Got Love? (2 page)

Fia looked around. “Ten down, another dozen to go on the Henry-Dennis order.”

“As soon as I’m done here, I’ll get started on the Boswell-Foshee order. Then we need to figure out what we’re going to do for Runa’s Valentine benefit dinner and auction. She’s expecting to see a prototype tomorrow.”

“How about you go with…hearts and red.”

“You’re a genius, Fia,” Flora retorted, rolling her eyes. “I have no idea what I’d do without you.”

“Hire an actual person you’d have to pay real money to!”

“There is that,” Flora agreed. “Carry on, genius.”

At the melodic tinkling of wind chimes, Fia grabbed for her phone. “Ooh, text message. Oh my.”

“What?”

“You know Sandy’s secretary?”

“She’s a brownie, right?”

“Right. Her niece is friends with my cousin Teagan. Teagan just tagged me in a post of a picture of our new fae-kin.
Sweet Brigid
, is he gorgeous! Wanna see?”

Flora didn’t have to think twice. “
No
! I told you, I don’t have time for men. Not even if it is to gawk at a picture of one.”

“Your loss.” Fia shrugged, forwarding the image of delicious male goodness on to the next deserving group of friends before dropping her phone back into her pocket.

“What do you think of short centerpieces for Runa’s thing?” Flora thought out loud, stepping down from the ladder for the last time. “That way the dinner guests can look at each other without the flowers getting in the way. Red and sparkly gold, with a little pink. We’ve got those black-and-white table runners from last years’ Halloween banquet that might work.”

“We could use mini roses and ranunculus with clear mini votives for tea light candles.”

“Perfect,” Flora agreed, sliding the last of her candy heart prototypes onto its pedestal. “When we’re done with the bows, I’ll swing by Tartan and Thistle to see what kind of dinning sets they have. Runa can auction off the whole thing, put a few more dollars into the city’s coffers for whatever project they’re trying to raise money for.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Chapter 2

Tharin Terize strolled casually down Main Street, unaware of the firestorm his presence was causing.

Throughout Peabody, fervent mamas were getting their hopes up, and eager women fantasized about the imaginary children they would have with him. All over town, text messages and phone calls alerted one and all to the newcomer.

Within the hour, a whole page on social media had been dedicated to tracking his movements. It currently had five hundred followers and that number was still growing.

From Sandy’s office to Beattie’s Hardware where the smitten cashier, after ringing up his purchases, posted a picture of his chosen paint chips. To Lander’s Appliances where he made the sales woman’s day by purchasing all the latest gadgets needed to make a house a home. Following her advice, a stop was made at Quick Clean where he set up house cleaning services much too every pixie’s delight within earshot. And last to Tartan and Thistle Home Furnishings where he selected enough furniture to make the owner’s entire month, before being lured across the street to Presto’s by the scent of hamburger grease, fried onions and a persistent growl in his stomach.

Choosing a booth with a view of Peabody’s Main Street, Tharin enjoyed what he saw. Touches of Irish whimsy and Scottish influences blended seamlessly with modern American amenities. Hand painted signs and discreet spotlights took the place of fluorescent posts, and the coats of fresh paint and clear sidewalks made for a picture worthy of a postcard.

A clothing store, music shop, florist, and even a stationary nook sat elbow to elbow, blending cohesively into the landscape.

Drawing his attention like a beacon, the floral shop announced itself:
A Touch of Wild Flora.
Tharin grinned.
Catchy
.

The two-story building glowed from its fresh coat of white paint, highlighted with glossy black trim around the window casings. Neatly printed block letters in black spelled out,
A Touch of Flora
, while a scrolling
Wild
flowed in eye-catching yellow, filling in the open space above the black-and-white awning with matching yellow trim that hung over the display windows.

Tharin’s lips quirked at the sight of the lighted heart display. It was February first and love was in the air.

“Good afternoon, welcome to Presto’s.” The young waitress smiled, setting a fresh glass of ice water at his elbow as she handed him a menu, blushing when their fingers touched. It was a reaction Tharin was used to women having around him. With an audible sigh, the young woman pulled herself together enough to remember to mention the specials.

