Chapter 15

Burke glanced up as a man larger than his father entered his office. “Leo.” Burke jumped to his feet like Leo was the King of England. “What are you doing here? Is Gen okay?”

“She’s fine.” Leo extended his hand for Burke to shake, and then he sat in the chairs lined up against the wall.

Burke had no idea what to do. He’d been reading an article about germination and cross-pollination, and he’d been moments away from nodding off. Now, his heartbeat pulsed against the back of his throat.

“You’re serious about Ash?” Leo asked, his dark eyes gazing evenly at Burke.

“I am, Leo. I really like her.”

“She hasn’t been the luckiest with men.”

Burke wanted to say he hadn’t exactly had a cakewalk in his romantic past either. Leo really could miss so much sometimes. Instead, he just nodded, a strange expression stuck to his face. He tried to straighten his lips and finally succeeded.

But Leo scowled. “I’m worried about her.”

“Why?”

“Remember how you said you were trying to get as many numbers as you could?”

Burke simply blinked at Leo. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“In high school, you wanted to get all the girls’ numbers, so you could text around and find a date whenever you wanted one.”

“Okay,” Burke said, unsure of what this had to do with now, two decades later, and Leo’s sister.

“I didn’t want my sister to be one of them.”

“I know that, Leo. You made it very clear.” He placed his hands flat on his desk the way he’d seen his father do several times in the past. “But we’re adults now, and she can make her own decisions.”

“As long as you’re serious.”

“I am.”

“It’s just that you haven’t been very serious about much lately. In a while, actually.”

Burke had two advanced degrees. He certainly knew how to work hard, how to achieve something. So maybe he’d been drifting since Bridgette. Did that mean he wasn’t responsible?

No, he showed up for work every day—earlier than his father.

Did that mean he couldn’t fall in love again?

Every day with Ash proved that wrong.

Leo stood as abruptly as he’d come, and said, “If you’re sure.” He paused, clearly waiting for Burke to say something, but he had no idea what. So Leo just left, and Burke went back to his article on germination.

But his mind lingered far from flowers and pollen and bees. It revolved around what Leo had said, and why he still thought Burke wasn’t good enough for Ash.

Because he’d been a bit of a player in high school? Liked to have fun? Go out with different girls? He hadn’t gotten serious with any of them. Heck, he was still friends with some of them.

He finally gave up on his reading and left the office in favor of the open sky and long rows of flowers. He walked down the middle lane, the scent of heady perfume hanging in the air.

If you’re sure.

Burke wasn’t sure of much, honestly. He’d been learning more and more about himself as he spent more and more time with Ash, as they got a little more serious with each passing week.

He now knew he wasn’t content with his life. Dolly was great, but she wasn’t the only companion he wanted for the rest of his life. He knew he wanted Petals & Leis, and that he wanted to keep the farm in his family for generations to come, just like his dad had expressed.

Sweat trickled down the side of his face, and he turned back to the building so he could stew about his girlfriend, her brother, and what he should do next in the air conditioning.

“Burke, your mother’s on the phone.” His father stood in his office doorway only an hour after Burke had returned from his quick walk through the blooms. Burke glanced at his phone, but the screen was still black.

“In my office.” His dad gestured for Burke to come with him.

Seeing no other choice and not wanting to cause a problem, he went. “Hey, Mom,” he said as he closed the door. Surely his dad would have the call on speaker.

“Hey,” she said. A very long pause came over the group, and she finally said, “George.” No question mark at the end, like they’d maybe rehearsed whatever was coming next.

“Your mother would like to set a date for the wedding,” his dad said.

Burke blew out his breath. “We don’t have a date for the wedding.”

“Burke, honey,” his mother said. “Our calendar fills up quickly. And when your father retires, we’ll do some traveling.”

He looked at his father, but he simply settled behind his desk and pulled something toward him as if he had no interest in this conversation. Burke didn’t buy it for a moment. His dad had been the one to push him this summer, asking about an engagement ring several times before dropping it without an explanation.

“And Krista called last night and mentioned that she and Tad are getting serious, and they’ve talked about getting married,” his mother continued. “I told her she’d need to consider your feelings. Maybe you won’t want to have a wedding too close to yours.”

“I don’t care when she gets married,” Burke said. He hadn’t even known she and Tad were serious. The man wasn’t serious about much.

Maybe that’s a front, Burke thought. Like the one he’d been putting on for years.

“Burke,” his mom said again, but his dad interrupted her with, “I think this engagement is a fake.”

