Chapter 17
Tink. Harlow snatched her phone off the counter. It was a text from Noelle. She promptly clicked on the attachment.
Up popped a photo of her friend, a sly smile on her face, holding a bouquet of baby blue eternity flowers, some of the most expensive flowers on the market, a signature brand Harlow knew well.
She typed a one-word reply. “Robert.”
Noelle: How did you know?
Harlow: He’s the only person I can think of who would order Venus et Fleur eternity flowers. Second guess…for Cheyenne.
Instead of a text reply, Harlow’s cell phone rang.
“Can you believe it?” Noelle asked. “I didn’t even know about this order until I got back to the flower shop. Robert placed it early this morning. I’m the only shop on the island that carries Venus et.”
“He bought me the eternity flowers every year for my birthday,” Harlow said. “They’re beautiful.”
“Absolutely stunning,” Noelle agreed. “And pricey.”
“The first time I got them, I didn’t think they were real.”
“Not only real, but they last for a very long time. He paid big bucks for these.”
“Robert must want to impress Cheyenne.”
“Personally, the chick isn’t worth a four hundred and fifty dollar plus delivery bouquet, but I appreciate the sale,” Noelle said. “He requested pink. The only colors I had on hand were these baby blue ones, which are also stunning.”
“When are you delivering them?” Harlow asked.
“I’m on my way to Cheyenne’s place now,” Noelle said. “While I’m there, I’ll try to scope things out.”
Harlow giggled. “Scope out Cheyenne’s place?”
“She lives in a small apartment behind Clifton Manor.”
“How convenient. Right near her parent’s property.”
“Until she moves into Lighthouse Lane,” Noelle joked.
“Don’t remind me.” Harlow heaved a heavy sigh. “I’m still perturbed about it.”
“I wouldn’t get too cranked up until she actually closes on the deal. The Cliftons might have some money, but I can guarantee they don’t have a million dollars lying around.”
“Nine hundred ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars to be exact.”
“I’ll see it when I believe it.” Rustling ensued on the other end of the line, and Noelle’s voice grew muffled. “This will work out perfectly. Peyton is meeting me as soon as I drop the goods. We’ll have a catty-corner sightline of Cheyenne’s apartment at the coffee shop.”
“The coffee shop with the big front picture window?”
“That’s the one,” Noelle sing-songed. “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Harlow laughed. “You’re taking this surveillance operation seriously.”
“A friend in need is a friend indeed,” Noelle quipped. “Besides, I would love to bust Cheyenne doing something she shouldn’t be.”
“Robert is free as a bird, free to see whoever he wants.” Despite her insistence, a small piece of Harlow’s heart pinched at the thought the ink was barely dry on their divorce papers and her husband was already diving into the dating scene.
She quickly reminded herself he hadn’t taken their marriage vows seriously for who knows how long, hence his relationship with Jillian, his former assistant.
“There’s another plus side to this whole scenario.”
“Which is?”
“If Cheyenne runs off with your ex, she’ll be out of our hair.”
“I suppose.”
Noelle’s voice grew muffled again. “I gotta get going.”
“Good luck and keep me posted.” After Harlow ended the call, she wandered aimlessly around the cottage. If nothing else, her ex was consistent…showering his romantic interest with expensive gifts…not only expensive, but some of the most expensive flowers on the planet.
It hurt to know Robert viewed his wife as an object, a means to an end, a meal ticket, a cash cow.
But there had also been good times, the trips, weeks spent at their condo in Palm Beach, the two of them hanging out, traipsing around Los Olas Boulevard’s boutique shops in Fort Lauderdale, couples’ massages at the trendy Crystal Sands Spa in South Florida.
Vail, Colorado ski trips, camel riding in Morocco…so many memories, good memories Harlow needed to focus on, not the negative, not the bad ending and how Robert had treated her after her car accident.
Perhaps fame and money had changed him…changed them both in subtle ways until they grew apart and realized they had nothing in common. At least there were no children involved, no custody battles to be fought.
The back door creaked loudly. Her father appeared. “You’re home. I thought you were hanging out with Lottie and the Mackies.”
“Nope. Only for a few minutes.” Harlow lowered her chin onto her fist.
“Uh-oh. What happened?”
“Where do I start?” Harlow told him about Robert’s comment that he might hang around and the flowers Noelle was delivering to Cheyenne.
“How do you feel about Robert dating Cheyenne?”
“Aggravated, annoyed. Why pick her?”
“Why not? She’s an attractive young woman.”
“True. He’s looking for a new up-and-coming starlet. I guess she fits the bill. Poor Caleb.”
“Why poor Caleb?”
“Despite what he’s said, I think he and Cheyenne are or at least were dating.”
“Pfft. I’ve heard the rumors. Caleb isn’t dumb. Yeah, maybe they went out a time or two, but trust me, there’s no way a smart guy like Caleb would get tangled up with her.”
Harlow changed the subject. “What do you want for dinner?”
“I made a big pot of chili. Your Aunt Birdie is coming over and bringing a loaf of her homemade bread.”
“We should invite Lottie too.”
“Lottie?”
“Sure.” Harlow warmed to the idea. “I bet she’s home alone.”
“We can’t have that, now can we?”
While her father headed to the pantry to check on the chili, Harlow scrolled through her contacts list and made the call.
“Hello, Harlow. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“You have?”
“Wondering how it was going with the spy mission.”
Harlow briefly brought her up to speed.
“He certainly didn’t waste any time. What kind of flowers were they again?”
“Venus et Fleur, the forever flowers.”
“The cream of the crop and very pricey.”
“Yep. Only the best for Robert’s targets…err…love interests.”
“Are you okay with it?” Lottie asked.
“Yes. No. I guess I shouldn’t care. Robert’s been a cad all along.” Harlow changed the subject. “Dad made a Crock-Pot of chili for dinner. Would you like to join us?”
“I dunno.”
“C’mon, Lottie. You’re practically a part of the family.”
“Okay. If you insist.” Before hanging up, Lottie promised to bring a batch of coleslaw, her contribution to the evening meal.
David appeared, lugging the super-size cookware. “The chili is done.”
“It’s a good thing you have a big pot. Lottie is on her way and bringing homemade coleslaw.”
He licked his lips. “Lottie’s coleslaw is the best.”
Harlow tracked down dinner plates and began setting the table. “She’s talented at a lot of things…a good cook, has a green thumb.”
“Indeed, she is,” David agreed. “She’s also a card shark.”
“Maybe we can play cards after dinner.”
Fast steps echoed, and a frazzled Aunt Birdie appeared. “Harlow, you’re home. I thought you were with the Mackies.”
“It was an emergency meeting and didn’t last long.”
“Oh?” Her aunt’s eyes clouded with concern. “What happened?”
“I’ll fill you in at dinner. Robert is hanging around, and the Mackies are helping me figure out what he’s up to by conducting a little intel.”
Her aunt snickered. “Spying on Robert? I still remember when Eryn and I flew to New York to see what he was doing. If you had to guess, what do you think he’s up to?”
“I don’t know, but with any luck, we’ll soon find out.”