Flowers on Main by Sherryl Woods Page B

for that to be an option.
    “What’s the problem?” Jess asked, regarding her with concern.
    Bree had set up a temporary office at the inn, while the painters and Mick were working on the shop. As much as she’d wanted to spend the extra time with her father, the noise level made it impossible to make all the phone calls that needed to be made. She could have made them at home, but this was better. It gave her a few hours a day with Jess, and she’d discovered she liked having someone around with whom she could discuss ideas for the business. Jess had learned a lot about starting something new, had made more than her share of mistakes along the way. She wouldn’t judge Bree for making a few, as well.
    “This day just keeps getting better and better,” she muttered. “First I had to deal with Mom.”
    Jess’s eyes widened. “You talked to Mother?”
    Bree nodded. “She called the house.”
    “For you or Dad?”
    Bree hesitated. “Me, I think. At least Gram handed the phone to me the second I walked into the kitchen.” Thinking about what Gram had said earlier, she frowned at her sister. “Do you really think she and Dad could patch things up?”
    “If you’d asked me that a few months ago, I’d have said hell would freeze over first, but after seeing them together the night of the opening party here, I honestly don’t know. Anything’s possible.”
    “How do you feel about that?” Bree asked her.
    Jess hesitated, her expression thoughtful. “Weird, I guess.”
    “Me, too,” Bree admitted.
    Jess gave a dramatic shudder. “Let’s not talk about Mom and Dad getting back together. Who was that on the phone just now and what did they say to upset you?”
    “I’ve just discovered that there is one major flower wholesaler close enough to supply the store,” she reported to her sister, not even trying to mask her dismay. This was an unexpected and very unwelcome wrinkle.
    “So what?” Jess asked. “As long as they’re good, you’ll be fine. Are you worried that the prices will be higher because it’s virtually a monopoly or something?”
    “I’m worried because that wholesaler is Jake Collins,” she snapped. “Why didn’t you tell me he now owns Shores Nursery and Landscaping?”
    Jess blinked at her tone. “Hey, don’t jump on me. I thought you knew. He’s worked there forever, even when you were going out.”
    “There’s a huge difference between him working there and owning the place. And as I recall, they didn’t operate as a wholesaler back then. Now he’s apparently one of the biggest growers around here, too. What’s he doing, taking over the flower world, acre by acre?”
    Jess shrugged. “I don’t see why any of that matters. It’s been years since you two split up. You’re both adults. This is business. Surely you can be civilized.”
    Bree wasn’t so sure of that. Their last encounter had been anything but civilized. She’d expected a little anger, but not the heat radiating off Jake in waves that could have roasted marshmallows.
    “It will be awkward,” she said finally in what was the most massive understatement she’d ever uttered.
    “Then don’t deal with him,” Jess suggested, still unconcerned. “As big as the business is now, he probably has plenty of people working for him. Deal with one of them. He’s usually out on jobs anyway. I see him all over the place.” She grinned. “He looks really, really fine, by the way.”
    Bree knew, though she had no intention of acknowledgingjust how fine she thought he looked. This situation was disastrous enough as it was. If Jess or anyone else in the family thought there was so much as an ember of that relationship that wasn’t stone cold, they might try to fan it back to life.
    “I can’t avoid him. It seems I have to deal directly with Mr. Collins if I want to open an account. Mr. Collins makes those arrangements. Mr. Collins decides if Shores Nursery can accommodate another wholesale customer. If not, she’s