Chapter 2
Two weeks later
I look down at my phone after I slide into the driver’s seat of my car, groaning when I see I’ve missed three calls from Olivia.
Resting my head on the headrest, I click her name and wait for her to answer. I don’t wait long.
“Oh my gosh, Piper, the shop is insane,” she says without a greeting. “If today is this crazy, tomorrow is going to be ridiculous.”
“Just be glad we’re not florists,” I say. “We’re just selling houseplants.”
“You know those cute little succulent tins you planted? They’re gone. Gone! I just sold the last one.”
“Already? We still had a dozen in stock when I left.”
“Those social media ads we started must be working,” she says. “Last year wasn’t nearly this busy.”
“Go you,” I say, since she’s in charge of those.
Olivia works for me full-time now. She runs the garden shop, manages my social media accounts…pretty much takes care of everything on the sales end so I can focus on growing things.
“How did your blood draw go?” she asks.
“It was fine. Just a vampire getting stabbed by another vampire.”
“The tech was a vampire, too?”
“No, that was a joke. Because they took my blood. Vampire? Get it?”
But she’s already distracted.
“The colorful bracts can last months,” she says to a customer. “And sometimes, they’ll grow little baby bromeliads, so you get several plants for the price of one.”
“You’re busy.” I turn on my car. “I’m going to let you go. I’ll see you shortly.”
“Okay, bye,” she says, ending the call almost before she gets the final word out.
Fifteen minutes later, I pull into the flower farm. Olivia wasn’t joking. The parking lot in front of the garden shop is full. Several people leave with succulents and houseplants in their hands, most wrapped with decorative red and white cellophane.
This is going to be a profitable Valentine’s Day.
I follow the gravel drive to the back and park in my usual spot by the high tunnels.
Normally, I would let Olivia handle the garden shop, but I think she’s going to need my help today.
In the busy months, we hire seasonal staff to assist with the shop, but it’s usually slow in the winter, so right now it’s just Olivia, our maintenance guy, and me.
Noah and Max sometimes help as well, but NIHA keeps them pretty busy. Even with Sophia on the straight and narrow, there are lots of criminal vampires in the world.
This year, Max was promoted to hunter, so he left the pre-vamps behind and now works directly under Noah. He’s avoided infection so far, but we all know it’s a risk.
Mom and Dad have repeatedly tried to convince him to quit, but Max is stubborn, and he not-so-secretly likes the title of vampire hunter. I mean, what guy wouldn’t?
“This place is a madhouse,” I say to Olivia when I finally make it through the crowds.
Taking advantage of the lull at the checkout counter, she chugs what I suspect is room-temperature coffee, looking like she hasn’t had a break all morning. Her strawberry-blonde hair is falling out of its clip, and her apron is askew.
“Go take lunch,” I say. “I’ve got this.”
“I still have fifteen minutes,” she argues.
“It’s fine. Go.” I wave her away and spend the rest of the afternoon in joyful chaos, surrounded by my plants and the people who want to take them home.
Most of the customers are men looking for gifts for their wives or girlfriends, but there are also several women who just want something festive to celebrate the holiday.
“Is the pot cute, too?” a dark-haired woman who’s probably in her mid-thirties asks me as she tries to peer under a plant’s festive wrapping.
“It’s just black plastic,” I tell her. “But we have decorative pots in the side room. Feel free to take a look. If you get one that’s just a little bigger, you can drop this pot right into it without repotting.”
Though she’s helping her own customer, Olivia subtly nudges me and jerks her chin toward the door. A large and deliciously handsome man has just walked in. Broad-shouldered, with dark brown hair and amber eyes, the vampire is a sight to behold.
And he’s all mine.
Noah slides his hands into his jeans pockets and smiles like he knows he’s distracting me.
“The room over there?” the customer asks.
I pull my attention back to her. “That’s right.”
She wanders off, and I help several more customers. Noah waits patiently, watching the clock that hangs on the wall. At five o’clock he flips the closed sign on the door and locks up, letting customers out as they finish their purchases.
Finally, the last one leaves.
“Thanks for playing door guard.” I cross the room and slide my hands under my husband’s leather jacket.
He greets me with a kiss. “No problem. Looks like you made a killing today.”
“I didn’t bite anyone,” I promise playfully.
Noah lifts his brows. “Do you want to?”
“Okay, I’m going now,” Olivia says from behind us, pulling off her apron. “You two are cute but gross.”
As she hurries to the back exit, Noah says, “Max asked for tomorrow off, by the way.”
Olivia stops abruptly, turning on her heel, intrigued. “All day?”
“Just thought you’d like to know.”
“But I work tomorrow,” she says.
Noah shrugs, obviously privy to information he’s not going to share.
Olivia turns to me, giving me a pleading, wide-eyed look. “Do I work tomorrow?”
“You definitely do,” I laugh. “I love you, but there’s no way I can handle Valentine’s Day on my own.”
“Yes, fine.” She sighs. “I wouldn’t want to desert you anyway.”
“Max knows you have to work tomorrow,” Noah says cryptically. “But maybe he needs time to plan something for the evening?”
She makes an excited peep. “What do you know?”
“I know nothing except what I’ve already told you.”
Olivia and Max have been dating for a couple years now, and everyone suspects a proposal is in Olivia’s future. A Valentine’s proposal seems a little cliché for my brother, but you never know.
With hearts in her eyes, Olivia leaves for the day.
“Hey again,” I say to Noah when we’re alone.
“Hey.” He leans down to kiss me again, this time lingering a little longer. “What do you want to do for Valentine’s Day?”
“I think you’re supposed to surprise me.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
I pat his arm. “I have complete confidence in your ability to be romantic.”
“I’ll do my best,” he says, looking delightfully pained.
“How was work?” I ask, off to survey the damage in the houseplant area.
“Some vampire in Albuquerque is making a mess, but it’s fine. I have men on it.”
It’s always something. But I guess that’s all right, otherwise Noah would be out of a job.
“Are you hungry?” he asks. “Let’s go out to dinner tonight.”
“Don’t you think we should go out tomorrow?” I hint. “You know, for the holiday?”
“Tomorrow will be insane. Let’s go tonight so we don’t have to fight the crowds.” He smiles as he ushers me into the twilight. “Tomorrow, I think maybe we’ll stay home.”
“Order a pizza?” I joke. But the joke is on me. My stomach rumbles as the memory of marinara-covered carbs hits me full force.
The cravings are fewer and farther between these days, but they still exist—and they’re still intense when they visit.
“Maybe I’ll make steak,” he says.
I don’t bother to hide my disappointment. Flatly, I say, “Yay cow.”
Noah chuckles as he wraps his arm around my shoulders. “My poor recovering vegetarian. You’ll get used to it eventually.”
I grunt, suspecting he’s right.
But I don’t have to like it.