Chance to Bloom Read online

  Jack sat back in his chair and nodded. “Okay. That makes sense. But… do we really need that much stuff? I mean, if I’m just gonna sell the place, does it even matter that much?”

  Ethan blinked, then cocked his head to the side. “Wait, no. I’m sorry, but… no. You can’t sell before Valentine’s Day. You just can’t. First of all, it’s… Valentine’s Day. The day for showing love and affection and… faith in humanity. And maybe I’m sappy or cheesy or… whatever.” He waved a hand in the air. “In my opinion, though, it’s the best holiday of the year.” Ethan took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “But even if you disregard all of that, you still can’t sell before then. Not if you want to show a profit for the quarter, anyway. We started taking orders weeks ago, and there’s still a month left before the actual holiday. It’s literally our biggest day. Not only would it be disastrous for your profit and loss statements to just… just skip it, but you’d be letting down dozens—hundreds—of people in the process. Valentine’s Day has to happen.”

  Jack scrubbed a hand over his face and let out a long, slow breath. He knew Ethan was right, of course, but it was just so frustrating. He’d already been in town for over a week, and it felt like things were moving at a glacial pace. The very last thing he wanted was to spend another month in Bridgewater, just waiting for Valentine’s Day, but what choice did he have?

  He needed to show a profit if he was going to get the best deal possible in his negotiations with the New York chain, and Ethan certainly had a point about letting down the people who depended on the shop to make their holiday special. Jack might not have much love for the town he’d grown up in, but the flower shop had obligations to those people who had already placed orders, and Jack would follow through with those obligations. He simply had to.

  “You’re right,” Jack said, nodding slowly. “Valentine’s Day has to happen. It will happen. And I’ll be here to help.”

  He stopped himself before he could ask the very next question that had popped into his mind—whether or not Ethan had someone to spend Valentine’s Day with. Jack didn’t think so, and of course it wasn’t any of his business, but… he was still tempted to ask. As passionate as Ethan seemed to feel about the holiday, he certainly deserved to have someone to spend it with.

  Jack tried to ignore the little pang of something—jealousy?—that he felt whenever he tried to picture Ethan getting wined and dined by some mystery valentine.

  No, best to shut down that line of thinking before it could even take off. If Ethan did have someone to spend that day with, then great. He deserved to be treated well.

  And if he didn’t…

  “So you’re going to hold off on selling until after Valentine’s Day?” Ethan’s question pulled Jack from his thoughts.

  “Yes,” Jack said, nodding quickly and hoping the heat that was rising to his cheeks hadn’t given away the direction his mind had taken. “You win. I won’t sell until after Valentine’s Day.”

  Ethan sighed and sank back into the chair he’d been sitting in before, clearly relieved that he wasn’t going to have to argue his point anymore.

  Again, it was one of the things that Jack admired about the guy. Someone else in his position might have just shrugged and let Jack mess everything up, simply out of spite. But no matter what Ethan’s personal feelings were about Jack—or the fact that Jack was selling the shop—he’d remained professional and shown that his love of the business won out over anything else.

  It was enough to confirm the goodness that Jack had recognized in Ethan almost from the moment they’d met, and it was more than enough to earn Jack’s respect… on top of everything else.

  “And I’ll also be here to help, with whatever you need,” Ethan said. “Frankie will, too. Above all else, we want the store to do well, no matter what happens down the road.”

  “I appreciate that, and—” Jack swallowed hard, the words almost dying in his throat before he was able to get them out. He needed to say it, though. “And I know my dad would’ve appreciated it, too.”

  Ethan smiled.

  Finally, that bright, wide, thousand-watt smile that Jack hadn’t seen nearly enough of since that first day they’d met. It made Jack want to see it more, want to deserve to see it more, especially since he knew he was the reason it had been mostly absent for the past several days.

  “Thank you,” Ethan said, quietly. “That means a lot to me.” He cleared his throat and stood up abruptly. Jack couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw Ethan quickly swipe at his eyes as he walked toward the office door. “Unless you need anything else, I should probably get to work.”