“Oh, um, today’s special is lasagna soup with grilled cheese, house salad, and a slice of chocolate cake.”

“Sounds good.” He smiled. “If you’ll bring me that and some lemon for my water, I’d appreciate it.”

“N-n-no problem.” The young girl stuttered, gathering the menu to her chest. “I’ll be back with your order shortly.”

Shaking his head, Tharin didn’t miss how the waitress was treated to hi-fives from each of her co-workers from behind the counter, or how they did their best to muffle their hormone-charged peals of laughter while typing madly on their phones.
Females!
No matter the species, they were all alike.

Turning his attention back to the town, he caught a flash of yellow from the floral shop. It was the same yellow he’d caught from the corner of his eye between the aisles at Tartan and Thistle earlier.

Sipping his water, Tharin watched the feminine figure, obviously a fairy, dressed in a yellow hat and matching half Wellies stop in front of the window display. Hands on curvy hips hidden under her floral topcoat, she paced back and forth several times before rushing back in, her arm snaking through the hanging decorations to fiddle with a few vases before rushing back out where she repeated the process until she gave a satisfied nod.

The nod was one echoed by an approaching female in a red hat and black wool coat. From his viewpoint, Tharin could see high cheekbones and porcelain skin that bespoke of elven blood. Chatting like old friends, they stood arm in arm as fluffy snowflakes began to fall around them.

Thanks to powerful glamour charms placed devotedly around the town, humans couldn’t see the palpable flare of pure vibrant magic that pulsed in waves from the duo. For a second, it caused Tharin to feel sorry for the humans. They were missing a beautiful sight.

“Your lemons and your salad.” The waitress grinned as she slid the plates across the table.

“Thank you,” he answered absently, busy watching the duo before him.

They were a pretty picture, and he enjoyed watching until a dark shadow joined their group. A surprise, it was enough to have Tharin choke on his water. By all that was holy, Death had come for his fairy.
Sweet Brigid!
Heart in his throat, Tharin watched as his personal ray of sunshine reached out and pulled the dark shadow from the doorway where it was exiting the floral shop and into a hug.

Not Death, Tharin realized as his heart began a slow thump. Comforted by the piercing blue eyes he saw, instead of the black obsidian Death carried, he realized she was just a local banshee. And they were coming his way.

Like a moth drawn to a flame, Tharin found himself watching the fairy as she entered the diner. Without blinking, Tharin watched as a pink-hued cloud began to gather above her head. Slowly the cloud began to take the shape of a heart, growing bigger, bolder, and brighter until it burst like a confetti-filled balloon, covering her in a spray of glitter visible only to him. Without a second thought he left his booth, compelled forward by an unknown force. He had to know who she was.

Chapter 3

Wiping her feet on the welcome mat, Flora made a beeline for the to-go counter. “All right, ladies. Let’s make this fast. If these fluffy flakes come down any harder, we’ll be covered in the white stuff before too long.”

“Don’t you ever slow down?” Runa complained, blowing heat on her cold fingers.

“Can’t you ever remember your gloves?” The fairy shot back. “I’m looking at sixteen hour days for the next two weeks. I’m just trying to get through it as fast as I can while staying sane and in one piece. Right now, I’m running on adrenaline and coffee. If I stop, I’ll crash and burn and it won’t be pretty sight.”

“I’ve considered switching her coffee out with decaf when she’s not looking, but I’m afraid of the retribution she might deal out when she wakes up,” Fia confessed aloud, only to break off with a less than silent squeal.

Snickering, Runa didn’t let the subject drop. “You could slow down a bit if you hired a manager and another counter person. Oh…my.”

Oblivious to her friends’ distraction, Flora carried on as if nothing was wrong. “Maybe next year, but right now it’s not possible. Besides, the best manager I know is already taken.” Flora sulked briefly. “Unless you’d like to take a huge cut in salary and prefer to be paid in flowers?” She directed at Runa. Absently noting how the cold had brought out the color in her cheeks.

“Peabody needs me.”

“Dedication. That’s why I love you, Ru. Plus, I’m sticking to the business plan Ward and I came up with. After using what little nest egg I had built up to start the lawn care business, we agreed I would have to wait another year to justify the added cost. Things are just going to be stretched thin until that happens.”

