformer? A kid with a toy gun triggered me so badly that I ended up on the floor for thirty minutes until paramedics came to haul me away.”
Her eyes widened. “You have PTSD? That’s awful. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with that. Now my panic feels even more selfish,” she admitted, turning to put space between them, but Allen didn’t allow it, reaching out and gently turning her back.
“Not so fast. I told you—I need to see your lips when you talk to me. So, talk to me.”
The earnestness in his tone tugged at her heart. He cared. Really cared. And here she was, being a coward. She turned to the computer, woke up the screen, and pointed to the highlighted blocks on her calendar. Then, with a trembling hand, she gestured to the number at the top of the page. Orders: 375 stared back in bold print.
A smile lit Allen’s face. “That’s great! Isn’t it? Word must have gotten out about the new florist in town. I told you this shop would thrive!”
“Yeah, that number’s great—if I had a full staff,” she said tightly. “That’s February’s total—250 orders are for Valentine’s Day alone. I’d be thrilled with fifty to seventy-five, but 250? Even if I pulled three all-nighters, I couldn’t do it. The flowers would wilt before I finished, and I’d have to issue refunds.” Her voice cracked, and she pressed a hand over her racing heart. “This will ruin my reputation. It’s a disaster.”
“Hey, no way. We’re not letting that happen,” Allen said, his voice firm. “Can you stop more orders from coming in?”
“Oh, gracious!” She turned back to the computer and clicked a few buttons. “Thank you for reminding me. I hadn’t even thought of that.”
“Good. Now, how would you normally tackle this? Start with the arrangements requested, estimate the flower count, and place your order?”
“Yes, but—how does that help?”
“Once we’ve got that step done, we’ll figure out what kind of help you need.” He ticked off names on his fingers. “We’ve got Gwen, Anika, Harper, Becky, Sarah, Ellen, and Natalie, plus me. I’m a quick study. And if we need more, there’s the entire Adler clan in Sweet Valley. Someone in these mountains knows flowers. Trust me.”
She bit her lip, still unconvinced. “But it’s not just the arrangements. My delivery radius was set to thirty miles in Glacier Ridge because orders were so sparse—it only covered one town and a stretch of sparsely populated mountain region. Here, I’m in the middle of three towns, and the demand has exploded. Even if I manage to make the arrangements, there’s no way I can get them all delivered. I’d need Santa and his magic sleigh.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them, and Allen brushed them away with his thumb. “If reindeer would really help, I’ve got a connection for those,” he teased. “But delivering them won’t be a problem. I can make runs in your van while you work on arrangements. My truck has a topper—I can fit at least fifty in the bed. We can find extra drivers. Logistics was my last job in the Army. If I can organize supplies for Rangers across the globe, I can help deliver two hundred flower arrangements. Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out.”
“Really?” she asked, her voice small.
“Really,” he said confidently. “Take it one step at a time. We’ll iron out a plan together. Does that sound doable?”
She nodded, her lips trembling. “Yeah. I can do that. Where should I start?”
“Where you always do. Figure out what you need to get it done and place your order. Then, we’ll find the people to help pull it off. How long will that take?”
“Two hours, give or take.”
“Perfect. I’ll head back upstairs to work on the apartment. Let me know when you’re ready, and we’ll eat lunch and make a plan.”
Allen cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing her cheeks as he gazed deeply into her hazel eyes. “No worrying, Cammie. Just work. Promise?”
A smile broke through her tension, soft but real. “I promise.”
As Cammie dove into her work with renewed focus, Allen headed upstairs, already forming a plan to lighten her load. Once out of earshot, he pulled out his phone and dialed. “Miss Betty? Hi, it’s Allen from Hickory Falls. Yes, everything’s going great. I was wondering—did you ever have any helpers over the years? Assistants, interns, after-school kids?” He paused, nodding as Betty answered. “A huge influx of orders—she needs all the help she can get. The Adlers? That’s fantastic. I’ll definitely reach out. Thanks so much, and enjoy your well-earned retirement.”
Hanging up, he grinned. If he wasn’t directly above Cammie, he might have danced a little jig. This was going to work out better than he’d hoped.
“Lauren, hi. It’s Allen. How’s everything going? Tim’s been a little preoccupied with your best friend lately, so I’m not sure where things stand with your romantic entanglements these days. Ha, no, this isn’t a lame attempt to ask you out. Sorry if I got your hopes up.” He chuckled, his voice warm and teasing.
“Yeah, thanks for letting me down easy,” he added with a laugh. “Actually, I’m calling because Miss Betty mentioned you used to work part-time for her back in high school, and you’re a pro with flower arrangements. Cammie’s buried under 250 Valentine’s orders—think you can help?”
