When Paisley and Sebastian, a rival florist and baker, are hired to collaborate on a wedding cake, they soon discover nothing's fair in love and family drama.
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Paisley DeGran...
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Paisley
"So your parents and Rhys left you behind?" Cadence asks. She removes plastic wrap from a fresh bouquet of orange carnations. "Doesn't surprise me."
I snort, opening a box of orange alstroemeria. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Picking up a flower, I bring it to my nose and inhale. Alstroemeria flowers have no scent. I'm doing it to make myself look busy while Cadence guides our conversation. I already know where it's going. Sometimes, I think Shakita, Sebastian, and Cadence have secret meetings behind my back.
"It means," Cadence grunts. She heaves the deep-set bucket of carnations up onto the shelving unit, making sure the bucket tilts forward slightly. A strand of her reddish-brown hair falls in her face. "Your family leaves you out a lot. Why not shut the shop down for the weekend? Or let me take over?" She gestures to the boxes of flowers littering the floor. "I could handle some flowers."
Just as the words leave her mouth, she sneezes.
"Until you inhale pollen," I retort, a smile on my lips.
Cadence waves me off, grabbing a tissue from behind the front display. She wipes her nose.
I continue, "If I can't handle these flowers alone, there's no way you could. Why do you think I asked for help?"
She cocks a sculpted brow at me, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I think the real question regards Shakita. How did she escape helping?"
I roll my eyes. Shakita always conjures up a pliable excuse when I ask for help. Not to discredit her loyalty as a friend or anything. She's loyal, but she dislikes getting her hands dirty. Last time Shakita helped me, she pricked her fingers several times on rose thorns. I haven't heard the end of it.
"She had a traumatic experience," I reply. "She despises de-thorning roses."
Cadence snorts, turning to the mess of boxes.
A new shipment of autumn flowers arrived this morning, which is both a blessing and a curse. All the arrangements I worked on yesterday have already sold out. While restocking is fun, keeping up with customers is not. Anything orange, red, yellow, or related to autumn is selling like hotcakes.
Just then, my phone dings.
Frowning, I remove my phone from my pocket. Who's texting me at five in the morning?
My breath stutters when I see his name on the screen. Sebastian must've had hockey practice this morning. That's why he's up so early.
I can't read the full message without unlocking the phone, it's so long. Turning my back to Cadence, I unlock my phone and tap the message app.
How does Saturday at 5:00 sound for our date? I'm thinking somewhere outside of town. Just to be safe. Let me know what you think.
I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing on it. Where could he be taking me? I wrack my brain for options. My imagination runs wild. Perhaps a trip to the Nature Centre in Laval? A hike to the summit of Mount Royal? It's cold, but it's the perfect time to be hiking with the autumn leaves. Maybe something simpler. A coffee date?
