Kate's Valentine: Novelette (Thistle Do Flowers Book 0.5) Read online

  Kate’s Valentine

  Christina Butrum

  Copyright 2017 by Christina Butrum

  Ebook edition created 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior, written permission of the publisher. The only exceptions are brief quotations in printed reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design by Amanda Walker

  Edited by DragonFly Editing

  Created with Vellum

  Also by Christina Butrum

  Fairshore Series

  Second Chances

  Unexpected Chances

  Fair Chances

  Cedar Valley Series

  All She Ever Wanted

  Kate’s Duet

  Kate’s Valentine

  Kate’s Forever

  ♥

  Knowing she wouldn’t find anything penciled in, Kate Dixon checked her calendar anyway. The week of Valentine’s Day was two weeks out, and her best friend had just asked her for the biggest favor. Jessica’s husband had reserved two spots on a cruise in the Bahamas for the week of Valentine’s Day, and it was a much needed vacation for them both.

  With her empty calendar, along with a nonexistent love life, Kate agreed to the favor. She would spend the week of Valentine’s Day filling in for Jessica at Thistle Do. She would need to prepare the flowers for the highly motivated men in committed relationships looking to show how much they loved their significant others—something she silently envied every year because she was as single as single came.

  Without a full time job, it would be easy to find the time to spend at Thistle Do for the week. Other than avoiding being stuck by rose thorns, Kate couldn’t think of anything else that would make the temporary fill-in challenging.

  ♥♥♥

  Living in a small Iowa town had its benefits. Iowans had to be some of the nicest people around, with generous smiles and a helping hand; she had found her move to Iowa life-changing. She had always dreamed of living in a small town where everyone knows everyone, but had feared the repercussions of moving into a tight-knit community. She had her fears of being the outcast, not welcomed, and shunned as the newcomer, but Le Claire had proved her worries wrong.

  Everyone here in this small town had welcomed her with open arms and outstretched hands. Within a week of arriving in Le Claire, she had received a job offer at the local elementary school. Even at twenty-six years old, with a college degree in education, finding a job had always been a challenge for her. She was thankful for the unexpected opportunity that had been given to her.

  Shortly after moving in, she met Jessica at the summer festival, where she had been standing in line at the farmer’s market, arms full of fresh food. They had struck up a decent conversation about the best fruits and vegetables that were offered at the market every year. It turned out that Iowa had a lot of sweet corn to offer, and nearby farmers were eager to share their yields. Kate told Jessica about her move from Arizona, with Jessica’s response being to ask her why she would move from such a warm place to deal with winters and colder weather. Kate’s reply was an ongoing joke between them as good friends—she needed a change, to which Jessica replied that she’d definitely find a lot of that in Iowa.

  Kate stood in front of Thistle Do, recalling memories from last year—the year she had set forth to find herself and begin a fresh start in life. The move to Iowa had offered her so much more than what she had bargained for that she would never leave, no matter what—she was here to stay.

  “Are you crazy?” Jessica asked, opening the door and dragging Kate in by the coat sleeve. “Standing out there in the cold... like you’re trying to catch one.”

  Jessica was a few years older than Kate, exactly how many years was unknown but she was the mother hen of the two. She was always giving her motherly advice... granted, most of the time it fell on deaf ears, but she refused to back down on something she felt strongly about—something Kate appreciated in their friendship.

  “What were you doing out there, anyhow?” Jessica asked, pouring a steaming hot cup of coffee from the pot behind the counter.

  Taking off her warm gloves, Kate shoved them in her coat pockets before reaching for a cup. “I was reading your specials for Valentine’s Day.”

  With a shake of her head, Jessica pulled a red sheet of paper from the desk and held it up. “We have them printed right here, doll.”

  Of course, she did. Kate knew that the odds of catching a cold standing outside the flower shop were slim, she was healthy as a horse. During the winter, she overloaded her system with Vitamin C. It had worked the last few years, especially since she refused to get the flu shot that everyone around her swore by.

  Handing the paper to her, Jessica said, “Everything’s ready for you to take over. There’s really not much for you to do until the beginning of the week, when sales will pick up. Valentine’s Day, believe it or not, is the busiest day of the year in sales for us.”

  That’s because everyone believed in mushiness and wanted to prove their love for their “soulmates.” Regardless of how Kate felt about non-existent true love, soulmates, and all of that other mushy crap, she was going to prepare the perfect bundles for couples of all ages. She was excited to use her creativity this week.

  “I know how sour you are during this time of year...”

  “Me?” Kate jabbed a finger into the chest of her poofy, overinflated jacket. “I’m not sour at all. I just don’t believe in spending a ton of money to prove that you love someone. It’s called actions and they prove...”

