Chapter 2

Monroe in particular. But no, I wasn’t thinking that about one of the grooms who’d come in for a consultation. I refused.

“Well come on back and we can talk about what you want for your wedding.” I led the way, and both men followed dutifully. I gestured to the chairs near one of the worktables, and Monroe waited until Lincoln sat before sitting himself. I pulled over my rolling stool and sat as well, then grabbed the printouts I’d set there earlier.

“So the date is coming up quickly, but I don’t have any issues filling an order for you,” I began. “But I have to warn you that it might limit what you can choose. And not just from me, if you decide to go elsewhere. Some flowers can’t be instant-ordered, since they need to be shipped from hothouses farther away. With only four weeks to the big day, that’s limiting, but not overly so.”

Monroe nodded, and Lincoln blurted out, “No baby’s breath.”

I startled at the random exclamation, but nodded and marked it down. “Not a problem, not everyone likes—”

“Wilson’s allergic.” Again Lincoln.

“Linc, take a breath. It’s all fine,” Monroe said soothingly.

Lincoln nodded, sucked in a fast but deep breath, then let it out slowly. Monroe waited for him to do it again, then patted him on the shoulder.

“Sorry,” Lincoln murmured, his cheeks bright red. “I’m nervous. New people…I just…it’s hard…”

“It’s fine, Lincoln. I get it. We can take all the time you need,” I assured him. Relief coursed through him, making his shoulders sag, and until that moment, I didn’t realize how tense he’d been. He gave me a shaky smile.

“Want me to get things started until you’re more comfortable?” Monroe asked kindly. Lincoln nodded again. Monroe gave him a quick, one-armed hug, then turned his attention to me. “Our brother, Wilson, is allergic to flowers, and baby’s breath is one that sets him off. It’s not too bad with some of the others, and if you can maybe suggest flowers that aren’t big allergy triggers, that would be great.”

“Sure I can…” What he said caught my attention and I had to fight to keep suspicion off my face. “Your brother. You’re brothers?”

Monroe let out a booming laugh and nudged Lincoln with his elbow. “I told you he’d think we were engaged.”

Lincoln mumbled something that sounded like “you’re not that funny” then took a deep breath and met my gaze. “Yes. My fiancé, James, is on duty today, so my brother offered to come with me.”

“I’m glad you have someone here with you,” I said kindly. Lincoln obviously had anxiety, and I was glad he had support with him, even though I wasn’t scary in the least. But something about those names stuck out to me. “Monroe. Lincoln. Wilson,” I muttered, trying to figure it out.

Monroe let out another laugh. “We have one more brother, too. Hayes.”

The light went on. “Presidents,” I crowed, making Lincoln jump. “Sorry, sweetie. I just…I got it. You’re all named after presidents.”

“Ding, ding, ding.” Monroe pointed at me. “I like you. No one ever figures it out without us telling them.”

“That’s fun,” I said with a smile. “Parents are history buffs?”

“Our dad,” Lincoln said, and I could tell the banter had relaxed him somewhat. I was glad to see it and decided it would be bad form to point it out. I just went on like I hadn’t noticed

“Well, don’t worry. We’ll take Wilson’s allergies into account. There are a few flowers that are known to basically be pollen free. Amaryllis, tulips, and calla lilies, for example.”

“Don’t lilies smell bad?” Monroe wrinkled his nose.

“To some people, yeah. Stargazers or Easter lilies are the worst culprits, though some people love the scent.” I reached for my flower book to show them what I meant, flipping pages, then turning around the book, pointing them out, then turned the page again and gestured to the callas. “But calla lilies have no scent at all, and amaryllis—” I turned to the right page to show off all the colors “—are beautiful, come in lots of colors, have no scent, and no pollen.”

The next half hour passed pleasantly enough. We talked about what they would need—it was a small wedding with only a best man and matron of honor, and four groomsmen. Two mothers, one father. A few arrangements to decorate the hall, and small centerpieces for each of the eight tables. Totally doable in the time allotted

It was when we started to talk about price that Lincoln got quiet and uncomfortable again. The greenery wasn’t a problem, and the amaryllis was decent in bulk, especially for the amount I would need. But the calla lilies made the price jump to another bracket. I could see how much Lincoln wanted the calla lilies, but also how much the extra expense made him squirm.