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Parker laughed “Okay, got it It’ll be ready in about half an hour Do you have a credit-card number?”

“Can he pay cash when he comes by?”

“Sure Thanks for choosing Blossom”

Twenty-five years, and the guy was still cheeky, Parker thought, reading the card once more Poetic, too

Well He’d get a beautiful bouquet to bring ho a lot, but because he sounded like a good husband “And let’s face it,” she said to Beauty, “I’m a sucker for love”

She pulled a dozen yellow roses, soe lilies Four branches of pink phalaenopsis orchid Some heather and fern This couple was fun No ant and vivid and memorable

She pictured the husband as she worked—somewhere in his fifties, probably, an insurance executive or doctor,her hubby was not the type to forget their anniversary The kids were off at college, so the place would be all theirs He’d coement in one hand, a bottle of bubbly in the other, and she’d be wearing nothing but a smile

And because he loved her, it wouldn’t matter that she wasn’t twenty-two or thirty or forty anymore In his eyes, she was truly the ht tears to Parker’s eyes A sucker for love indeed

“What do you think?” she asked Beauty when she was finished The dog wagged her tail appreciatively The bouquet ildly beautiful, filled with intense colors and odd combinations She wrapped it in purple tissue paper and tied it with lots of red ribbon

Then the door to her shop opened, and she looked up, expecting to see her customer

Instead, it was James

Her mouth fell open The rest of her froze

Beauty, however, had no co her front paws on his knee “Hey, girl,” he said, bending to pet her, and oh, that san crooning in joy, her tail swishing wildly

Then he straightened up and looked at her “Hi”

“Hi,” she breathed

“So Mickey the Fire Engine I’ to wonder if it’s about more than trucks”

Her heart was jackha under her shirt “It’s an, um, a metaphor”

“For what?”

Damn if her mind wasn’t completely blank “Second chances?”

“I see”

“How are you?” she ed to ask

“Good And you?”

“Good” Crikey “How’s New York?”

“I don’t know I live in Providence”

“You do?”

He nodded

He lived in Providence Not New York “I thought you—”

“I didn’t take the job”

“Oh” She sounded like an idiot Clearing her throat, she said, “Um, James, I’m very happy to see you And , and talk…but I have to wait for a customer It’s his anniversary—”

Jaht, the flowers Actually, those are for you” He nodded at the arrangement she’d just finished “I’m a couple decades early, but I’m optimistic, too”

Oh Oh She glanced at the card “Are you… Is…is that a proposal?”

He tilted his head as if thinking “Yep”

“A e proposal?”

“Yes”

“I reject it,” she said

He closed his eyes briefly “Great”

“It’s just that I wanted to do the asking” Holy halos Where was this co from?

Go for it, the Holy Rollers said For a nanosecond, she pictured the, Spike in his leather jacket, giving her the thumbs-up

“I’