  Holding up a hand to stop her, Jessica smiled. “I know. You’ve said the same thing before,” she said, offering an innocent expression; calling for a truce. “Besides, you’re preaching to the choir. I feel the same way you do.”

  Deciding to stop the rant, Kate shrugged out of her coat and hung it over a nearby stool. Flowers of all colors, all types, crowded the glass display cases along the back wall of the shop. There were many flowers and plants that she would have to read the labels on to even know what kind they were. Thankfully, in front of each selection, Kate located a tag with the name, price and directions for keeping them alive.

  “Is there anything that you’re concerned about?”

  This was the time she needed to be up front with Jessica, but there wasn’t really anything to tell her. Everything seemed to be well organized, and nothing seemed like it would be a challenge for her in the week to come. The week would go smoothly and Valentine’s Day would be here and gone before she knew it.

  “Nope, I think everything will be just fine,” she assured her best friend, with a reassuring smile, leaning into the hug being offered.

  “You can call me anytime with any questions or concerns,” Jessica promised. Pointing to a list of information in regards to certain issues that could possibly come up between now and then, Jessica said, “Here’s a list to read through, in case you aren’t able to get hold of me.”

  The last thing on Kate’s mind was to interrupt Jessica’s vacation with her husband. They had waited the last six months for this vacation to get here, and the last thing Kate wanted to do was ruin it for them.

  After assuring that everything would be fine and that she would call only if she absolutely needed to, she gave Jessica a final hug a
nd said goodbye. “Have a good time and don’t worry about anything!” Kate hollered after her, spinning the key in her hand before locking up for the night.

  ♥♥♥

  After spending the majority of her day as a teacher’s assistant, with kids she loved just as much as their parents did, she was excited to get to Thistle Do. She enjoyed spending six hours a day in the classroom, helping the teacher hand out fun activities to do during the day, more than anything else, but this new favor at the flower shop had her antsy and ready to sprint when the bell rang to dismiss the kids.

  “See you tomorrow, Miss Kate!” hollered a few of her students.

  “Don’t forget to do your homework and have fun!” she called out over her shoulder.

  The students of third grade were the perfect age. They were all innocent and pleasant to be around, unlike the older students she had once subbed for in high school, in Arizona. She would never again be that naive to fill in for any grade older than fifth. It was one mistake she would never again make.

  If she hadn’t been digging through her purse for her keys, she would have been able to watch out in front of her. Slamming into someone a foot taller than she was, and built like a football player, stopped her in her tracks. She was in a hurry and now was faced with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I’m always in such a hurry,” she stammered, still scrabbling through her purse in search of her keys.

  “It’s fine,” a deep voice replied, causing her to stop her search and look up.

  The brick-wall-like human she had run into turned out to be a handsomely dark haired man with a nice smile. Great, just what she wanted. Completely embarrassed by her lack of attention, she looked down as she resisted the urge to continue the search for her keys.

  The awkward silence between them ended when he said, “Have we met?”

  Looking at him the first time, she had not recognized him, but giving him a second glance, she realized he was the man who owned Hughes Plants, across town. “I don’t think so, but I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said, regretting the words once they had escaped from her mouth. So much for working on filtering her thoughts before speaking them.

  With a confident smirk on his face, he took a step back. “Is that so?” he asked, almost laughing at the news. “I hope it was good?”

  This time, she thought about what she would say before she spoke. Embarrassed and not wanting to engage in full conversation with this guy, she said, “Yes, um, just that you own Hughes Plants, that’s all.”

  With a wide smile, almost too confident, he extended his hand, “Let me introduce myself. I’m Jordan Hughes and yes, I own Hughes Plants. You should stop by there sometime.”

  Feeling more than awkward, given the situation, she smiled and said, “I hate to be rude, but I really should get going. I have flowers to tend to at the shop downtown.”

  Stepping around him, she heard him call out after her, “Wait, you didn’t tell me your name.”

  Spinning around while walking backwards, she called out, “Kate. Kate Dixon.”

  She found her keys; buried and mixed in with the crap at the bottom of her purse. Using the key fob, she unlocked the door as she stepped out into the parking lot. Within the time it took to reach her car, the glacial winds caused her face to feel numb against the cold. Once inside the car, she turned the key and cranked the heater as high as it would go. The cold was definitely not her favorite, but it came with living in Iowa, so, she would have to grin and bear with it.

  On her way to Thistle Do, she thought about her encounter with Jordan Hughes. He was definitely attractive, with his dark eyes and muscular features, but Jessica had warned her about him. He was competition when it came to business, and Kate had been told to have nothing to do with him. She wondered if bumping into him and having an awkward conversation went against Jessica’s wishes. She would have to be more careful and watch where she was going, so there wouldn’t be a next time.

