Firecracker!

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The door to the flower shop chimed, alerting Macey Evans that she needed to abandon the tulips she was carefully arranging in a vase for one of her best clients to leave the greenhouse and go back to the front. Now that Father’s Day had just passed, and there wasn’t another major floral holiday on the horizon for a few months, she’d decided to man the shop solo during the day to cut back on staffing expenses. While it made her bottom line a little more profitable, it did mean a lot of interruptions.

Macey walked through the swinging door to the front shop and headed toward the sound of voices. Dozens of premade bouquets lined the shelves and display areas, along with some other gifts, mostly made by local crafters and other small business owners such as herself. Charles Town Floral was just one of the many quaint businesses that lined the downtown area of the cozy little hamlet where everyone knew everyone else, and it never took long for word about anything to spread from one edge of the town to the other. Macey enjoyed the fact that Charles Town was a tight-knit community, even if that meant rumors circulated more quickly; it also meant if she ever needed anything, there were always dozens of folks ready to lend a hand.

The voices she heard sounded familiar as she approached the front of the store. Two of her favorite customers were discussing how beautiful one of the arrangements Macey had just finished that morning looked. “It’s just fresh as a daisy, that’s what I say,” one of the older women, Mrs. Elvira Carpenter, was saying as she smelled one of the daffodils Macey had placed amongst some of the finest daisies she’d ever seen. The whole piece was intended to give a feeling of warmth and light, so she’d chosen white and yellow flowers with fresh green lemon leaf. She was particularly happy with how it had come together, and the fragrance was wonderful.

“Good afternoon, ladies,” Macey said with a cheery smile. “It’s so nice to see both of you. How are you doing today?”

Mrs. Carpenter’s orange hair billowed as she turned her head to look at the shopkeeper, a broad smile on her face. “Really, Macey, I don’t know how you do it. Everything is so charming. I love walking in here. It feels like I’m in an enchanted garden.”

“It really is lovely,” Mrs. Patricia Gregory agreed. “You’re very talented dear.” She had a fond smile on her face as well, and Macey couldn’t help but think she looked a little like Mrs. Claus with her white hair, and the fact that she happened to be wearing a red blouse today didn’t hurt.

“Y’all are too kind,” Macey said, but she really did appreciate the compliments. Most people didn’t take time to appreciate the art that went into her work. They were in a rush, just trying to pick something out for someone without even knowing what type of flowers the person liked. These two women were both quite thoughtful and would ask a lot of questions to make sure whatever they purchased would be greatly appreciated by the receiver.

“We’re looking for an arrangement for George Abernathy. Did you hear he broke his leg? Isn’t that awful?” Mrs. Carter made a clucking sound with her tongue which emphasized the terribleness of the situation.

“No, I hadn’t heard,” Macey replied, her eyebrows knitting together in concern. The Abernathy’s house was the closest to her own, though it was hard to call them neighbors when they had twenty acres and she had ten. She couldn’t even see their house from her front porch through the tree line that separated their property. Still, Mr. Abernathy was a sweet older gentleman who came in every once in a while to purchase a bouquet for his wife, Jan, who was also very kind-hearted. It was a shame to hear he’d injured himself.

“Yes, poor dear,” Mrs. Gregory said, equally as despondent. “We’re going to go pay them a visit and thought some flowers might cheer him up. These are so beautiful.” She was looking at the arrangement Mrs. Carter had her eye on before.

“They’re fresh,” Macey assured them. “I just put them together this morning.”

“I think we’ll take it.” Mrs. Carter eyed Mrs. Gregory, who nodded in approval, and Macey went around behind the display and carefully picked the flowers up to bring them over to the register.

“You know, Mr. Abernathy was so excited about his new endeavor. It’s a shame he likely won’t be able to do that now, what with a cast on his leg. I wonder if he’ll be trying to use crutches or will give in and get a wheelchair for a spell.” Mrs. Carter pulled a large wallet out of her equally sizable purse.

“I hope he chooses a wheelchair,” Mrs. Gregory replied, pulling a few bills out of her own handbag. “Those crutches can be dangerous.” She handed the money to Mrs. Carter who begrudgingly took it as Macey did a few last minute adjustments on the flowers.

“Here’s a pen if you’d like to fill out the card,” she said, stepping over to the register to ring up the purchase.