Burke’s eyes flew to his father. His heart raced around inside his chest like he’d injected caffeine straight into the ventricles. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“Burke wouldn’t lie to us like that,” his mother said over the phone line. His guilt tripled, and Burke didn’t know what to say or do.

“Well?” his father challenged.

He cleared his throat, wishing he didn’t have to. It made him sound so, so weak—and guilty. “I told you we were going slow,” he said.

“Heather, I told you they didn’t even really start dating until recently.” His dad leaned forward over the speaker on the phone. “There’s no way they’re engaged.”

Anger burned behind Burke’s eyes. “How do you know when we started dating?”

His dad looked at him and lifted his chin. “I know a lot of people around town,” he said. “You weren’t even seen in public together until a couple of weeks before the barbecue.”

“They run together every morning,” his mom said, and Burke appreciated that she still thought the best of him. He was going to break her heart when he confessed that yes, he’d made up his relationship with Ash because he wanted the flower farm.

“Burke?” his dad pressed.

Burke felt so, so trapped. He hated these walls, the fact that the door was closed behind him. He needed fresh air, and only the sky for a limit.

“Fine. We started dating just before the barbecue. We aren’t engaged.” His chest heaved. “I’m sorry, Mom.” He glared at his father. “I just didn’t want to disappoint you. Either of you. And Dad wants to retire, and I want Petals and Leis.”

His desperation surged, choking back the rest of this words. It felt like lightning had struck in his dad’s office. At least he didn’t look smug. Just…disappointed. And Burke could only imagine how terrible his mother felt right now.

“I don’t see why I have to be married to have the farm,” he said. “It feels like a stupid rule.”

“We want—”

“The farm to stay in the family. I get it.” Burke turned away from his dad, from the conversation. He pulled open the door. “But maybe I’m just not the marrying type. Maybe I’ll never find someone I can love like that.”

Someone pulled in a sharp breath, and Burke focused his attention out the door to find Ash standing there.

“Ash.”

She held a pink pastry box in her hand and a horrified expression on her face. “I knew it,” she whispered, shaking her head. Her curls bounced, and it took long seconds for Burke to piece together what she’d said.

“Knew what?”

“That you were pretending.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I asked you over and over. Why couldn’t you just admit you didn’t really like me?”

“What?” Burke took a step toward her at the same time his dad said something. His attention divided, he couldn’t form a sentence or make sense of things.

“See?” Ash said. “You did string me along just to keep your farm.”

His father joined him just outside his office, and Burke stood there, numb. That’s not true, he thought but the words wouldn’t leave his throat.

“I told myself I’d do whatever I had to do to help you keep Petals and Leis,” she said. “But I can’t. I deserve to be happy too.” She thrust the box toward him, and when he didn’t make a move to take it, his father stepped forward and accepted it.

“Happy three-month anniversary.” Ash turned on her heel and stormed out.

Only then did Burke feel like he could move and speak. “Ash, wait,” he called after her, finally getting his legs to carry him out of the spot where he’d frozen. He burst outside and ran after her, but she could really move fast when she wanted to.

“Wait,” he said, catching her as he arrived at her car.

“It’s over, Burke. I don’t want to be with you if it’s a big lie.” She pulled open her car door and got in.

“It’s not a lie,” he said.

“You just said you won’t find someone you’d love enough to marry.” She straightened and looked him right in the eye. Not a flinch, or a single ounce of worry sat in her eyes. Burke almost shrank back, and he didn’t dare speak.

“Burke, I think you’d know by now if we could be together like that. We’ve been friends for so long.” Her voice almost broke, but she contained it. “There’s nothing you don’t know about me. So, what is it? What’s holding you back?”

He had no idea.

“I already told you once: I don’t want to pretend. And that’s all you’ve been doing.” She drew in a deep breath, and he marveled and how she could say exactly what she was thinking. “Good-bye, Burke. Enjoy the doughnuts. Wes said they’re your favorite.”

She started her car and pulled out of the space, all while Burke’s heart wailed and wailed at him to get her stop! Come back!

But he said nothing. He’d asked her to wait so he could explain, but he found he couldn’t. What was there to explain?

“Burke.”

He spun back to his father, his fury boiling up and up and up. “I’m going home, Dad.” He walked away before he said or did something he’d regret for the rest of his life.

As he got in his own car and started it, his phone chimed. He was surprised he even had the device on him, but he did. He pulled it out of his back pocket, almost pulling his shoulder in the process.

It was his mother: Maybe you’re ready for the wedding, but not the marriage.

He had no idea what that meant. He didn’t feel ready for anything, and he certainly didn’t want to talk about it.

He did owe his mother an apology, so he sent two simple words and then left the farm, hoping it wasn’t for the last time.