She nodded. “Thanks. I was skittish before about dating after the way things ended with Shawn and the last thing I need to do is worry about whether you’ve got some motive other than a date too.”

  7

  NO EXPECTATIONS

  Dahlia wasn’t sure how she let Ivy talk her into dressing up more tonight and even borrowing her sister’s shoes.

  Her feet hurt and she felt like a fool even if she did think she looked a little pretty.

  She’d kept her hair down like normal, no extra makeup than the minimal she always wore and told herself to have no expectations on this night.

  It seemed to her there was no hiding her nervousness and she wasn’t sure why she bothered.

  She did like that Hugh seemed to understand what was going through her head and that he was lowering his voice again too.

  “I don’t want you to feel skittish about being on a date,” he said. “Let’s not even call it that. Why don’t you tell me the good places to eat.”

  “I could do that,” she said. “But I’m not your best person for that. I tend to stay home and cook more. I’m frugal that way.”

  “I got used to going out. Long hours on the job and my ex liked to be out more than in. You could say that since we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, she wanted to do what she wanted when we were together.”

  “Ex?” she asked.

  “Quid pro quo,” he said. “Maybe it will relax you. Ex-wife.”

  “Oh.” She’d never dated someone that was divorced before.

  “Yep,” he said. “Our divorce was finalized three months ago, we’d been separated about three months prior.”

  “That’s fast,” she said.

  “Uncontested,” he said.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Nothing you had any part in.”

  He was grinning at her, but it wasn’t reaching his eyes.

  “I don’t want to pry or be nosy.”

  “But you wanted to know if maybe it was caused by infidelity?” he asked.

  “That’s all I’d want to know. I don’t like liars and cheaters. Or people who aren’t who they say they are.”

  As far as she knew Shawn never cheated, but he sure the hell lied and ended up not being who she thought he was.

  “No one was unfaithful. I’ll be honest because I think you can appreciate that. Keri loved my job. She boasted to people all the time about what I did for a living.”

  “I could see that. There is always this underlying fear people have of those in law enforcement. FBI carries more weight and power. It could be thrilling to have that in your corner.”

  “In her mind it was all those things. She loved the job but refused to understand the bad that came with the good.”

  “You mean she wasn’t supportive of your time away and long hours?” she asked

  Hadn’t he already commented on the fact that she liked to go out when he was around?

  She’d never thought she was a clingy or needy person. Not like Ivy used to be.

  She’d be fine dating someone and still having her space.

  She actually liked having her space.

  “That,” he said. “And that...people can get burned out doing what I was.”

  She read between the lines that maybe Hugh had some struggles with his job and his wife might not have been there for him.

  She didn’t think he’d admit that and it’d be intrusive for her to ask.

  “My mother followed my father all over the world. She still does. Many say it’s love. I’m sure it is. They get along great. But I think the other part was she was just as involved in his cause. She was a teacher before and still teaches wherever they live. She home-schooled us too. She understood his long days and the stress and emotions of what he was doing. She’d have dinner on the table for him every night regardless of the time he showed up. Even if that meant a second dinner after she’d fed us kids.”

  “That’s a lot of work,” he said.

  “She never complained once. We all had to help out. Some did it more than others.”

  “You had three younger siblings,” he said. “I have to guess that your father was old-fashioned and that the boys got away with not doing the chores the girls did.”

  “Yes to all of that. It drove Ivy nuts. She always wanted my father’s attention more than the rest of us. I knew—know—he loves us. He’s there for us and helps us. When it matters and you least expect it, he’ll be there. Maybe he needs a push from my mother, but he’s there. He’s just so focused on what he does.”

  “And your mother accepts that.”

  “She does. It doesn’t make her a bad person either. I think it makes her a special person. Not many can do that. Not many will. So I can understand where your career and job wouldn’t be easy for many.”

  “No,” he said. “There is a level of understanding that you’ve got or you don’t. There is a reason that the divorce rate is so high in law enforcement.”

  “I think the divorce rate is high in general because people just don’t try enough. It’s too easy to walk away. No insult intended.”

  “None taken,” he said. “It’s long and complicated, not through lack of trying on both our parts.”

  “You don’t have to explain,” she said. “I didn’t say that for you to. Just that I’m one of those people that takes a long time to commit to anything in life. When I do, it takes forever for me to give up.”

  “How long did it take you to decide to move here?” he asked.

  “About a year,” she said. “It wasn’t even anything I was thinking of. I’ve dated before and it hasn’t worked out and I didn’t feel the need to move. Sometimes things fall into your lap and you make a decision though. I wanted to be close to Jasmine’s daughter. And with Jasmine married and having a family, Ivy was still here, living alone.”

  “You’ve always been the one to look after your siblings?” he asked.

  Their food was brought out. Good timing in her eyes.

  It’d give her time to weigh her words.

  The minute the waitress walked away, they put their napkins on their lap. He dove into his steak; she picked up her fork and sliced it through the salmon.

