Chapter Sixteen
Rhett woke Lily at nine on Friday morning with a kiss and a cup of coffee. “Wake up, sleepyhead.” He grinned. “We’ve got some shopping to do.”
“I can’t believe I slept this late.”
“You didn’t go to sleep until four.”
She sat up straighter and brushed her hair back. “I can’t go shopping yet. I’ve got to go to the nursery first and get everybody settled in.”
“No, you don’t.” He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms. “I called and left Tammy a message that you would be in later. You and I are going shopping.”
Already showered and shaved, he smelled absolutely sexy. She wanted to resist. She had to check on the nursery. She always checked on the nursery.
He kissed her forehead, her eyes, her mouth.
Her heart went all gooey.
“Okay?” he asked, against her lips.
She nodded. She loved having Rhett take care of her. She loved having someone she could depend on. Her brain yelled to go slowly with him this time, but her heart wanted to jump right into the relationship.
After he made her a breakfast of bacon and eggs, he whisked her out the door. Three hours and seven stores later, Rhett dropped Lily back at the nursery. She had put her foot down when he steered toward Worth Avenue, and he had compromised with the Palm Beach Gardens Mall and a kiss.
“I have wanted to spoil you since the day I met you,” he told her. “Let me, Lily. What good is having money unless you can share it?”
He pulled his Navigator in at the Bloom & Grow office, got out, and came around to help her out. “Want me to stay for a while? Check out the cottage with you?” he asked, his expression and tone grave.
She lightly touched two fingers to his jaw, still wanting that connection to be sure her dream was real. “I’ll be fine. You’ve already helped me more than you know.”
“I’m just going into the office to take care of a few loose ends,” he said, “and I’ll call you later to check on you.” He caught hold of her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. Though just a quick pass, the kiss sent more tingles to the tips of her toes.
He rested his forehead against hers. “You’re coming home right after work, right?” He emphasized the word home, and Lily’s heart skipped a full beat. Not trusting her voice at that moment, she nodded her assent.
He placed a kiss where his forehead had rested. “Good. I’ll see you later.”
The Navigator hadn’t pulled onto the highway before Tammy appeared on the porch. She raced over and hugged Lily. “Good grief, I was so worried about you! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Lily assured her. “Rhett’s been wonderful.”
“Rob said Rhett saved you last night.” Tammy still looked a bit panicked.
Lily nodded. “He did in more ways than one. He came by after everyone left last night to corner me and force me to talk to him. If he hadn’t, we might have lost the nursery.” She gave Tammy a quick rundown on the fire and how Rhett had pulled her from the burning cottage.
“Rob said you stayed at Rhett’s,” Tammy prodded. “Is everything . . . okay?”
“Don’t look so worried. Everything is wonderful. Except for losing the cottage, of course, but Rhett said he would help me rebuild.”
“Yes, but what about—”
“Stop worrying.” Lily gave her another quick hug. “We talked for hours last night. I-I told him everything.”
Tammy’s brows rose in question. “Even?”
“Yes, even about me being a virgin and all. And he was wonderful. He said he would wait, and the decision was mine. I would have to come to him.”
Tammy’s expression softened. “That is soooo romantic! So now what?”
“Well, Rhett took me shopping this morning to get some new clothes since all I had were the ones on my back when he pulled me out of the cottage.”
“No! Not what are you doing about clothes? I mean, now what are you going to do about Rhett?” Tammy pressed. “I thought we had talked you into taking a risk.”
“I’m taking my time. He hasn’t said those three magic words.”
Tammy’s brows wrinkled into a frown. “Some guys just can’t say the words.”
“Then I’ll wait. I have faith in him.”
“You seem sure he’s the one.”
“After all that’s happened, I love him even more than I did before.”
Tammy put an arm around her shoulders and guided her up the steps. “Well, if you’re happy, I’m happy.”
Lily stopped in the middle of the porch. “Did you go see the cottage?”
“I did as soon as I got here. The fire inspector’s been back there for a couple hours, going over everything with a magnifying glass.”
“I better go back and check on him.”
She tried to pull free, but Tammy held on tight. “Not yet, you don’t. There is something you need to see first, and everyone saw you pull in.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come with me.”
Tammy led her through the nursery office, down the hall and out the back door.
Clustered around the two picnic tables under the ancient oaks stood every single Bloom & Grow employee.
The men swept the caps from their heads in unison.
Lily started in astonishment, and Tammy’s arm tightened around her shoulder when Lily’s knees wobbled.
