Page 52 of My Kind of Happy

He looked up suddenly and laughed. ‘Fearne, I’m so sorry. You’re so easy to talk to that I got carried away. You must be bored rigid!’

‘That’s the magic of flowers,’ I said simply, flattered that he felt comfortable with me. ‘Therapy for the soul. And you haven’t bored me at all.’

‘Counselling with an added side of flower arranging …’ He pretended to shudder. ‘That’s my street-cred completely wiped out. Worth it though. This bouquet would win prizes at my mum’s gardening club.’

‘Hmm.’ I pretended to scrutinise it. ‘Not bad for a beginner, I suppose.’

I thought back to last month when I’d turned up at the Wisteria Cottage Flower School worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the others on the course. And here I was, a partner in a florist’s, teaching someone else how to do it.

Life had been a whirlwind since finding Freddie’s letter. Maybe I’d rushed into handing over the money to Nina, maybe I would lose it all but the flip side was that it was an adventure. One which Freddie had made possible.

‘You’re smiling to yourself.’ Sam’s words jolted me from my thoughts. ‘A penny for them?’

‘I’m doing a job that makes me happy, that’s all,’ I said, turning my smile to him.

Like Freddie had and Ethel too, who’d decided to be happy in the care home even though it must have been such a wrench to give up her independence. Emotion rushed up inside me and I allowed myself a moment of pride.

‘I’m quite envious,’ said Sam.

‘What would your dream job be, if you could do anything?’

‘Something food-related. I’m a geek when it comes to food. I can lose hours in the kitchen, working out flavour combinations, creating my own recipes.’ He spoke rapidly, his face becoming animated. ‘And if I’m not in the kitchen, I’m visiting farmers’ markets, collecting artisan products or experimenting with herbs and spices for marinades and stuff. I love it.’

‘Then that’s what you should do,’ I said. ‘I’m a firm believer in doing what makes you happy.’

He blew out a breath, and frowned. ‘Pandora wouldn’t agree. When she met me cooking was my hobby, but by day, or night, I suppose, I was the manager of a bistro. She loved it at first, sitting at the bar, sipping cocktails and telling anyone who asked that the manager was her boyfriend.’

‘Who wouldn’t,’ I murmured. I bet she didn’t have to pay for the cocktails either. If it were left to me, I’d give her a bunch of nettles.

‘My dream had been to set up by myself. But once we were married, Pandora wanted me to park the restaurant idea and get a “proper” job with sociable hours and a pension. Duncan had already approached me several times with an offer to be his second in command but I’d turned him down. Then she got pregnant with Annabel and everything changed. We were only young and neither of us was ready to settle down, I can see that now with the benefit of hindsight. But at the time I needed stability, so I took the job.’

I prised the flowers out of his hands. ‘Let’s get these tied before you crush them completely.’

He scratched his face absentmindedly. ‘Yeah, sorry, got a bit tense again there.’

‘Take it out on the stems,’ I said, pointing him in the direction of some sharp scissors.

Between us we cut the bouquet down to size, tied it with string, wrapped it in layers of pretty paper and finished it off with a cardboard box and some ribbon.

Sam looked at the final thing and whistled. ‘This is amazing. She’ll never believe I made it myself.’

I whipped out my phone and took a picture.

‘There,’ I said, showing it to him. ‘We should have taken some action shots, but it’s better than nothing. Give me your number and I’ll send it to you.’

‘Sure, thanks.’ He reeled off his number, I tapped it into mine and sent him the photo.

His phone beeped and he checked the display. ‘Got it.’

He noticed the time and groaned. ‘I’ve got to go. I’m supposed to be meeting a client at a hotel in ten minutes. I lost track of time, I’m going to be so late.’

‘Time flies when you’re having fun,’ I said with a grin.

‘It does.’ He paused, running the backs of his fingers along his jaw. ‘Fearne.’

‘Yes?’

‘Thanks. For everything.’