  When she was done chewing and swallowing, she said, “I think I was raised to make sure my siblings were fine. Jasmine always had a good head on her shoulders. We weren’t close in location but still in the US. My brother Mark was in California, I was in Chicago and Jasmine was in Georgia. When it was Ivy’s turn, she moved in with my grandparents and went to college close by them. I was starting with my job and couldn’t care for her.”

  She would have if she’d been asked, but she knew Ivy would never listen to her anyway. It was better for everyone.

  “As you shouldn’t have had to. But it sounds to me like you were all just dropped off and left,” he said. “Not to be crude.”

  She grinned. “It’s not crude or rude. My grandparents were in Dallas. We went there for holidays. My parents set us all up in the US with cars and money. We had loans. I just paid mine off. When our brother Chase came, Jasmine was the closest to him in location and she set him up. My parents couldn’t get away at the time he needed to be here. Then they came to see him.”

  “Sounds like your family makes it work,” he said.

  “As best as they can. We haven’t all been together since Mark graduated from college. Jasmine, Ivy and I flew to California and Chase was still with them. After that, the best we had was last September. My parents came to see Chase and get him settled for med school, Ivy had already moved here and I flew in.”

  She still didn’t think she would have done it if things with Shawn weren’t getting on her last nerve.

  In her mind, she tried to make it work as best as she could and then threw in the towel.

  It was the best decision of her life.

  “My family all lives in Kansas City,” he said. “Hannah is married with two kids. I try to visit once a year if I can. No one comes to see me.”

  “That’s sad,” she said. “Is it because your schedule is so crazy?”

  “Yes. My job isn’t predictable. You should know that.”

  “Meaning I’m not so dull and boring that this date is turning out well enough for maybe another? My sisters might be so proud of me.”

  He laughed. His eyes softened. His short haircut didn’t make his face seem so harsh with the sound coming out of his mouth.

  He was really attractive when he wasn’t serious.

  “I don’t find you dull or boring. I find you refreshing.”

  “That’s a new one for me.”

  And an hour later they were out in the parking lot, the two of them talking and trying to drag this out longer than she’d ever done on a date before.

  He was standing next to her car and finally leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

  She wasn’t sure she’d ever been with someone gentlemanly before like that.

  “I’d like to see you again,” he said. “You’ve got my number if it’s something you’re interested in.”

  She nodded. Before he could make it back to his car a few over, she said, “I am.”

  He nodded his head and climbed into his black SUV, reminding her again that though he’d told her a lot about himself tonight, it wasn’t nearly what he had on her.

  8

  DOUBLE TEAMED

  “Tell us how it went?”

  Dahlia stopped the coffee cup from reaching her lips when she saw the door open to her apartment the next morning at seven. Before she could even ask what was going on, Ivy had blurted out her question.

  Behind Ivy was Jasmine.

  “Am I being double-teamed here?”

  “Yes,” Jasmine said, letting out a yawn. “Ivy got my butt here. Since I’ve got to get to the shop in twenty minutes to finish up for a wedding, I agreed.”

  “I can’t believe you’re up this early,” she said to Ivy.

  “Memorial Day weekend sale in the retail store,” Ivy said. “I’m helping out and need to make sure everything is set to go. All hands on deck. I’m meeting Sage there to go over a few things. I’ve got thirty minutes and I’m hungry.”

  Sage had been hired almost two months ago to take on all the marketing and advertising for Blossoms. Ivy had feared that she might have to give up the retail store end of it. All the setups that Ivy did for holidays and sales, but Lily had said no. Ivy not only was the personal assistant to Lily, helped out Poppy and Rose, but also managed the store schedule and designs and flow.

  Dahlia had to admit she was proud of the hard work her sister put in and it reminded her time and again, she was wrong to judge Ivy as she had over the past few years.

  “Make your own breakfast,” she said.

  “I don’t think it’s fair,” Ivy said. “You’re the only one of us that doesn’t work on the weekends.”

  “Who says I’m not working?” she argued.

  Jasmine lifted an eyebrow at her. “That’s on you. I’m not going to lecture you like Lily does.”

  “Nope,” she said. “Don’t. It is on me. I’ve got something I’m working on to show Lily, Poppy, and Rose and I’m doing it on my own time.”

  Her sisters didn’t need to be bored with her analytical mind. Once she showed the three sisters what she was doing, then she’d make sure Jasmine saw it for the greenhouses and flower shop. It all had its place.

  “You’re deflecting,” Ivy said. “We don’t have time. How was your date? I know you went. I made sure of it.”

  She snorted. Ivy had picked her clothes out and let her borrow the uncomfortable shoes she’d worn, then all but pushed her out the door while her sister went to spend the night with Brooks joking that she’d leave the apartment empty in case Dahlia wanted to get lucky.

  As if she’d ever do anything like have sex on the first date.

  Not that her body didn’t get some massive tingles in it toward the end of the date when she realized it was really a date and not just an information-gathering session for an investigation.

  “It was fine,” she said.

  Ivy moved past her and pulled out some frozen waffles. “Who wants some?”