He paused, listening to her reply. “Betty mentioned your cousins Missy and Vanessa. That would be amazing. I just don’t want to overwhelm her with too many cooks in the kitchen. She’s getting ready for her grand reopening Saturday—maybe we can treat it as a dry run? If anyone has time after work or school, it’d be a great way to get everyone acquainted and on the same page.”
Another pause, a grin tugging at his lips. “Perfect. Let me know the headcount when you’ve got it nailed down. You’re a Godsend, Lauren. Thanks so much.”
Three hours later, Allen and Cammie were seated at their usual high-top table in the back of Gathering Grounds, papers and plans spread out between plates of food. They were deep in conversation when Gwen, Becky, and Anika appeared at their table, each armed with a warm smile and a curious glint in their eyes.
After hearing about the “good business crisis,” they eagerly volunteered to handle the non-floral orders, which their Sweet Valley friends were stepping up to assist with. When Gwen learned about the sugar cookie arrangement for the retirement home and the cake pop display for the elementary school near Glacier Ridge, her eyes lit up.
“How fun! With the oven and worktable here, we can knock that out in no time. I’ve been thinking of adding cake pops to my menu—this is a perfect test to see how they sell. Scratch it off your list and send me your recipe.”
“Do you trust us to arrange them, or do you want to do that yourself?” Becky asked, practically bouncing at the thought of the project. She could already imagine how much fun the girls would have pulling it together.
“No, I trust you,” Cammie replied. “If anything needs adjusting, I can tweak it easily at the end, but these two groups are pretty easy to please. I’ll get you the details for the cookies—regular sugar cookies iced in pink and sugar-free ones iced in red.” She jotted a quick note in her planner. “I have a beet-based food coloring and a sugar substitute I use. I’ll make sure you have it. Oh, and I’ll add Gathering Grounds to the card so people know you helped with the arrangements. Thank you so much—I really appreciate it.”
“No credit needed,” Gwen said with a wave of her hand. “This is friends helping friends, not a promotion. How about we do a trial run for the grand opening Saturday? We can test recipes and try arrangements.”
“That would be amazing,” Cammie admitted, brushing a strand of her chestnut hair back from her face. “I completely forgot about needing snacks for the open house. There’s just so much to do.”
“Oh no, don’t worry about food,” Becky assured her. “Mamma’s catering from the café, and Gwen’s got the beverages covered. There’ll be pie, cake, cookies, brownies, and a coffee and hot chocolate bar. Ellen’s stopping by Monday or Tuesday to go over the setup. The notice went out online and in the local papers—including Pittsfield—this morning.”
“Pittsfield?” Cammie’s voice dropped to a whisper, panic rising in her chest. “I don’t have enough inventory for that many people.”
Anika stepped forward, resting a calming hand on Cammie’s arm. “Hey, don’t worry. If you sell out, we’ll throw a basket party to restock. There’s plenty of time before Valentine’s Day, and we’ve got enough people to make it happen. Just sell what you’ve got, and we’ll help you with the rest. It’ll be fun—if you let it. We won’t let you fail.”
The sincerity in Anika’s eyes brought tears to Cammie’s. “I don’t know what to say…”
Allen wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Just say yes and trust us to have your back,” he murmured, kissing her gently on the temple.
Taking a deep breath and praying she wasn’t being reckless, she whispered, “Okay. I’m in—for all of it. Thank you.”
The girls squealed and wrapped her in warm embraces before hurrying back to their jobs, leaving Cammie to sink into her chair. She thrust her hands into her sweater pockets, taking a moment to breathe and regain her composure. Her fingers brushed against something, and she pulled out a small piece of paper—another heart.
This one read: You inspire people around you to be a little better every day.
Her brows knitted as she studied it. How did that get in my pocket? Where are these coming from? A smile tugged at her lips as she slipped it back into her pocket. Well, it’s definitely not the Chinese food anymore.
As they dropped their dishes in the bin by the exit, Cammie spotted a heart under Allen’s napkin. She handed it to him with a grin. “Looks like you’ve got a secret admirer too.” Glancing around, she noticed pink and red hearts scattered across other tables. Her smile brightened. “Maybe we all do,” she said, laughing as she stepped outside.
Allen paused, catching Gwen’s sly smile from behind the counter. She formed a heart with her hands and blew him a playful kiss. To anyone else, it might have looked like flirting, but Allen knew better. Gwen was signaling her support, helping him ensure his plan came across as sweet and thoughtful—not creepy.