Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
‘What brings you guys in?’ Daisy asked, happy for the distraction from her swirling feelings. Damn, Elliot was a good kisser.
She’d somehow managed to put that out of her mind when she’d been doing the should-I-date-Elliot-for-real math, and now it would be all she could think about.
If Elliot’s distant cousin was half as good of a kisser as he was then she totally understood why Aunt D was about to give it all up in the back of that car. Or, in her and Elliot’s case, up against a door. Or on the floor of her shop. Or at this point, literally, anywhere.
‘Oh, yeah, I got so distracted by the puppy I nearly forgot why we came in!’ Kira said with a laugh.
Listen to Kira and get out of your head!
‘I wanted to check in with you about something.’
‘Okay, sure.’ Daisy tried not to get her hopes up that whatever Kira wanted to say had to do with a wedding she was hosting at the barn and maybe they needed a florist and maybe this person hadn’t heard about the curse and maybe…
‘David wants to book the barn for his wedding.’
And just like that, Daisy’s hopes plummeted.
‘My ex, David?’
‘Yep. I totally understand if you want me to say we’re not available for their date.’
‘You really don’t have to do that.’
‘But I can.’
‘Kira, I’m not having you turn down a wedding just because the groom is my ex. That’s a lot of money.’
Kira waved a hand at the thought of the money. ‘But why does he need to get married here? It’s weird.’
‘You need that money to feed all the baby goats,’ Daisy teased and Bennett nodded in agreement.
‘She’s not wrong, babe. Running an animal sanctuary is not cheap.’
Kira rolled her eyes at him. ‘We’re not running an animal sanctuary. We just have a few pets.’
Bennett scoffed. ‘A few pets?’
‘It’s really fine,’ Daisy insisted, interrupting their little argument. ‘If David wants to get married in your gorgeous barn, I totally get it. Your events are amazing.’
Kira furrowed her brow like she wanted to argue more. ‘I appreciate that, but I still think it’s weird. And kind of aggressive. Like, go find your own small town. This one is taken.’
Daisy shrugged. Maybe it was weird. Maybe she should care, but she found that she really … didn’t. David could get married wherever the hell he wanted, and that was just fine with her.
She smiled. How freeing was that?
She didn’t care about David. Or his wedding.
Or his new fiancée. And if she was being honest, she hadn’t for a while now.
She hadn’t bothered to think about the man since he’d ambushed her at Beltane.
And even then, she’d felt nothing but annoyed to see him.
The old feelings were gone, even the hurt.
‘Book the event.’
‘You’re sure?’
‘Yep. I wish him nothing but happiness.’
‘See,’ Bennett said, bringing an armful of bouquets up to the register. ‘I told you she wouldn’t mind. She’s with Elliot now, who cares about this David guy.’
Had it really only been a few months ago that Daisy had grabbed a stranger who’d wandered into her shop to be her fake boyfriend, just to spare herself the horror of being alone in front of David? It seemed like a lifetime ago.
And it had brought her to Elliot.
Maybe she actually owed David a thank you.
‘I guess you were right,’ Kira said to Bennett before turning back to Daisy with a smile. ‘I’m glad you and Elliot are so happy together.’
Daisy cleared her throat. ‘Right. Thanks.’ Were they together? They really needed to straighten this out. She needed to talk to him.
‘Unfortunately, I don’t think they’re going to book you for the flowers.’
‘I get it.’
‘It probably wouldn’t be a great look if your ex ends up divorced after you do the flowers at his wedding.’ Kira winced. ‘Not that I believe that bullshit about the curse.’
‘Thanks. Curse or not, it would be awkward.’
‘But I always talk you up to everyone who comes to look at the venue.’
‘I appreciate it.’
‘What are you going to do with all these flowers?’ Kira asked Bennett as Daisy rang them up.
He shrugged. ‘Put them around the house.’
Kira beamed up at him, and Daisy wanted that.
A shared life. Flowers around the house. A puppy on the end of the bed.
She’d thought she’d lost the chance to have it. Multiple times. But maybe she hadn’t. Maybe if she could manage to let David go, she could also be brave enough to let Elliot in.
She wondered what her great-aunt had done.
Had she let Nate in?
Had he broken her heart?
Had she ever gotten over it?