“I wonder if maybe their great-nephew will come to help for a bit,” Mrs. Carter continued as she set the money on the counter and began to write on the card.

“Doesn’t he live in New York?” Mrs. Gregory asked.

“Yes, but he teaches school, so he likely has the summer off.” Mrs. Carter slid the card over to her friend and handed her the pen. “I believe he’s about the only family they have that would be of any use.”

“True.” Writing her name on the card, Mrs. Gregory shook her head. “It’s a shame everyone done gone run off and left such nice folk.”

“Your total is $18.75,” Macey said, trying to get a word in without being rude.

“Macey, you don’t charge enough,” Mrs. Carter said, handing her a ten and two fives. “And… we can’t rightly split that change so just keep it, dear.”

“Oh, Mrs. Carter, I can’t do that….”

“Sure you can. You’re the boss, aren’t you dear?” Mrs. Gregory winked, and Macey couldn’t help but smile.

“Thank you,” she said, taking the cash and slipping it into the register. She handed them the receipt and then took the card to affix it back into the holder. “You two really are my best customers.”

Mrs. Carter laughed. “If I’m gonna be the best at something, it may as well be at spending my late husband’s money.”

Macey wasn’t sure whether or not she should join in on the giggling or not, so she just smiled. She knew Mrs. Carter was just teasing. Her husband had been a pillar of the community before he passed away a few years ago, and the pair of them had been inseparable. Now that a little time had passed, she was often seen around town with a widower, Mr. Nelson, and Macey hoped she had found happiness once again.

“You know, Macey,” Mrs. Gregory said as she waited for her friend to put her wallet away, “I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t end up with a lot of orders for wedding flowers soon enough. There sure have been an awfully lot of young ladies meeting the men of their dreams around these parts lately.”

“That’s right,” Mrs. Carter nodded, slinging her purse back over her shoulder. “And some not so young ladies.” She winked at Macey, and this time she couldn’t hold back the giggle.

“I know,” Macey replied, trying to keep her voice cheery. She was having a hard time remembering all of her friends who had suddenly fallen in love over the last six months or so. “I guess there’s something in the water.”

“Or it’s just you’re all getting to be about that age,” Mrs. Gregory shrugged. “What about you, sweetheart? Anyone special in your life?”

Before she could answer, Mrs. Carter said, “Patricia, don’t be so nosy. I’m sure if there was, Macey would tell us when she was good and ready.”

“Actually, no,” Macey replied. “I am so busy running the flower shop, I don’t really have much time for that.” She tried to think of other excuses as to why she didn’t date, but nothing else came to mind. There really was no reason, except for she seldom met anyone who interested her that way. A couple of guys at church were attractive enough that she’d considered trying to get to know one or the other of them at one time, but then she discovered that neither one of them really held up to her idea of a good Christian man. She’d met a guy at a shopping center a few years ago and went out with him for a while, but really, most of the time, she was so centered on trying to run a successful business, dating got pushed to the back of her mind. She figured she was only twenty-four; she had plenty of time to find the man of her dreams.

“Well, you never know,” Mrs. Gregory said with a smile as she picked up the arrangement. “Mr. Right could be right around the next corner, dear.”

“All in due time.” Mrs. Carter seemed a bit apologetic for Mrs. Gregory’s prying and gave Macey a gentle smile, though there may have also been a tinge of pity there, which made Macey a little disheartened.

“When you meet him,” Mrs. Gregory continued, heading for the door, “I’m sure you’ll know. There will be fireworks!”

“Right.” Macey forced a smile. “Thank you, ladies. Take care!”

“Have a nice afternoon, dear,” Mrs. Carter said, giving a little wave as the two of them stepped out into the June day. A blast of heat came through the door with them, and Macey was thankful for air conditioning. It had to be close to a hundred degrees out there. She felt sorry for anyone who had to work outside on a day like today.

Once the women were gone, Macey sighed and absently brushed her already clean hands off on her smock. She knew that Mrs. Gregory meant well. But she was one of those people who was always trying to set people up, and she always seemed to know what was going on with everybody in town. Reflecting on the new relationships that had been formed recently, Macey realized Mrs. Gregory had been involved in a few of them. She’d helped Melody and Reid along, which had ultimately led to Delaney and Josh. Olivia had met Memphis out in the woods, so no Mrs. Gregory there. While she didn’t think Mrs. Gregory had much to do with Valerie and Alec, she did spend an awful lot of time at Bishop’s Diner, the place Valerie worked as she was putting herself through cosmetology school. Drumming her fingers on the counter, Macey realized that both Valerie and Alec had served on the Valentine’s Day Dance committee with the pair of senior women. Did that have anything to do with the two finally becoming a couple?

