LITMIR.BIZ

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arranging irises. What’s happening with you?”

      “I’m standing here talking to you.”

      “Ha-ha.” She cut off an inch from one stem and replaced the bloom in water. Her shop was full of buckets of various flowers set at different levels, to give the shopper the impression that he or she had just walked into a carefully landscaped garden or an outdoor flower market. Bonnie was incredibly pleased with the effect. Unfortunately shoppers hadn’t exactly been showing up in droves. Wedding season, in full tilt over the summer, had tided her over, brought some of her debt under control, and she was almost current on her payments, but business had slowed again, and she was in no shape to ride out bad times.

      The one downside of her life right now, which she didn’t like thinking about.

      “You seen that guy again?” Seth spoke so ultracasually she knew immediately whom he meant.

      “Don?”

      “Yeah, whoever.” He was practically growling, eyes stormy, his short, dark hair even more disheveled than usual, as if he’d been yanking on it all morning while composing his songs—a sure sign he was upset.

      Bonnie wished she could feel vindictive and triumphant at the switch—for a change, she was moving on and he was left behind. Instead, she felt tender and guilty. Guilty? Ha! As if! She had nothing to feel guilty about. Seth had ended their relationship, not her. He was the one with the issues. If he was still in love with her and wanted her, he knew how to get her back. With a big fat until-death-do-us-part commitment. Bonnie would trust nothing less. But he’d shown no signs of wanting anything more than to get all stressed out about her decision to date, though to his credit, he’d done nothing to dissuade her and seemed to understand and support her decision.

      They’d had one good nostalgic tumble in August, a strangely freeing experience that had been, in effect, a goodbye.

      Mmm. A damn good nostalgic tumble. She’d been bent over the arm of the couch with her legs hooked around his back and he’d been—

      Oof. Better not to think about that.

      “Remember Matti?”

      “Matti?” Of course she did. One of those unbearably gorgeous “friends” Seth kept coming up with. This one he’d bumped into in a bar, which apparently in his world constituted friendship. Matti had been interested in renting space in Bonnie’s shop to sell perfume, which would have been incredibly helpful to Bonnie’s bottom line. She’d agreed to consider it after Seth assured her he wasn’t out for Matti’s “bottom line” himself. “Nope, never heard of her.”

      “The perfume lady.”

      “Ohhh.” Bonnie repositioned a group of alstroemeria in its bucket, pretending to be only half listening. For too long she’d hung on to Seth’s every word, eagerly looking for any possible sign that he was weakening, that he realized how special their relationship was, that he wanted to take it to the next level. In the past six months, he’d seemed to be making snail’s-pace progress, but she had been hurt too many times to trust any of it. “Yes, I remember now. What’s happening with her?”

      “She decided not to rent space in your shop. Sorry about that.”

      Bonnie rolled her eyes. “Given that it’s been over a month since you mentioned her, I’m not exactly shocked.”

      “Not a month.” He looked stunned. “Has it been? I thought it was—Wait …”

      She laughed, shaking her head. “Someone’s had his brain immersed in his music.”

      “I guess.” He pulled a pink rose out of a nearby bucket and handed it to her. “For you.”

      “Awww, thanks, Seth.” She made a big show of rolling her eyes, cursing her traitor heart for beating the tiniest bit faster when he handed her the flower.

      “I was thinking …”

      She snorted. “Don’t strain anything.”

      “I have the perfect Christmas present for you.”

      Bonnie stiffened. Oh, no. He was not going to start with this seduction crap again, was he? Not that it mattered. She had Don to think about now, to fantasize about, to talk to and confide in. His profile had said he was looking for marriage, right there in black and white, and wow, men could do that? In every way he was better for her than Seth Blackstone, no matter the size of Seth’s … trust fund.

      “That idea Angela had, about the Come to Your Senses holiday promotional? I can pay your share of the group advertising.” He shrugged. “No wrapping or ribbon, but I thought you might like that.”

      She put the pink rose back into its bucket, incredibly touched, and yes, feeling guilty for assuming Seth had been about to bribe her with some expensive gift. Instead, he was trying to help out, knowing she struggled to keep up with expenses others could take on without blinking. “Seth. That is so sweet. But I can’t let you—”

      “Hey, this is a present.” He gave her a severe look, which made him so fiercely sexy she wanted to attack him. But, being newly-in-control Bonnie, she didn’t. “Very rude to turn it down.”

      “How about a loan?”

      “How about a gift?”

      “How about half of the cost?”

      “How about all of the cost?” He put a finger to her lips as she was about to speak again. She tried very hard not to shiver, and nearly succeeded. “Look, Bonnie, I have unfair amounts of money, you’re struggling right now, this would make me happy, and it would make it possible for you to be part of the Come to Your Senses special, which you should be because it makes brilliant business sense. So stuff the pride down your pants and say, ‘Seth, you utterly astounding man, I bow to your mind-blowing brilliance and accept.’”

      Bonnie bit her lip, thinking it over. If the group did a lot of advertising, which they should, the costs would probably add up to the total of what she had in her savings account. A loan would help. An outright gift would help even more. Seth had offered financial assistance several times and she’d always turned him down, but she did desperately want to be part of the event. “How about a simple thank-you?”

      “Hmm.” He pretended to consider. “So a blow job is out of the question?”

      “Seth!” She cracked up, knowing he was kidding, pushing away the image of that incredibly sexy look he got on his face when she—”It is most definitely out of the question.”

      “Okay, okay.” He grinned, which turned him instantly from bad boy to farm boy, a transition that never stopped amazing her. “I’m glad you’ll let me help.”

      “I’m really grateful, Seth. You know I am.”

      “Yeah …” He dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck, which meant he had something emotionally risky or otherwise difficult to say. “So you seeing that Don guy again?”

      “I am.” Sadness started building in her chest just when she most wanted to feel happy. She turned away, moved to a bucket of gerbera daisies, unable to face him. “We’re going out to dinner tonight.”

      “That’s fast. Didn’t you just have a first date with him?”

      “Fast?” She glanced at him over her shoulder. “You and I were in bed within a week.”

      “Geez, Bon.” His voice was tight. “You’re going to sleep with him?”

      Bonnie’s throat cramped. Ironic that she so hated causing him pain, since he’d caused her so damn much so many times.

      “Seth.” She turned to find he’d come up behind her much closer than she expected. With buckets at her back, she couldn’t move away, had to tip her head to meet his gray eyes, which showed a flash of entirely uncharacteristic vulnerability. “I am a grown woman who has met a man I really like. If I continue to really like him then

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