Free Crain's Landing by Cayce Poponea Page A

can pick you up.
    Grant

555-8586
    What an arrogant son of a bitch, “ Please call with a time I can pick you up.” His words caused steam to roll out of my ears from the anger he brought on. I buried the card in my pants pocket; I would tear it up later when I was at home. The last thing I wanted was for Brittney to get it and start spreading rumors around. I then picked up the vase and carried them into the main room. I placed it on the front desk gently, spun back around, and returned to my desk.
    I had just finished sending a thank you email to George when Brittney appeared at my door again holding a second flower arrangement, this one even bigger than the first. This time it was full of white roses. Brittney was bouncing on the balls of her feet as she stood there, waiting for me to react. I feared she was going to drop the massive vase. I walked over, took the envelope and, again, shoved it into my pocket. “Take them and set them out there on the table near the front doors.”
    I didn’t wait for her to leave as I returned to my desk and continued to work. For the next three hours, a new delivery of flowers appeared at my desk, each one outdoing the previous. The library was starting to look like a funeral home and I finally had enough and placed a call to the florist.
    “Emily’s Blooms!” A chipper voice spoke into my ear.
    “Good morning, this is Natalie...”
    Rushed words interrupted me before I could give my full name. Taken by surprise, I stood gasping like a fish and listened to the hurried voice. “Oh, yes! Hello, Ms. Reid, are you enjoying the flowers Dr. Crain sent you? He must’ve really upset you to send that many flowers. My Dwight stayed out with his cousin one night and then came home the next afternoon covered in mud. Well, let me tell you, I was mad as a wet hen at that man. Even then, he never apologized like your Dr. Crain. Dwight bought me a pack of that beef jerky he knows I like, the stuff that old man Johnson makes. But never flowers, not in all the years we have been together. And may I say, you’ve caught yourself a real sweetheart in that Dr. Crain...”
    “Ma’am,” I practically shouted into the phone.
    “Oh...I’m sorry, Dwight says I talk a mile a minute, but what...”
    This was completely insane; did the lady even need air to breathe? “Ma’am!” I shouted again. For the first time, the line was quiet. I took the opportunity to jump in. “Yes, the flowers have been beautiful, but I need them to stop. Please, the next time he calls to order more flowers, let him know it isn’t necessary.” I felt as if my words mimicked hers, rushed as to convey everything I needed to.
    “But, Ms. Reid, he has a good number of deliveries already paid for. He gave strict instructions to keep delivering until he called and said otherwise. I mean he’s already paid for them and everything, and thank God he did, as business has been so slow since the end of the season. No hunters telling their brides they’re sorry for staying in the...”
    “Ma’am, I understand. Here’s what you can do.” I felt slightly rude for interrupting her, but it seemed like the only way. “Please have the remaining deliveries go to the hospital. I'm certain the nurses there would love some fresh flowers around. Just don’t send any of them with cards, that could get...interesting, if you know what I mean?” I thought about what the quirky lady had said about finding “a real sweetheart” and I needed to clear that one up before the rumor mill got wind of this. “One more thing, Dr. Crain is only playing a joke on me. We’re not in a relationship; he’s only trying to creatively welcome me to town.” I added a touch of laughter at the end, hoping to have her join me in the purposed silliness.
    “All right, but he’s given you his personal cell number and that isn’t something he gives out to anyone.”
    I sighed as I came up with a distraction. “That’s just in case I have an emergency