“Whatever dear Ward recommends.” Runa snarled at the mention of the local accountant. “Conniving usurper!” She hissed the words into Flora’s ear. “You know that puffed up Brownie stole the junior year class election from me.”

“That was years ago. It doesn’t mean he’s not a good accountant.”

“Goes to character.”

Rolling her eyes, Flora stepped up to the counter, gathered the waiting coffee and to-go bag with her name on it. She glanced back at her friends frantically whispering while darting quick looks at their phones.

“Hey Livvy,” Flora greeted, setting her coffee down to pull money from her pocket. “I’m getting our lunches today. Keep the change, spread the wealth will ya?”

“You got it.”

Tucking a few extra napkins in her coat pocket, Flora picked up her coffee, only to spin around and smash right into a cashmere-clad brick wall.

“
Aw
,
snapdragons
!” She exclaimed over a chorus of stunned gasps and excited squeals, the contents of her cup now soaking the shirt in front of her. Thinking quickly she dropped the near empty cup, pulled her scarf from around her neck, and used it to blot at the spreading coffee stain. “Sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s my fault, I was too close.”

Flora looked up. All rational thought fled her mind. This was no elf, fairy, or nymph in front of her. Oh, no, this was a cupid! Gorgeous beyond description with tempting chocolate eyes a fae-kin could get lost in for days, he had a neatly-trimmed beard that framed a perfect white smile and dark shoulder-length hair that accented a face obviously carved by The Mother, Cailleach Bheur herself.

“Wow, you are ripped under there, aren’t you?” She admired without thinking, only to blush when she realized what she’d said. The man was in possession of a clearly well-muscled chest and the requisite washboard abs that went with it. “Not that I’m trying to cop a feel or anything,” she confessed. “But that’s nice. Kudos on the hard work by the way.” Shaking her head, Flora mentally chided herself. This was not going well.

“I hope I didn’t burn you. Or ruin your shirt. If you give me your number, I can buy you a new one, or pay for the dry cleaning. Not that I’m trying to get your number.
Oh,
gladiolus!
” She continued to ramble, looking wildly about for a rock to crawl under, only to have her eyes land on his legs. Thick-muscled legs encased in a dark, hugging denim.
Sweet marigolds!
Flora continued to pat the man’s chest, only stopping when a large hand settled firmly over hers.

The action was enough to silence the nervous chatter and draw Flora’s attention back to his face.

“What is that amazing perfume you’re wearing?” the baritone voice inquired, sending shivers of lust down her spine.

Flora began to melt under the stranger’s touch. “Um, um, it’s, that would be my shop. I’m Flora Hawthorne. I own A Touch of Wild Flora. It’s the florist shop across the street.”

“Tharin Terize, nice to meet you, Flora.” He pulled her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss that felt anything but chaste to her knuckles. From the multiple sighs echoing around them, it was obvious they had attracted the attention of numerous onlookers. Stepping to the side, Tharin tugged Flora in his wake. Her friends followed as if they were attached at the hip.

Blinking, Flora could only nod. “It’s nice to meet you, too.” At the loud clearing of a throat behind her, Flora’s brain cells began firing again. “Oh, um, Tharin Terize, my best friends, Runa Gilchrist and Fia O’Malley.”

“Afternoon, ladies.”

“You must be our new neighbor.” Runa reached out to shake his offered hand, the one that wasn’t still holding Flora’s. “You bought the house on Durning, right?”

“Word travels fast.”

“It’s a great place,” Fia commented, causing Flora’s head to bob up and down in agreement.

“It’s got character,” Tharin agreed. “Perhaps you’d like to see it sometime, once it’s been tidied.” He directed this at Flora.

“We’ve never been in the house,” she confessed, “Only peeked in through the windows.”

“Then it would be my honor to give you a tour.”

Grinning like the Cheshire cat, Flora continued to stand as if in a trance. “I’d like that.” At Runa’s elbow to the ribs, she amended her statement. “Um, I mean we’d like that. Thank you.”

“In the meantime, we hate to run, but we’ve got orders to fill.” Fia smiled. “Busy, busy.”