  Unlocking the door, she entered the flower shop, only to be shocked by what she saw. Pulling her gloves off first, she shrugged out of her coat, and laid it on the back of the chair near the desk. A box sat neatly wrapped in the center of the counter, in Kate’s view from the front door. Reading the tag, she realized it was from Jessica, so she unwrapped it. Finding a book by her favorite author, Jodi Picoult, along with an afghan of purple and ivory, Kate pulled out a folded piece of paper that had been tucked alongside the box.

  Take some time to curl up with a good book and a warm blanket.

  Thank you for everything!

  Jess

  It was too sweet of Jessica, to leave her this gift. She would have to thank her later for knowing the perfect way to say thanks.

  After refolding the afghan, she shoved it back into the box and slipped the box under the desk. Tonight would be a perfect night to curl up on the couch in front of the fireplace in her den and read until she fell asleep. Winter time was perfect for being lazy with a book in hand.

  Making her rounds through the daily checklist, she double-checked the flowers and plants. She had to make sure they had enough water, not too much, but enough to keep them damp. Each plant and flower required a certain amount of water and different types of care—which she wouldn’t have to memorize because the cards were provided.

  Once they were taken care of for the day, she turned the light-setting to low and closed the shop for the night. She had made it a priority to spend at least a few hours after school every day to tend to the needs of the shop.

  Detouring on her way home, she decided to drive by Hughes Plants. Curiosity had always been her downfall, especially when it came to competition. She had never been to Hughes Plants. She never had a need to. Until now.

  Slowing the car just enough to catch a good look at the front of the building—paying attention to how well he managed the front area—Kate focused on similarities between the two businesses. Jessica had said he had opened shortly after her, and he had copied her in ways that wouldn’t be noticeable to people who weren’t paying attention. Kate was paying attention—to the entrance—not to the man standing in the parking lot with his eyes on her as she crept by.

  Trying to duck down so he wouldn’t notice her, she hit the gas and headed straight for home. “Shit” had been the only word out of her mouth—on repeat—as she drove away, wishing she hadn’t driven by.

  Kicking herself for doing what she had done, Kate curled up in the corner of her couch, near the fireplace. Spreading the heavy afghan over her, she reached for the book she had been dying to read since it had published. Jodi Picoult was one of her favorite authors. Reading books had been a nightly routine since she was a teenager. She had a variety of books on the bookshelf to choose from, and she was excited to add this new release once she was finished reading it.

  Flipping through the front pages of the book, she couldn’t help but think about what she had done. It was obvious that it was Jordan who was standing outside, looking straight at her as she drove by. It was ridiculous to think about what he could have possibly thought, especially when she reacted the way she did when she realized he was looking at her. There was no way either of them would forget about it, so Kate decided that if it was brought to her attention, she would tell him that she was running errands and had dropped something. Yeah, right, he would know better than that, wouldn’t he?

  Deciding she was definitely overthinking, she turned another page in the book and began reading chapter one. Shutting her mind off was easy as soon as she read the first paragraph of the story. She read until her eyes were too heavy to stay open.

  She was looking forward to tomorrow, as she crawled into bed. Tomorrow would be another exciting day as the kids at school prepared their valentines for their peers. They’d spend hours cutting and gluing and she’d be counting down the hours until she was at the flower shop.

  ♥♥♥

  “Maybe next time you’re in the area, you can stop in,” a deep voice said, following the chime of the bell above the door.
>
  Kate was in the backroom searching for the Valentine’s Day decorations and craft supplies, to prepare for the upcoming week. Hearing the voice, she stepped out of the backroom, a breath caught in her chest when she realized the voice belonged to Jordan Hughes.

  “Hi,” she greeted, fumbling the stuff in her arms as she carried it to the desk. Her nerves were riled up as her thoughts raced on what to say. “I didn’t hear the bell when you walked in. Have you been in here long?”

  Nervousness thrummed in her voice as she spoke. Taking a minute to calm herself, she took a deep breath and avoided looking at him as he made his way to the counter. The smile that tugged at his lips was impressive—a perfect smile with perfect white teeth.

  “No, not at all,” Jordan said, waiting for her to look up at him before he said again, “Next time you’re in the area, you should stop in.”

  “I was just running errands, I usually don’t get over that way very often,” she stammered, stuttering over her words as he glanced around.

  “How long are you filling in for Jessica?” he asked, still smiling. “She’s gone on vacation in the Bahamas I heard?”

  “She’ll be gone over Valentine’s Day,” she said, still trying to avoid looking at him.

  He walked over to the flower case. “I’m sure you know that Jessica and I don’t see eye to eye very often, being business competitors and all,” he said, scanning the flowers. He pointed to the single white roses in a vase and said, “Have you checked these roses lately?”

  Concerned with what he was referring to, she walked out from behind the counter in his direction. “Just yesterday, why?”