Jason Graber stepped forward as their spokesman. “Lily—” He stopped and cleared his throat. “We’re sorry about your cottage, and we will all help you rebuild when you’re ready.”
“They don’t know about the code hearing,” Tammy whispered, low enough that only Lily could hear.
Lily gave her an almost imperceptible nod. “Thank you, everyone,” she said, her voice breaking. She had to swallow twice to get past the lump in her throat. “You are all like family to me.”
The crowd eased forward to surround her, each person waiting their turn to offer a hug of condolence and solace. As the last of the group hugged and moved on, Jason stepped forward again.
“While we couldn’t replace all your clothes and personal stuff, there was one thing we could do for you, Lily,” he said quietly and motioned the crowd to part so she could see the two picnic tables.
Dozens of picture frames covered the surface of both picnic tables—all pictures of Hank.
“We tried to find pictures of us with both of you,” Jason said. “Sometimes it was just us and Hank. We thought maybe you’d like to have them, now that yours are gone.”
“Oh my God,” she whispered, her fingers reaching up to cover her trembling lips. “How can I thank all of you for this?”
She moved to the tables to examine and admire each and every picture.
Her eyes filled with tears that quickly flowed down both cheeks, and still she continued to pick up picture after picture, remembering the scene with each employee.
Tammy stuck by her side, supplying fresh tissues and collecting the throwaways.
“We are family,” Jason said, when she finished with the final picture. “You’ll never be alone.”
Every head nodded in unison, and Lily smiled back at them through her tears.
~ ~ ~ ~
The minute Lily stepped into the nursery office the following Monday morning, Tammy flew to her side “So how was your weekend? I got a little worried when we didn’t hear from you all weekend, but I told myself not to butt in, that you’d call me if you needed me.
I told Rob the same thing every time he called me. ”
“I’m sorry you two were worried,” Lily said, feeling duly chastised. “I should’ve called. I guess I didn’t think. Time just slipped by too fast.”
“Judging by that lovesick look on your face, things went well,” Tammy said, smiling. “Still in a quandary or have you come to any resolutions?”
“If you mean what I think you do, then the answer is no. I’m still taking my time.”
“Good girl!” Tammy exclaimed. “You need time. Especially after what happened the first time you two were together.”
“I thought you were on Rhett’s side and wanted me to take the risk.”
“I’m on your side, and don’t you ever forget it. I’ll admit I had a few misgivings about your propane tank blowing up the same night he came over to make up with you.”
Lily took a step back. “Surely you don’t think Rhett had something to do with that!”
Tammy didn’t answer fast enough.
“Well, he didn’t! I can promise you that. He’s been wonderful and kind and patient and wonderful.”
“You said wonderful twice.”
“I can’t help it. He is.”
“And you’re in love with him,” Tammy said softly. “You and Rob and I are all family, like brothers and sisters, and we want him to be perfect for you too.”
Lily sighed. “He will be. I just know it.”
“I hate to break your bubble, but we’ve got a code enforcement hearing tomorrow afternoon. Did you remember?”
“Of course, I remembered!” Lily said indignantly. “And I’ll be ready.”
“Did you ask Rhett what he thought?”
Lily’s shoulders slumped. “We were so busy I didn’t even—”
“—think about it,” Tammy finished for her.
“I’m sorry. I was just so happy being with him this weekend.” She shrugged. “And now I have to find a place to live away from the nursery anyway, though Rhett wants me to stay with him.”
“For now.”
Lily frowned.
“I’m sorry, honey, but you have to plan for the future, not for the now. And you have to fight for the right to rebuild your cottage.”
“But the Code Enforcement Department won’t let me rebuild. I lost my grandfathered status when the cottage burned to the ground,” Lily argued and turned away.
“If you had torn the cottage down to rebuild, then yes, you probably wouldn’t be allowed to rebuild, but you can’t be held responsible for the cottage fire or the tank blowing up.”
Lily whirled to face her. “What are you talking about?”
“The fire inspector just left. He believes the propane tank was sabotaged to blow up.”
“Somebody did it on purpose?” Lily whispered.
“Hey, sit down. You just went all pale on me.” Tammy tugged her into a club chair near Tammy’s desk and crouched in front of her.
“The fire inspector can’t prove it definitively until his test results come back, and that won’t be in time for the meeting tomorrow, but he wanted us to know.
He asked if we could think of anyone who would do that? ”
“Whittenhurst,” Lily said softly.
“My thoughts exactly.”
“I can’t believe it.”