  Jack shook his head. “No, that’s all I’ve got. Thank you, though. For everything.”

  Ethan gave a brisk nod and walked out the office door, closing it behind him. Jack thought about everything they’d said in the few minutes before Ethan had left. Even though Ethan had disagreed with him—and had successfully argued his point—about the timing of selling the shop, it hadn’t been an argument. There hadn’t been the unpleasantness or the awkwardness that Jack had felt after dinner the week before.

  Jack had finally felt like he and Ethan were trying to—and hopefully starting to—understand each other. At least a little. And even though they might still have a long way to go, and might not ever really get to that point, there was one thing Jack had no doubt about: Gary had been lucky to have a man like Ethan working for him… and Jack was just as lucky that Ethan had decided to stay on and help.

  He would have been in over his head without Ethan there, and they both knew it. But rather than use that as a bargaining chip, Ethan had gone out of his way to be as helpful as possible while still sticking to his principles.

  Jack never would’ve thought his father could’ve inspired that kind of loyalty and dedication, but now that he was the one benefiting from it, Jack wanted to be worthy of that kind of loyalty and dedication, too.

  Now, whether he liked it or not, he had a month to prove that Gary wasn’t the only Davis man who could follow through on commitments and get shit done.

  With Ethan’s help, Jack would make this Valentine’s Day a success for Beverly’s Blooms. He’d do the right thing to make Ethan proud. To make himself proud.

  To make his father proud.

  “Jack Davis,” Jack looked up when Brad Whitley’s familiar voice echoed across the lobby. “I knew that was you the minute you got out of that truck. Is that the same one you drove back in high school?”

  The man’s face had looked vaguely familiar from across the room, but Jack hadn’t quite been able to place it. His voice, on the other hand, was unmistakable.

  “Not quite the same truck,” Jack answered, grinning as Brad closed the distance between them and pumped his hand vigorously. “But it might as well be, it’s so old. How the hell have you been?”

  “Can’t complain, really. Let’s step into my office and catch up. I’ve got the paperwork you called about earlier.”

  Jack followed his old high school friend into the glass-walled office and sat down opposite the big desk with its stacks of neatly organized papers. Brad had always been a bit of a perfectionist, nice and orderly. A job at the bank was perfect for him, and he seemed to be happy.

  “So, what have you been up to?” Brad asked, once they were both settled. “Sorry to hear about your old man, by the way. He was a good guy.”

  “Thanks, man. Yeah, I’ve just been back in Bridgewater temporarily, tying up loose ends and trying to sell his flower shop.”

  It was a little surreal to be sitting across from someone he’d known back then. Even though Jack hadn’t done a good job of keeping in touch with any of his old friends, Brad was still a link to Jack’s past. He was the first person Jack had seen since he’d been back in town who had actually known Jack back then.

  And while it didn’t necessarily make Jack miss those days—not completely, anyway—it made it impossible not to think about that time in his life. Things had definitely been different t
hen.

  “That’s what Ethan said when he was in here last week asking about a loan. I was surprised at first, but…” Brad chuckled and shrugged a little, “it’s not like I can really see you keeping the place and working there, either.”

  Jack had barely heard the last part of what Brad had said. He hadn’t heard much past Ethan’s name, actually, aside from the word loan.

  “Um, what? Ethan was here for a loan? For what? To buy the shop?”

  It wasn’t any of Jack’s business, of course, but he’d been so surprised by the news that the question had slipped out before he could stop himself.

  In an instant, Brad’s expression changed, a wary look replacing the open, friendly expression he’d been wearing. When he spoke again, he was all business. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything. And of course I can’t say whether another client of the bank actually got a loan, or what it might have been for. I only brought it up because I assumed he’d spoken with you about it.”

  Jack stifled an exasperated sigh. He wasn’t trying to get Brad in trouble for divulging top-secret information or whatever. He’d just wanted a few more details.