Macey shook her head as she wandered back into the greenhouse. She wanted to finish this arrangement, and now there was a spot for it in one of the most prominent places in the store. Most of her arrangements were faux flowers so they’d last, but she also enjoyed making fresh ones, not just for sale but because she thought it kept the shop cheerier. The problem was, she had a hard time keeping any of them on the shelves, which was nothing to complain about but kept her busy.

As she chose the perfect pink tulip to place in the arrangement, she thought about the other two couples who had recently started dating. Alec’s sister, Erin, had met Luke in Ireland, so there was no way that Mrs. Gregory was involved in that. But what about Sophie and Zach? Mrs. Gregory had been a longtime patient of Dr. Mitchells, the man who had owned the dental practice before Zach bought it and taken over the existing customer base. Could she have instrumented that one as well? Macey let out a deep breath and picked up another flower. She wasn’t sure why she was even bothering to go through the process of wondering. If she could reach any conclusion at all, it was that one had better luck falling in love if Mrs. Gregory was on her side. Still, Macey hadn’t even been thinking about finding a special someone to settle down with until Mrs. Gregory had asked the question.

“Maybe that’s how she gets you,” she wondered aloud, her voice filling the silence of the greenhouse. “Maybe she gets you thinking about it and then presents you with the perfect guy.” She made herself laugh; as if the perfect guy even existed.

Shaking her head, Macey put the finishing touches on the arrangement and then took it out to fill the void created by Mrs. Gregory and Mrs. Carpenter’s purchase. She brushed her short, curly brown hair back away from her face and stared out the window for a moment at a few passersby. Across the street, she could see Delaney’s Delights, her friend’s bakery, and a few doors down was Melody’s mother’s antique store. There were a lot more people out and about these days, despite the heatwave, thanks to Melody’s marketing efforts, and Macey was glad for it, though today had been a little slow. Still, she no longer spent her time off thinking of ways to drum up new business to keep the flower shop, which had been in her family for generations, afloat.

Macey turned to look at the clock on the wall and saw that it was past 4:00, which meant she’d be able to lock up in just about an hour. Next to the little clock, which was decorated with little birdies and chirped on the hour, a feature her grandmother had loved, hung a picture of Grandma Sylvia, who had left the flower shop to Macey when she passed away three years ago. Macey walked over and gazed at her grandmother’s smiling face. She was sitting in her garden surrounded by flowers, and a slight breeze stirring her silver hair.

They had worked here together from the time that Macey was old enough to see over the counter, and Macey had hundreds of fond memories of the woman who had taught her so much about life. There was never any question that Macey would take over the business one day, but she’d been shocked that it had come so soon. One day, Macey had come to the shop, expecting to find her grandmother already here, cutting the flowers for the day as she usually was, and the door was still locked. She’d rushed over to her house down the block to find she’d passed away in her sleep. That was the most devastating day of Macey’s short life, and even now, there were times tears stung the backs of her eyes when she thought about how she hadn’t even had a chance to say goodbye.

Her parents also lived in town, not far from here, but Macey was never as close to them as she was Grandma Sylvia. Her mother, Kristy, had been an aspiring gymnast when she was younger, and she really wanted Macey to live the dream she’d given up on when she was younger and be a professional one day. Macey had spent a lot of her youth working on gymnastics, trying to please her mother, even missing school some days for events, but she knew it was never her passion the way that working with florals was. Her mother didn’t understand, and her father, Rick, who was already distant, became even more withdrawn as Macey grew older. Now that Grandma Sylvia was gone, there was no one to force them to spend time together, and Macey had slowly stopped visiting them. They didn’t even attend the same church anymore. Occasionally, her mom would come in to buy flowers, but that was about it. She was always pleasant, but it wasn’t the type of relationship Macey would’ve chosen in an ideal situation.

Grandma Sylvia’s silvery blue eyes smiled out at her, and Macey realized she needed to try harder. It would be difficult because there was such a distance between them now, but she decided she would try to think of some ways to be more present in her parents’ lives before it was too late.

