Page 5 of In Full Bloom
Even though I’m working for my best friend—or especially because of that—I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.
I ease off the brakes and my car rolls forward, passing through the wooden gates hand carved with sprays of wildflowers. Olivia once told me her dad, Henry, had madethe gates, carvings and all, for Violet when they got married and he named the farm for her.
I used to think I’d find myself love like that.
Now, I’m picking up random guys in bars and taking them home for the best sex of my life.
I let myself have a moment or two, remembering how his body felt tangled with mine, before shoving the thoughts away. He was gone before I woke up this morning, as agreed, and if I’m lucky I won’t run into him again.
Constellation Station borders Wildflower Ridge, but the farms are both big enough that the chance of crossing paths out here is slim to none. The farm workers don’t usually head into town either, unless it’s to the pub or the farm supply store—two places I won’t be frequenting.
If I’m really lucky, Dallas is a seasonal hire and he’ll be out of here before long. Then I won’t ever have to worry about seeing him again.
I let myself have one more lingering thought about how his calloused hands felt on the soft skin of my inner thighs before the farmhouse comes into view, then I lock last night up in a secure box in the far reaches of my memory.
I pull to a stop in front of the house and climb out of the car, staring up at the building. It’s just like I remember it, except refreshed. It’s been painted sometime recently, but the exact colour it was before—a soft blue-grey that makes the old villa look fresh and inviting.
“Katie!” A voice calls from the side of the house. I turn towards Violet, standing at the corner of her vegetable garden, wide brimmed sunhat and gardening gloves on. She pulls thegloves off as I approach. “It’s so good to see you,” she says as I reach her and she immediately engulfs me in an enormous hug.
Tears instantly fill my eyes and I never want to let go. I haven’t been hugged like this since the last time I was here.
“Let me look at you,” she says and pulls back to hold me at arm’s length. She catches sight of the emotion in my eyes and pulls me in for another all-consuming hug.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t come for the funeral,” I say, my face pressed into Violet’s shoulder.
“It’s okay, my sweet. Henry understood why you left. We all do.”
“I should have been here for you all though, like you were for me after Grandma …” I trail off, the memories of that time too much to process right now.
“You’re here now, Katie. That’s all that matters.”
I nod and wipe at a stray tear that’s escaped. “How are you all doing?”
“We miss him very much, but we’re doing okay. The shock of it was the worst, but the farm is keeping us all busy.”
“Lady Violet?” A small voice calls and we both turn towards a little girl as she skips into the garden. She’s wearing a full skirt with her gumboots and has her blonde curls tied up in a messy ponytail.
“Over here,” Violet calls to her. “Come meet Olivia’s very best friend.”
The girl comes to a stop in front of me, eyeing me suspiciously. “I thought I was Olivia’s very best friend.”
“Hmm,” Violet says, clearly trying to think of a way out ofthis. “I think you are, but Katie has been Olivia’s friend for a very long time, so you’re a different kind of very best friend.”
The little girl, who must be around four or five-years-old, thinks for a moment. “Okay,” she says, then sweeps out her knee-length skirt and drops into a curtsey. “It is a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
“I’m not sure about the ma’am part,” I say with a grin. “You can just call me Katie.”
“Lady Katie,” she says. “I am Sadie.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Sadie,” I say and bob a clumsy curtsey myself.
She beams at me for playing along with her game.
“Sadie’s dad is working for us,” Violet says. “I help out with looking after Sadie and she helps me by picking all the strawberries.” Sadie giggles and shoots across the garden to the strawberry patch.
“Speaking of work, where’s the boss lady?”
“She’s down at the barn with the horses. Why don’t you go see her? You could take Sadie down for a little bit too if you like?”
