Page 106 of Truck Up
Then again, it could’ve been the alcohol or the punches to his face that made it easy for him to pass out. When I get my hands on Linden and Tanner, I just might punch them myself. What were they thinking of showing up there last night?Stupid. Just stupid.
I swear, I think they just wanted to fight and they’re using me as an excuse.
But there’s no time to think about them now. I’ve got way too much work to do.
Today is the busiest day I’ve had in months. Maybe even years. When I arrived at the flower shop, we already had twenty-seven online orders to fill. That’s more than we usually get in a week.
We’ve also had a steady stream of customers come in to order arrangements for various events. It’s a very unusual day, but one we desperately need. We need all our days to be like this if I want to turn this shop into something really great.
“Lia,” Darlene calls out. “We’re going to need more calla lilies too.” She leans against the counter next to me and juts out her hip. When I don’t immediately look up at her, she lets out a low huff. “What did you do last night? Some sort of flower incantation that set the entire county on a flower needing frenzy?”
I snort at her vivid imagination. “If I thought that would work, I would have done it months ago.”
“Something sure as hell happened overnight because this is the third flower we’ve run out of today. That’s something that hasn’t happened in … well, ever.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll take.” I smile and it feels good. Because it’s a genuine smile born out of happiness. I’ve worked hard to get the business to this point, and even if short-lived, I’m goingto relish today’s success. “I’ll put in a rush order. Our supplier can have whatever we need here in two days.”
The bell on the door chimes again, announcing another customer. I look up to greet them but frown when I see who it is.
Dad looks around the shop with a mixed expression of equal parts surprise and joy. In addition to the customer Darlene is helping, Mom is shuffling between three others, offering them advice while they make up their minds about what they want.
Four customers in the shop at the same time are a rare occurrence, and Dad knows it.
“Busy day,” Dad says when he reaches the counter.
“Yep.” I force my smile to return.
“Good, good.” He nods as he takes another look around the shop. He hasn’t been here since I rearranged everything to be color coordinated and photo ready. “It looks nice in here. I like what you’ve done.”
“Thanks Dad.” Now when I look up at him and smile, it isn’t forced. Getting a compliment from my dad on business is a monumental accomplishment. “The customers really seem to like it as well. Both in the shop and online.”
I add the last bit about online shopping in the hopes that it will help Dad come around to the new side of the business. He’s been just as resistant to that as Mom.
He nervously scratches the back of his head and glances over at Mom. She gives him a slight nod that seems to be the encouragement he needs to continue. “So, Aaron stopped by the house this morning.”
I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t. So I give him a little nudge. “Oh, yeah. What did he have to say?”
“Well, he … he mentioned that I should …” He struggles to get the words out. Dad hates admitting when he’s wrong.
I should help him out, nudge him along again. That’s what the old Amelia would have done. But the new me will not feed him the words. My family hurt me, and they need to fix it.
He takes a deep breath and fidgets with the zipper on his jacket. “I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m sorry. Your brothers went there last night because of me.”
My eyes widen, and Darlene drops the scissors she’s using on the floor with a loud clatter. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard Dad utter those words. If he’s ever apologized to Mom for something in the past, he’s done where no one else can hear.
This day just keeps getting better and better.
He grumbles and waves his hand in the air in frustration. “Now, don’t go making a huge deal out of this. You know this is hard for me.”
I drop what I’m doing and rush around the counter. When I reach Dad, I pull him into a tight hug. He instantly relaxes and he returns my tight embrace.
“I’ve missed you, princess.” His voice croaks and he clears his throat. “Nothing is the same without you.”
“I’ve missed you too, Dad.” Tears sting at the corner of my eyes. I lean back and smile up at him. “It means a lot to me that you came to see me.”
“I should have reached out sooner. It’s just—” He looks down at my stomach. I’m still not showing much, but it won’t be long. “It’s going to take me some time to get used to this.”
“Which part?” I push away from him and rub my belly. I need him to accept my baby and my relationship with Christian.