  “I’ll take some,” Jasmine said. “I barely had time to drink my coffee before you were calling me to leave. I didn’t get to say bye to Cori. She was still sleeping.”

  “That’s rude,” Dahlia said to Ivy. “Why would you do that to Jasmine?”

  “Cori won’t be up for another hour or two,” Ivy argued. “You don’t see her before you leave and you know it.”

  Jasmine smirked. “I give her a kiss while she’s sleeping. Mona comes over and has her most Saturday mornings, then brings her to Wesley before he leaves for the day.”

  Her sister was lucky that Wesley brought his daughter to work most days or Wesley’s mother, Mona, took her. They had a sitter too who came to the house but no one full time just yet.

  With Cori turning one three weeks ago, Dahlia suspected she might get another niece or nephew soon. At least she hoped so. She loved kids. Maybe it had to do with caring for them so much growing up.

  She couldn’t wait to get away fast enough and then realized how much she missed everyone.

  She never said it to her siblings because she figured they’d think she was nuts.

  Even if things hadn’t gone south with Shawn, she was positive she would have ended up exactly where she was because she needed to be by Jasmine and help her out. Many of those Saturdays she was watching Cori for her sister, but she knew Mona got first dibs being the grandmother.

  “Enough about my adorable niece,” Ivy said, tapping her watch. “We are on the clock. Date information, Dahlia. Spill it.”

  The toaster popped and Ivy pulled out the two waffles, handed them to Jasmine and then put two more in.

  “It was nice,” she said.

  “That isn’t a detail,” Jasmine said. “Tell us about him.”

  “First, do you think you’ll go on another date?”

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Woohoo,” Ivy said, doing the famous Poppy booty wiggle in the small kitchen. “Did you get a kiss?”

  “On the cheek,” she admitted. That had surprised her. She had to admit she was sort of disappointed and would have preferred one on the lips. She figured he was testing the waters as much as she was.

  Ivy waved her hand. “Boring.”

  “That’s me,” she said.

  “Back to my question,” Jasmine said. “Tell us about him.”

  This was where it got tricky. No reason to say what Hugh did for a living. She was positive there would be more inquiries on that. For now she’d give just enough to make her sisters happy.

  “He’s new to the area. He moved here from Phoenix a few months ago for work.”

  “Are you his first date since he’s been here?” Ivy asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe. I didn’t ask that.”

  “We know it’s your first date. Geez, I’m sure you haven’t had sex since your last boyfriend we just found out about. What was his name again?” Ivy asked.

  “Shawn,” she said quickly. She needed to get the topic off of Shawn since it was too close to how she met Hugh and right now she’d rather no one in her family...or anyone she knew...find out she was being investigated, however short it was.

  “So he’s new to the area,” Jasmine said. “He kissed you on the cheek and you’ve got another date. You had to have learned some more. He’s older than you, right? Any exes that came up?”

  “He’s only a few years older than me. Not a big deal,” she said. “He’s recently divorced.”

  “You hate that,” Ivy said. “Did you know before the date?”

  “I don’t hate it,” she argued. “And no, I didn’t know.”

  “Come on now,” Jasmine said. “You’ve always felt that people who got divorced either rushed into the marriage without knowing everything about each other, or they didn’t try. Unless someone cheated. Did you ask that? I know you, you wouldn’t want to be nosy but you’d want to know facts.”

  Sometimes even being far away from her sisters didn’t stop the fact they knew her so well.

  “He said there was no cheating. I did comment that it was too easy for people to get divorced rather than try.”

  “Was he insulted?” Ivy asked.

  “No,” she said. “I don’t think so. I felt bad after saying it.”

  “It just slipped out,” Ivy said. “Now you know what it’s like when I do it. I never mean harm.”

  “No,” she said. “You never did. He did say that it wasn’t through lack of trying.”

  No reason to tell her sisters more.

  She was positive Hugh’s job had something to do with the end of their marriage. He’d as much as said that he wasn’t around enough for his wife.

  But if she said those things, then her sisters would circle back to Hugh’s career and right now she was avoiding that as she did a plane when she was a child. And a boat. Sometimes a car.

  Anything that moved caused her stomach to flip flop.

  At least she could admit she was past the carsickness. Boats were better because of the fresh air. Planes...she medicated.

  “He’s got baggage,” Ivy said.

  “Says the person with more baggage than Paris Hilton has in her commercials while she books an extra room for it.”

  Jasmine snorted over that comment.

  “Not funny,” Ivy said, smirking while she grabbed her waffles that just popped and loaded them with syrup. They did look good so Dahlia grabbed the last two from the box. She’d run to the store and get more for her sister since they’d just finished them off.

  “No,” Jasmine said. “The truth often isn’t.”

  “You married a guy with baggage,” Ivy argued.

  Wesley was a widow. Though Wesley had loved his wife, they didn’t have the best marriage and the one thing Wesley had wanted that he hadn’t gotten before his wife had died was a child.

  Guess it was fate for her sister to get knocked up because though Wesley was already in love with Jasmine, he felt his life couldn’t get any better and was thrilled to find out he was going to be a father.