Chapter Fourteen #2
“And as usual, she’s right. This is perfect now. Thank you for bringing me such a wonderful gift.” She hugged the child next to her.
“Well, we have to get home and get ready for basketball practice,” he said.
“We’ll see you tomorrow at the courthouse, I am sure.
And there is dinner tomorrow night also.
Better have a good calendar ready for all your social engagements.
” He grinned and shot her a wink. “Let’s go, little one.
” And he motioned for his daughter to precede him.
“And by the way, there is cat food in the pantry and the necessary cat box and litter. Good luck!”
She stood waving as the truck pulled away, with her niece waving like crazy out the window. Cassie looked at the little one in her arms and laughed for the pure joy of it all.
*
“Earth to nephew, you spaced out again,” Uncle Joe said. He laid the cards in his hand down on the table in front of him. “I won again.”
“Are you sure about that?” Cole sat up straighter in his chair.
“You are no fun. When are you going to snap out of it?”
“Snap out of what?”
“The fact that you have been boring and no fun at all for the last few months and the rest of us are pretty tired of it. I know I am. No way to get a good game of cards or checkers out of you at all. It’s time you got some backbone and got yourself over to Destiny’s River.”
“Why would I need to go over there? My foreman goes over when we need something that Red Cliffs doesn’t have.”
“Either you are acting obtuse or you are just plain stupid, but I don’t recognize you as my nephew anymore.
You know that Jessie is in Destiny’s River.
It was in the newspaper. And it is plain simple that you should go over there and at least welcome her to her new home and job.
Then maybe you will get even more guts and ask her out for a real dinner without bad guys and gunplay and handcuffs.
Well, maybe the handcuffs might come in handy, but you get my drift.
I have always said that youth is definitely wasted on the youth. Are you a man or a mouse?”
“Gee, Uncle Joe, why don’t you get to the point?” Cole said, trying to make a joke out of it.
“Do you like that girl? Yes, or no?” He was cutting to the chase.
“It isn’t…”
“To hell, with what it isn’t. What is it? And why aren’t you doing something about it?”
“She left here and never looked back. Her job was done. That is what she said she did. She did her job and then she moved on to the next.”
“Except she didn’t this time. She quit her job and found another one just in the next county of all places.
Does that sound like she moved on? No. Now it is your turn to make your move.
So, if you love that girl…and you certainly give a good imitation of a lovesick bull, then get yourself in that truck and let her know that you mean business. ”
“I know I will regret this but how do you think I should do that?”
“Romance. Words that women like. Flowers. I can’t do all the work for you. But show her you care if you can’t find the words. But you best get to it because I hear she is pretty popular around that town and lots of bachelors over there. Don’t let the grass grow under those boots.”
*
Romance. Flowers. Words. What did he know about that stuff?
She would probably toss them back at him or laugh or have forgotten his name.
He shook his head. He would test the waters.
He would go to the florist in Destiny’s River and order a bouquet.
But what kind? He had no idea what her favorite flower was even.
What if he had left it too late? There was no guarantee she was even interested in what he had to say.
But there would also be no peace either from his uncle nor his daughter who let him have it on a daily basis as to what he intended to do.
It was best to get it over with and go down in flames.
He walked into the florist and began to look around the room. “May I help you sir?” The time was at hand. “I need flowers. I don’t know what kind. I don’t know what color. But it needs to look really nice.”
She smiled. “Well, is it for a funeral? A wedding? A housewarming? There are many reasons to give flowers.” He wished she would keep her voice down a bit. The doorbell had sounded and there was another customer that needed waiting on. But she wasn’t in a hurry evidently.
“If you want to help that other person I’ll just keep looking.”
“My assistant is helping them. Now is this for a young lady? A birthday? An older person?”
“No, none of those things. It’s for a female. A young one…well not that young. But maybe about my age. And it should be pink maybe? I know she wears that color.”
“Is this a special young lady?”
