Page 54 of Fire Harbor
With each cruel diss, Linus felt a surge of protectiveness toward her. He couldn’t shake off the guilty feeling that gnawed at him for not standing up for her. As he got into his truck, he knew he had to make things right. He could do that when he picked up Farley. But he had to make the gesture sincere and maybe grand in a way that would scream, “I’m sorry for not letting it go.” And he knew just the thing that Lake Marigold loved.
Without another thought, he drove to The Plant Habitat and strolled into the nursery on a mission. Linus scanned the rows of vibrant greenery, searching for the perfect plant. His eyes landed on a stunning orchid, its delicate petals a striking shade of violet purple. From their earlier trip here, he already knew that Lake was fond of orchids. But she refused to spend the twenty-five dollars on buying one when the lowly daisy or carnation was just as fragrant and pretty, and she could grow as many of those flowers as she wanted.
He spotted what he was looking for—something called a lemonade strawberry orchid in pale yellow with bright pink spots exploding from the center of the bloom. Its sweet-smelling fragrance didn’t compare to a daisy or a petunia. The petals shimmered like liquid gold. He was struck by how tall they were—at least sixteen inches in height—and by how many colors he had to choose from. He looked around for a cart and added more pots with white, orange, and various shades of purple blossoms.
As he pushed the cart toward checkout, he couldn’t help but feel a flutter of nerves in his chest. Would she accept his apology? Would she understand the depth of his regret?
He approached the cashier, Shiloh Jones, with twinkling eyes and a sunny smile on her lips.
“This looks like you’re getting ready for an apology tour.”
“Is it that obvious?” Linus asked as he waited for the damage.
“These are for Lake, right? Let me guess. Like everyone else in town, you made fun of her digging up Bella. Am I right?”
“Guilty.”
“Ah. Can I give you a tip?”
“Sure.”
She took three steps away from the register to a card display. After rummaging through the selections, Shiloh pulled out an “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings” card with a cute puppy on the front. “Lake’s a sucker for cards with dogs. Plus, the inside is blank, so feel free to write your own sentiments to make up for any stupid thing you said.”
“Good idea,” Linus muttered as he swiped his credit card.
Shiloh packed each pot into a larger box and rolled off enough pale blue ribbon from underneath the counter to go around the perimeter. After tying a bow around the box, she stood back to admire her handiwork. “Left over from Easter,” she explained. “You’d be surprised how many potted plants and flowers we sell as ‘I’m Sorry’ gifts, especially tulips or lilies of the valley. I like to keep spools of festive ribbon on hand to brighten up the presentation. Drea isn’t the only one who likes to make sure your apology is delivered in a pretty package.”
“You don’t think this many orchids is overkill?” Linus asked.
“Honey, when a woman receives flowers, she never thinks it’s too many. Trust me.”
As he left the nursery—two hundred dollars poorer—the weight of his guilt began to lift. Determined to make things right with Lake, he took the time to scrawl his handwritten sentiment and apology on the inside of the card.
Ready to face Lake, he headed toward Bishops Bay.
A few minutes later, he pulled into her driveway to pick up Farley.
With the box of orchids cradled in his arms, Linus walked up to the front door and rang the bell as butterflies danced in his stomach. From inside, he heard the sound of dogs barking, then their paws skidding on the floor.
Lake opened the door, surprised at what she saw, Linus holding the box of orchids. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she was speechless. But then her face softened, her lips curving into a smile. “You bought me orchids.”
“I’m sorry. I hope you can—”
“I overreacted,” Lake blurted out as the dogs danced in place between the two. Without a word, she stepped onto the porch, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. She kissed his cheek before directing her attention to the flowers, examining each color.
“These are beautiful,” Lake finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. “You didn’t need to do this.”
“Yeah, I did. Knowing we were at odds with each other made for a long, miserable afternoon. I didn’t like the way it made me feel.”
“Neither did I. Well, come on in,” she offered, tugging at his hand. “My neighbors have enough to gossip about already. Let’s not give them a reason to come up with more.”
He stepped into the foyer, and it felt like coming home. “Where do you want the orchids?”
“Let’s take them to the sunroom.”
Linus followed Lake as the fragrant scent of orchids wafted through the air. The sunroom was bathed in the waning light of evening, scattering faint shadows over the lush greenery that already resided there. She flitted around the room, rearranging pots to make space for the new flowers, eventually clearing an entire sofa table nestled next to a window. “Most orchids prefer a southern exposure. This spot will be perfect for them.”
As Linus carefully set down the box, he watched as she picked up each plant, sniffing the blossom before settling on a position that would receive the most sun.