Free Flowers on Main by Sherryl Woods

want, that’ll be my gift to you.”
    “The trust fund was more than enough,” she objected.
    “I bought that fancy stove for Jess. A few cabinets and storage nooks and crannies is the least I can do for you. Or would you rather have me buy you one of those big coolers that they keep the flowers in?”
    She hesitated, then asked, “Would you build the cabinets yourself?”
    He recognized what she was really asking. Would he be right there, spending time with her, making himself a part of this crazy new project of hers?
    “I have crews that are better at this than I am,” he told her. Her immediate expression of dismay told him he’d been right about what she really wanted, so he quickly added, “But if you don’t mind that things might be less than perfect, I suppose I can still find my way around with a few tools and some wood.”
    She jumped up and threw her arms around him, the way she had when she was little and he’d just come home from a business trip. “I want you to do it,” she said, giving him an exuberant kiss on the cheek. “Then I’ll be able to tell everyone who comes in that the interior was hand-built by the famed architect Mick O’Brien. If you’re involved, it’s going to be amazing, I just know it. Heck, one of these days my shop could qualify to be put on the National Register of Historic Places.”
    “More like a few hundred years,” he retorted. “And that’s assuming someone doesn’t come along after the two of us are dead and tear them out so they can sell hot dogs.”
    She laughed at that, her entire demeanor suddenly carefree. Mick didn’t kid himself that it would be that easy to wipe away all the hits she’d taken in Chicago, but if opening a flower shop could put that kind of sparkle in her eyes even for a little while, he was not going to be the one to question it.
     
    Jake, Will and Mack were having lunch at Sally’s when he noticed his friends exchanging meaningful looks, which could only mean they had something to say about Bree and they weren’t sure how he was going to react.
    He set down his BLT and frowned at them. “Just say it,” he ordered. “What have you heard about Bree that you think I haven’t?”
    “She’s staying in town,” Will said, his expression sympathetic. “Sorry, pal. I know that’s going to be tough on you.”
    Jake shrugged as if it were of no importance. “Yeah, she mentioned something about that when I talked to her.”
    “You talked to her?” Mack said incredulously. “You had an actual conversation with Bree O’Brien, the woman of your dreams, the woman you’ve never gotten out of your head?”
    “And you never said a word to us?” Will added, radiating indignation. “Didn’t you think it was worth a mention, at least?”
    “Not really.”
    “When did this happen?” Mack asked.
    “What did she say?” Will wanted to know.
    “And what did you say to her?” Mack asked.
    Jake shook his head. “You two sound like a couple of amateur reporters for the local weekly. It was no big deal.” Which, of course, was the biggest whopper he’d ever uttered as an adult.
    “Do you believe him?” Will asked Mack.
    “Not for one second. He’s either delusional or putting on a show for our benefit.”
    “I thought Will was the shrink,” Jake said irritably to Mack. “Now you’re one, too?”
    “I’m as intuitive as the next guy,” Mack responded.
    “Which means not at all,” Jake snapped back. “Can we drop this?”
    “Since you and Bree are so chummy again all of a sudden, do you know what she’s planning to do?” Will asked Jake.
    “She mentioned she might stick around. That was the sum total of the conversation. Believe me, I had no interest in having a long heart-to-heart with her.” Sleeping with her, now that interested him, but he was pretty sure this was the worst possible time to mention that.
    “I might know something,” Mack admitted. “I was with Susie the other night.”
    Jake and Will both stared