  “No, Ethan didn’t mention it. And I’m not gonna bring it up with him, obviously. It just caught me off guard, that’s all.”

  Brad looked relieved at Jack’s explanation, no doubt thankful that he wouldn’t have to explain the reason he’d been discussing one customer’s business—no matter that he’d been maddeningly obtuse about it—with another customer.

  “That’s understandable,” Brad said. He stood up and pushed the folder of reports across the desk to Jack. “I guess I won’t keep you too much longer. Here’s the paperwork you asked for—say, do you ever talk to any of the guys anymore?”

  Jack shook his head. Even without mentioning names, he knew which guys Brad was talking about. Another pang of nostalgia hit him as he remembered their old football buddies—Stu, Cole, and Ben—and some of the fun times the five of them had had together.

  “I can’t even remember the last time I’ve talked to any of them.” Jack said. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen any of them since graduation. I heard Sean Hawkins made it to the NFL a few years back, but God, even that feels like forever ago.”

  Sean “Hawk” Hawkins had been their high school football team’s superstar and an all-around nice guy. Jack hadn’t been particularly close to him, though. Partly, if he was honest, because Hawk had been the only student at Bridgewater High with the guts to come out of the closet at that age.

  And Jack? He’d known even then that other boys were far more interesting than girls to him, but there’d been no way he could’ve imagined admitting that to anyone. Still couldn’t, really.

  Brad laughed. “Yep, he did. They’ve practically got a whole shrine to him at the high school, now. And yeah, it was forever ago. Let’s face it, buddy. We’re getting old. Anyway, the reason I ask is because we still try to get together a couple of times a month—go out, have a couple of beers, nothing fancy—and I thought maybe, if you weren’t too busy, I’d make a few calls and try to get something going tonight.”

  “Tonight?” Jack blinked, then exhaled. “Um, I don’t know. I, uh…”

  He wasn’t sure what he was going to say. Jack didn’t have anything else going on, of course, but was he ready for another blast from the past? Then again, he hadn’t really done anything fun since he’d been in Bridgewater, and those guys did know how to have a good time.

  “What?” Brad asked, eyebrows shooting up at Jack’s hesitation. “Don’t tell me you already have other plans. A hot date? You haven’t even been back in town that long, have you?”

  “No, it’s not that. Not a date. I just…” Jack shrugged. He just what, exactly? He was scared? Nervous? These were guys that—for several years of his life—had been good friends, after all.

  “Then stop trying to give me the run-around.” Brad clapped him on the shoulder and steered him back out into the lobby. “I’m going to call the guys and let’s plan on meeting up at the bar down on Main Street around six-thirty. Okay? I know they’ll all be as excited to see you as I was.”

  Jack turned to face Brad and smiled reluctantly. How was he gonna say no to that?

  Fine. Okay. Whatever.

  “Sure, that sounds good,” Jack said, finally. “Tell them I expect each of their asses to be there, though. No rain checks.”

  “I’ll let them know,” Brad said, grinning at him like he was genuinely looking forward to it. “And that goes for you, too, Jack. Six-thirty. You’d better be there.”

  Jack nodded and gave a slight wave as he walked toward the door. “Oh, I’ll be there. Don’t worry about me.”

  As he walked through the parking lot and climbed back into his truck, Jack still didn’t know if getting together with the guys was going to be a great idea or a trip down memory lane that he’d rather not take. It would be a segue into memories of a happier time in Jack’s life, but whether that would make him nostalgic for the past or just more upset about the present was hard to tell. Either way, it was too late to worry too much about it. He’d just have to have an exit plan if things went south. No big deal.

  Hopefully Jack was worrying about nothing. Hopefully it would be fun. It would certainly be nice to at least see the guys again after so long.

  There was no denying that Brad had been right about one thing, though.

  Jack could definitely use a drink.

  Even though it had been a decade since Jack and his friends had hung out, and nearly as long since they’d tried to sneak into the downtown bar underage, he knew from the moment he walked in and saw the four of them together that he’d made the right decision to stop by for a drink.

