Chapter 22

Claire shook out her hands, alleviating the cramps that came from cutting hundreds of lengths of ribbons and tying them into the bows that she would eventually attach to any bouquets sold during her grand opening event. The big day was only a little more than a week away, and the shop now looked like a real store, so much so that she practically trembled with excitement every time she saw it.

Excitement… and a lot of nerves. Because she'd accomplished a lot, but there was still a lot to go. And, since flower shops naturally depended on fresh flowers, some of the most important work couldn't happen until the last minute, something that caused the ‘planner' in Claire to twitch with anxiety.

She took a long, deep breath, held it for a few counts, then released it slowly.

Letting her anxiety get the best of her was a surefire way to court a flare-up. She'd been doing well recently, balancing her self-care with all the work that needed to be done, and goodness knew that finally, formally quitting her old job had helped… no matter that it had felt like an enormous step.

Fortunately, however, she thought with a smile as she continued stretching out her fingers, Liam had been there with her every step of the way.

Their future, and Liam's future in Whale Harbor, was still up in the air, and Claire didn't want to pressure him to make any decision that he wasn't ready for. But every day she spent with him—which was nearly every day at this point, as neither of them seemed to ever get sick of the other—led her to fall deeper and deeper into her feelings for him.

She was scared to call those feelings love, not when he might still leave, but she had the sinking suspicion that was exactly what she was feeling for tall, handsome, kind Liam Hiller.

Her week continued much on the same track as had the week before; she spent her days in the shop, getting things ready as the grand opening grew ever closer, and her evenings with Liam, usually doing something quiet and restful so she didn't risk any more exhaustion. They'd become hooked on a mystery drama, eagerly debating their theories about which of the residents of the small, English countryside village would turn out to be the villain.

She was astonished how much her feelings grew in these simple moments where they sat quietly on her couch, a bowl of popcorn between them.

The previous evening, however, she'd had to cancel, her weariness getting the better of her. Liam had been understanding, of course, but it had made her cranky in a way that not even looking at the shining, golden letters on her front window, which read WHALE HARBOR BLOOMS, could alleviate.

That was a sign her mood was bleak indeed. Usually looking at the sign cheered her enormously.

No matter how tired she was, she still had to work. The grand opening was only a few days away, and she needed to complete her window display, something that required making hundreds and hundreds of paper flowers, since real flowers would die too quickly in the bright light of the front window.

She was looking at the piles and piles and piles of paper, wire, and glue that would eventually become her beautiful display when she heard the front door open.

"Sorry," she called before she even looked up, "we aren't open yet—"

The words died on her lips. Because the people coming into her shop weren't potential customers, they were her friends.

A big group of her friends.

"Hello!" Marty called cheerfully, balancing a coffee carrier in one hand as she opened the door with another. "Reinforcements have arrived."

"A little birdie told us you might need help with some crafts," Monica added from behind her. "I love crafts."

"I love crafts so much I made a whole career out of it," Darla contributed.

Wyatt brought up the rear. "I'm not great at crafts," he admitted, "but I'm here for reaching high places, lifting heavy things, and fetching snacks." He hefted a box in his hands that, from the smell, contained some kind of warm sandwiches. "The first round of snacks is from Charity, who said she'd stop by after her shift was done at Seastar."

"He's the muscle," Marty confirmed teasingly.

Claire was speechless. Tears of gratitude pricked her eyes.

"A little birdie?" she finally managed, replying to Monica's comment.

Monica winked. "I think you know the one."

Claire did. Liam was too busy on a job with Braden today to come out and assist her, so he'd gathered her friends and sent them to her. She whipped out her phone and send three heart emojis, pressing send before she could worry that this revealed too much about her emotions.

"You guys are seriously so amazing," she said with feeling as her heart swelled with gratitude. "I can't thank you enough."

"That's what friends are for, you goof," Darla chided, coming around to Claire's side of the counter and bumping her with her hip. "You don't have to thank us."

"Just put us to work," Marty agreed.

So Claire did. She showed them how to make the flowers, gluing the fiddly paper to the centers made from wire and florists' tape, and then explained her vision for the window, which would look like a giant bucket pouring out a waterfall of flowers. Everyone oohed and aahed over the sample photos she showed them and then got quickly to work.

True to his word, Wyatt wasn't much for the fine craft work, which he blamed on his ‘chubby man fingers," but he was great at placing the flowers. He seemed naturally blessed with an eye for color composition, and after the first few minutes, Claire didn't even bother directing him where to put which flower. As the afternoon faded into evening, Liam arrived and jumped right into the project after giving Claire a quick kiss on the cheek that made the girls tease her until she blushed happily.

When Charity arrived, bringing another round of food, they took a quick break for dinner and were done about an hour later. Claire looked around, feeling almost breathless at the sight of her vision come to life. All that remained was stocking the fridges with the fresh flowers and she would be ready for the grand opening.

"It's really real," she whispered, awestruck.

Liam came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You made it real," he told her, pride in his voice.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she told him. Then, louder, to everyone else, "Or you all either. This was seriously beyond amazing."

"You're one of us now, girl," Marty said, giving Claire a sisterly peck on the cheek. "We help."

"Whether you like it or not," Wyatt joked, causing his wife to stick out her tongue at him.

"Well," Monica said, looking around with satisfaction. "I think we did it. And since you're home," she said, glancing at Liam, "that means my construction worker is probably back after a long day too. I'm going to go meet him and give you two lovebirds some time."

Her departure signaled everyone else to pack up their things, Charity and Darla particularly eager to get back to their partners, dogs, and, in Charity's case, kids. They all promised to return for the grand opening in a few days. After a few minutes, only Claire and Liam remained.

"How's your energy level?" he asked, wrapping her in his arms. "If you're up for it, I thought we could go out to dinner to celebrate you getting everything ready, but if a night home snuggled up with a pizza feels better, that sounds great to me too."

Claire grinned. For the first time in a while, she felt invigorated at the end of the day instead of wiped out.

"Let's go out to eat," she suggested. "My treat, since you wrangled me an army of helpers today."

"How can I turn down that offer?" he joked.

Spring was in full bloom now, so they didn't need more than light jackets before they headed out into the evening. They walked to Liam's car, since Claire could either get hers later or walk to work the next morning, their joined hands swinging between them.

"I don't think I thanked you enough for doing that," she said as they walked down the sidewalk, pools of light cast by the streetlamps. "It really means a lot that you already know me so well."

His gaze was soft upon hers in the dim light. "I like doing things for you," he said. "I like knowing all about you. And the more I know, the more amazing I think you are."

She had no choice, after such a sweet proclamation, but to pull him in for a kiss.

They got into the car, quickly deciding to check out a new Thai restaurant that had opened in Blueberry Bay. Claire was scrolling through the menu on her phone, describing dishes she was eager to try, when Liam suddenly stopped in the middle of the road.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking out around them worriedly. They were in the middle of a residential street on the opposite side of Whale Harbor where Claire lived. The house to their left was lit up with a glow…

"That house is on fire," he said, voice matter of fact as he pulled off to the side of the road. Before Claire could react, he'd turned off the car and had removed his seat belt. "Call 9-1-1 and give them our location. I'm going in to help."

And then he raced off toward the burning building without a second's hesitation.