“Of course she’s special. I’m buying her flowers.” That sounded sharp. “I’m sorry it’s just I don’t usually do this. But I want her to know I’m glad she’s living back here now, and she means a lot to a lot of people and hopefully, she will give me the time of day.”
“I see,” the woman nodded. “That is a tall order. I think I have just the thing. Let me go in the back and bring out something.” She left him alone.
He shook his head. Why had he let his uncle talk him into doing this?
She’d probably just toss them in the trash.
But maybe she wouldn’t? Maybe he would be able to plead his case. Or maybe not.
“Here you go,” she said. There was a bundle of pink long stems…glads, roses, lilies, greenery, yellows, and lavenders all in tissue paper. “I think this might make an impression on the lady.”
“If you think so, then let’s do it. Can you deliver it to the courthouse?”
“Well, that might take until tomorrow…our delivery man has already left. Do you have a name for her?”
“Great…just great,” he said. “I’m not sure. I think it’s Parker.”
“Well, how about I get a listing of the courthouse, and you pick your name out…be right back.” She left with the flowers. Now what was he supposed to do? A couple minutes passed. “Here are your flowers sir, and I believe the name you are looking for is Cassie Parker.”
“How do you know…” He began the question but did not finish. The woman holding the flowers in her arms was the one they were meant for. His heart jumped into his throat.
“I’m sorry,” she smiled, “but I couldn’t let it go on. Poor Mary was doing her best to help you.”
“You were listening all along to my misery?”
“Afraid so, but it was really nice of you to want to send flowers, and I do love them…that is if you still want me to have them?”
“Of course, they’re yours. I thought…we thought…that it would be nice to welcome you to Destiny’s River with them.”
“Thank you. I do love all of these. You chose well. Please let everyone at the ranch know how very much I thank them.”
“Well, they are all glad you chose to move here.”
“I see. Well, I do appreciate them and here,” she said reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she withdrew a card and handed it to him.
But then, she took it back. And produced a pen and wrote something on the back.
Then she handed it back to him. “That’s my name…
my real name on the front. That’s my office.
And on the back, that’s my home address. ”
“Parker,” he replied, “are you…”
“Yes, I am related to the sheriff. He is my brother. And my sister is married to Cade Lockwood, and she is the current mayor. So, you might say, I’ve come home.
I even have a cat,” she added with a laugh.
“I do hope you will stop by sometime and bring Emmie and Uncle Joe along, too. That is if they want to have something that might remind them of the past. It was unpleasant and I would understand if I am part of bad memories they would rather forget.”
“They miss you. That was the unpleasant part…when you left, and no one could say goodbye. But we figured that was the way you wanted it…on to the next job and all that stuff.”
“Well, it seems we were all mistaken. I’d like to see them. Ask if they would like to come to dinner sometime and I will cook. You can just give me a call if they decide they want to do so.”
“Well, I will ask them. But right now, I’d like to ask if you would consider having dinner with me so I can get to know who Cassie Parker is. I’ve met Jesse and Dee…but I am betting that Cassie is the best of them all.”
His sincerity coupled with those gray eyes of his made it impossible not to say yes immediately. He seemed very pleased. The smile he gave shot straight to the heart that had been beating itself silly since she walked into the store and saw him talking to the florist.
“Then how about Saturday? There is a new restaurant out at the lake that sounds nice. Unless of course you are already booked.”
She smiled and then shook her head. “I believe that date is open.”
Cole grinned. “Then put my name in ink. I’ll pick you up at six thirty?”
“Yes,” she agreed, and he went to conduct business in paying for the bouquet with Mary, watching out the window as Cassie crossed the street and headed up the steps of the courthouse.
“She is a sweetheart,” Mary said, accepting his card. “Those are her favorite flowers it seems.”
“Really? Then I tell you what, Miss Mary, let’s open an account and every Friday you send her a bouquet of one of the flowers in that group. How does that sound?”
She grinned. “It sounds like a certain gentleman might like her a lot. We will certainly do that each and every Friday. And good luck!”