Irises and Indictments a Petal Pushers Flower Shop Cozy Mystery Book 10
Chapter 1
“I can’t believe this is finally happening.” I clasped my hands together and jumped up and down. The moment I had been waiting for forever! Long before Katy and Willie even started dating, I envisioned them together and left many not-so-subtle hints that they would be a perfect couple.
My name is Presley Sands, and I live in Hunter’s Hollow. This is my hometown, though I moved to and lived a long time in Chicago, thinking the big city life was for me. However, what you are looking for in your twenties and what you want when you’re a little bit older, ready to settle down, are two different things.
A while back, I reconnected with someone I went to high school with. When things got serious, we decided to leave Chicago. I sold my retail boutique and took over my mother’s flower shop. Cooper, my now-husband, sold his security business and got into politics. He is the mayor of our small town.
“I’m sure you’re over the moon; you wanted this to happen for a long time.” Willie chuckled. His last job was as a detective in Chicago, where we met and became great friends, but he’s a deputy sheriff here in Hunter’s Hollow.
After a tough case and a near-death experience, he decided to retire from the Chicago police force and live a quieter life. That’s when I knew he and Katy were destined to be together. They started out as friends and took their time, which really drove me crazy sometimes, but from firsthand experience, a good relationship is built on a good foundation. Knowing that still didn’t make it any easier to be patient.
“All that matters is that it’s happening now. She is going to love that ring.”
“Are you sure? I don’t need anything bigger?”
It was cute that he was worried, but Katy wasn’t one for any material things, and the diamond in the engagement ring he had picked out fit her style.
“No. This is perfect, and your planned proposal is perfect. Did you get the champagne that Cooper sent over? I don’t know anything about champagne, but a friend of Cooper’s is a self-proclaimed wine expert and said it was really good.”
“I got the champagne. I ordered food from the Italian place in Chicago she liked so well, and all I have to do is pop it in the oven. And then I have the box of things you gave me. Are you sure I need all this?” Willie looked down at the box in his hands.
“Yes. Dinner by candlelight will be perfect, and you want to have a pretty flower centerpiece to set the mood.” Not that Cooper and I ate often by candlelight at our house, but we had some beautiful candlesticks and candleholders for making displays at the flower shop. I had made Willie an arrangement with white and red roses.
“And you’re sure proposing on Valentine’s Day isn’t too cheesy?”
“For some, maybe, but not Katy. You know she loves Valentine’s Day. Sometimes, I think she likes it more than Christmas. This is going to be an epic proposal, and before you even say it, of course she’s going to say yes.”
Willie gave a wry smile. “Out of everything about this night, that’s actually the one thing I’m least concerned about. I just want to make it perfect for her.”
“Honestly, you could propose in the middle of the grocery store, and she would be thrilled. This will really be an evening to remember for her. Now, get going. You have a lot to get set up before tonight.”
I watched him go and couldn’t stop smiling. Katy was going to love tonight and the effort Willie had put into the proposal. I was so happy for my friends. It was going to be hard to wait for her to call and tell me the good news.
* * *
The rest of the day went agonizingly slow, the way things do when you’re waiting in anticipation. Luckily, since it was Valentine’s Day, the shop was swamped, and I liked being busy. It made time go fast.
“Did you see those bouquets you made with the pink and white roses? They are totally sold out,” Wendy, my most trusted employee, said.
“I know. The white and yellow ones are also almost sold out. Not that I don’t love traditional red roses on Valentine’s Day. There’s nothing wrong with the classics. I just know that not all women want that, and I thought if we had things made up, it would be easier for the guys to choose. The one thing I’ve learned so far in this business is that it doesn’t matter whether it’s a bride trying to pick out wedding flowers or just a gentleman coming in today; it’s sometimes hard to envision what you want, but when you have different things to look at, it’s much easier to figure it out.”
“Very true. Maybe next year, we try other colors. We did those dyed turquoise roses last summer. They sold really well.”
“That’s a great idea. Listen, if you want to get out early, go ahead. Since I don’t have Bella and Topknot with me today, I thought I would stay a little bit later and mark down what was ready for tomorrow morning.”
“Are you sure? The place is pretty messy from the rush.”
“I’m sure. Cooper said he wasn’t working late tonight, so the animals are fine. And plus, I need something to distract me while waiting for Katy to call to tell me about the engagement.”
“Yeah, I wish we had a way to secretly watch. It’s going to be so romantic. Well, thanks for letting me leave early. Chad is taking me out.”
“That’s awesome! Have fun,” I said while Wendy walked to the back to hang up her apron.
Chad was a new guy she had been dating. After the untimely demise of her previous boyfriend, I was glad Wendy was putting herself back out there. She deserved to be happy.
Once I locked the front door and turned the open sign to “Closed,” I gave Cooper a quick call to check in on Bella, our English mastiff, and Topknot, our duck. When people heard I had a pet duck, they thought it strange, and hey, I had to admit it was, if you didn’t know him. But he had become part of the family, and he and Bella were best friends.
I hung up the phone and made my way through the flower shop. Wendy had been right. It was a lot messier than usual, but that was a sign of a busy day. I straightened everything up, got price stickers and signs from the back, and started marking everything down.
My cell phone rang, and I fished it out of my pocket. It was Katy, but it was only 6:30. Had Willie already proposed? His plan was to have a romantic dinner and pop the question before dessert and champagne. Though, maybe he had decided he couldn’t wait and did it before dinner? I couldn’t blame him for that.
“Hey, Katy. What’s going on?” I tried to keep my voice neutral, just on the off chance he had not proposed yet and this call was about something else.
“Did you talk to Willie today?”
“Briefly. Why?”
“He told me to meet him at his house at six when I got off work, and he’s not here.”
“What do you mean, he’s not there?”
“Exactly what I said. He’s not here, but his car is, and the house was unlocked when I got here. The table is set—beautifully, I might add—with taper candles and a floral centerpiece that has your name all over it, but he’s not here. The candles were lit when I came in, and at first, I thought maybe he had to run to get something really quick and thought he would be back before I got here. But now he’s half an hour late, and he’s not answering his phone.”
A feeling of dread washed over me. The only way Willie would not have been at his house right then was if something had happened to prevent him from being there. He also would never have not told Katy if something had pulled him away, so I was having a hard time trying to keep my mind from going to the worst-case scenario, like he’d had an accident and couldn’t call or something. But I definitely didn’t want to say that to Katy and make her worry. It seemed like her mind was already there.
“What if something happened to him?” she asked. “What if he ran out to get something and got in a car accident?”
“Listen, I’ll be right there. I’ll call Cooper and ask him to call around and see if anyone has seen him.” By anyone, I meant the police or the local hospital, but again, I wasn’t in a position to say that.
“Thank you.”
We hung up. I tried calling Willie, but just like when Katy had called, he didn’t answer. After grabbing my coat from the back, I dialed Cooper while I locked the door and headed to my car.
“Are you on your way home?” he asked.
“No, I’m heading to Willie’s. He didn’t show up for dinner with Katy. Can you call around?”
“Absolutely. I’ll call you right back.”
I didn’t even have to tell Cooper who I wanted him to call. He also knew this wasn’t like Willie. Willie was either hurt somewhere or missing, and neither idea made me feel good.