  As soon as Stu turned and called out his name, the other men stood up and swarmed Jack with a flurry of handshakes and hugs. It felt just like old times, and Jack wondered briefly what he’d ever been worried about.

  Of course things wouldn’t be awkward. These were his friends.

  And yeah, time had changed the way they all looked, and they’d no doubt matured as the years had passed, but in that moment Jack felt just as safe and at ease with them as he had ten years before.

  “Glad you could make it, buddy,” Brad said, mirroring Jack’s wide grin as they all sat down again. “I hope you don’t mind, but my fiancé, Jamie, wanted to come, too.”

  Jack looked around and shrugged. He hadn’t realized that Brad was engaged, but he didn’t mind a little female company. It’s not like they were all going to get especially vulgar after only a couple of beers.

  Probably.

  Maybe.

  “No, of course not,” Jack said. “I can’t wait to meet—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, a stranger with a smile as wide as Brad’s walked up and set a pitcher of beer between the two of them. “Beer for my boys,” the man said, turning his attention from Brad to Jack. “You must be Brad’s friend from out of town. I’m Jamie. Brad and the rest of the guys have told me so much about you.”

  Jack opened his mouth to speak, but could only nod as the man shook his hand and sat down across from Brad. They’d told Jamie… what, exactly? They sure as hell hadn’t told Jack anything about Jamie. Jack looked around the table, but nobody seemed to be reacting to the fact that Brad’s fiancé just happened to be a man.

  Nobody besides Jack, anyway.

  The rest of the guys had turned their attention to the football game on TV, and Brad was busy pouring three pints of beer from the large pitcher.

  Don’t say anything stupid.

  Think before you speak.

  Don’t make an ass out of yourself.

  “It’s, um, really good to meet you, Jamie.” Jack tried to cover his shock behind a smile. There were so many thoughts and questions rushing through his head, but almost none of them were exactly appropriate to ask someone he’d only known for about ten seconds. There was one he could ask, though. “How long have you and Brad been, um, engaged?”

&
nbsp; “Not long,” Jamie turned to Brad. “What’s it been, babe? Three months? Four?”

  “Two, actually,” Brad said, his smile dimming slightly. “Together for eight months, engaged for two.”

  “Wow, so—” Jack clamped his mouth shut and swallowed back the words he’d been about to say. Was it rude to point out that slow, deliberate Brad had never moved that fast with anyone else in his life? Or, at least he hadn’t back when Jack had known him. “Congratulations,” he said instead. “You guys seem really happy.”

  “We are,” Brad said. “I mean, any relationship has its ups and—”

  “We’re really happy,” Jamie said, cutting him off and taking Brad’s hand in his own. “Super happy.”

  Jack could feel the slight undercurrent of tension that ran between Jamie and Brad, but he was still too caught up in his own thoughts to try and make sense of it.

  “That’s awesome,” Jack said, gratefully accepting the glass of beer from Brad, then taking a long, slow drink.

  How could he have missed the signs that Brad was gay? Had there been any signs? Jack thought back to their meeting at the bank, and then to the times they’d hung out together back in school. Nope. There really hadn’t been any clues that he could remember.

  Sure, Brad hadn’t dated much in high school, but he’d been busy with sports and he had always worked after school and during the summer. Jack had always just assumed Brad hadn’t had time to do much else.

  No, if Jack hadn’t just met Jamie—just seen him with his own two eyes—he never would’ve guessed that Brad was into guys.

  Looking down the table at his old friends, Jack wondered briefly if any of them would feel the same kind of shock and surprise if they found out Jack was gay, too. He wondered if they’d be as accepting as they apparently had been with Brad and Jamie.

  It was really a moot point, though. Jack didn’t plan on coming out anytime soon, if ever. After all, it wasn’t anyone’s business. Just because he used to be good friends with these guys didn’t mean he had an obligation to share every detail of his life.