Endless Love (Santa’s Secret Helpers #5) - Leeanna Morgan Page 0,26
the lopsided arrangement look even better.
He was impressed. He’d been trying to fix the flowers for the last ten minutes.
“How are you doing, Steven?”
He showed Kylie what he’d made. “I’m happy with the way it’s turned out.”
John looked at the three posies in front of his friend and groaned. “How did you make so many when I’ve only finished one?”
“Natural talent.” Steven laughed.
“Or it could have something to do with watching what Mila’s been doing,” Kylie said with an equally mischievous smile. “Mila comes to see me after school each Friday. She wants to be a florist.”
John’s eyes widened. “You never told me that,” he said to his friend.
Steven shrugged. “Since we moved to Sapphire Bay, Mila has loved visiting Blooming Lovely. When Kylie offered to show her how to make some of the arrangements, Mila was so excited she hardly slept all week.”
Kylie watched John tie some roses and daisies together. “I was the same when I was her age, except it was my nana who taught me. If you add another piece of foliage to the center, John, it will make everything look more balanced.”
He took the green leaves Kylie handed to him and added them to the flowers. She was right. It made a huge difference.
He glanced at Kylie. After placing the finished posies in her special refrigerator, she’d gone back to a large floral arrangement she was making for a customer. He had no idea how she knew where to put everything. To him, the flowers were like a giant jigsaw puzzle. No matter how hard he tried, there was always a missing piece.
Steven cleared his throat. “We’ll still be here at midnight if you don’t move faster,” he muttered to John.
“I thought you were enjoying creating your masterpieces.”
“I am, but I have to pick up Mila by ten o’clock. Megan’s looking after her.”
John pointed to the flowers. “If you keep making posies like that, you could change careers and become a florist.”
“I’m beginning to understand why Mila enjoys coming here so much. Flower arranging is a lot like construction. Once you get into the swing of it, everything falls into place.”
“Or not,” John muttered.
Kylie smiled. “The more flower arranging you do, the easier it becomes. You’re both doing great.”
Holding his breath, John tied a ribbon around the posy he was making. When he turned the flowers around, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least this one wasn’t lopsided.
“Well done,” Kylie said. “You made that posy twice as fast as the last one and it’s perfect.”
Perfect was probably an exaggeration, but he was happy to accept the compliment.
“How are the rest of the wedding plans going?” Kylie asked.
Steven reached for another flower. “Our suits arrived today.”
“That must be a relief.”
“It was for Shelley and Bailey,” John said. “They were worried we’d walk down the aisle in jeans and sweatshirts.”
“It would be a lot more comfortable,” Steven grumbled.
Kylie placed another dozen miniature roses on the table. “But not as dramatic. From what Bailey and Shelley have said about your wedding, it will be amazing.”
John hoped so. They’d spent a lot of time looking at decorations, table settings, and catering options. Shelley and Bailey wanted the wedding to be special for everyone. And from what he’d seen, it would be a night no one would forget.
A knock on the door had them all turning toward the back of the workroom.
“I wonder who that could be?” Kylie asked as she opened the door.
As soon as John heard the excited chatter, he knew who was standing in the doorway.
“Hi, Kylie,” Shelley said. “Mom and Dad wanted to help, so we’ve come to give Steven and John a hand.”
With a welcoming smile, Kylie ushered them into the room. “You’ve come at the right time. Your fiancés have just mastered the art of making a posy. They can share all their tips and tricks with you.”
Elena gave John and Steven a hug. “You are good boys. And look at the beautiful flower arrangements you are making.”
John sat a little taller when Shelley admired his last creation.
“It’s fabulous. I didn’t think you knew anything about making posies.”
“I don’t, but Kylie’s a good teacher.”
Ted sat beside John. “In that case, you can show me what to do. And if we get totally bamboozled, we can eat some of the chocolate and rum cheesecake Elena made.”
Kylie added more flowers and foliage to the center of the table. “That sounds wonderful. Elena always makes the yummiest desserts.”
And with the thought of cheesecake filling his mind,