The door chimed behind her, and Macey managed a smile before turning to greet her next customer. “Welcome to Charles Town Floral. What can I help you with today?”

Macey pulled her Toyota Sequoia into the garage and shut off the ignition. She was happy to be home. When the shop was slow, the time seemed to crawl by. On nights like this where there were no holidays, weddings, or funerals to prepare for, she was happy to come straight home and spend some time with her dog, Fluffy, or sip some tea and watch the ducks on the pond in the back of her house. Since it was still blazing hot outside, she wasn’t sure she’d be doing that this evening, but at least she was home, where she could revel in the tranquility of country life and not have to force any smiles or be interrupted by browsers.

She walked in the door and greeted Fluffy, her white tail wagging furiously as she barked out a hello. Fluffy was a Havapoo, half Havanese, half poodle, and though she wasn’t very big at twenty pounds, she was full of life. “You ready to go outside?” Macey asked, rubbing her fur and stooping so Fluffy could cover her in slobbery kisses. She stepped out of the way and let Fluffy run into the yard. Though she had a doggy door she could use to access a fenced in portion of the back yard, she enjoyed the front yard more and took off into the trees, barking and chasing a squirrel that she would never catch.

Macey laughed at her dog’s antics and realized she had been in a foul mood ever since Mrs. Gregory and Mrs. Carpenter had left the shop. She assumed it was because of the comments they’d made, but it seemed silly to be upset about not having love in her life when she’d never even spent any time looking for it. She was a young woman with her own business and a mortgage. When would she have found time to meet the love of her life? If he didn’t walk into church or the flower shop, chances were, she’d never find him. And she could be okay with that. Her life was fulfilling, full of great friends. She was successful and perfectly content with the life she had.

Sinking onto a bench beneath a tree, Macey wondered, “Then why do I feel so sad?” She shook her head and lifted her hair off of her neck. It was too hot to spend too much time out here. She was glad she’d taken the plunge and decided to cut off several inches of her hair a few weeks ago. Having it this short took some getting used to, but it really was much cooler, and people seemed to think it suited her to have a stylish cut. Now, her hair fell just below her jawline in soft, natural waves. It was much easier to manage this way, even if she couldn’t really put it in a ponytail anymore.

“New haircut, new me?” Macey thought aloud. Maybe Mrs. Gregory was right. Maybe she did need to open herself up to love and see what happened. If she was going to try to make more time for her parents, then maybe she should also try to get out more often, make herself available, see if any of her friends’ new beaus happened to have brothers, or cousins, or attractive, God-fearing friends.

“Can’t hurt, can it?” she asked Fluffy as she stopped her running long enough to be patted on the head. “Come on, girly. It’s too hot out here for all this. We’ll come back out and play some more later--when it cools off.” Fluffy barked, as if she understood every word that Macey had said, and they headed off toward the air conditioning.

Her stomach was rumbling, so Macey decided to go ahead and fix dinner. She usually tried to be in bed by 9:00 so that the 6:00 alarm didn’t make it too hard to get up, and on nights when she knew she had a large order to fill, she’d be in bed even earlier so she could get up an hour or two before her regular time. Tomorrow, however, she had nothing major to attend to, so there was no reason for an early dinner except for her tummy calling for sustenance.

A tall container of fresh vegetable soup sat on the top shelf in the refrigerator, and she decided to heat some of it up. Having ten acres gave her plenty of land for a vegetable garden, and she’d manage to harvest enough to make a large batch of soup the weekend before, despite not being a fan of the warmer temperatures. She also had a small flower garden, though she mostly relied on vendors to provide the varieties that didn’t grow so well here or the more popular ones she couldn’t grow quickly enough. Still, it was nice to look out and see her favorite blooms in the yard as she sipped her morning coffee.

Macey poured a helping of the soup into a microwave-safe bowl and went about heating it up. There was quite a bit left in the container, and she knew she would either have to use it or freeze it soon. She definitely didn’t want to let it go to waste. As the microwave whirred, she thought about something else Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Gregory had been talking about, their true reason for stopping by the shop. Mr. Abernathy had broken his leg. Poor soul. He was such a good man. The microwave chimed to let her know her dinner was ready, and Macey put the container back in the refrigerator for now. As soon as she finished eating, she’d take the rest over to the Abernathys and see if there was anything else they needed. It was the least she could do.