The Remake (Second Chance Flower Shop #4) - Noelle Adams Page 0,37

wedding shop that also does other formal dresses. I’ve done some research and there’s nothing like that in the whole county. There are plenty of weddings here. Plus proms and school formals and girls’ pageants and things like that. I think there’s enough business to get it off the ground.”

“Yeah. There’s definitely nothing like that here.” Belinda did her best to sound encouraging, since the last thing she wanted to do was scare off a potential business from Azalea’s downtown. “It might still be kind of slow to build up customers for a shop like that.”

“Oh, I know.” Ariana was pretty with wavy brown hair, blue eyes, and a dimpled smile. “I know it sounds obnoxious to say so, but I don’t actually need to make money on this store. My family would fund it, even if it made no profit at all. But I think there might be room for something like that here, and I really want to do something. Something that’s real work. Something that means something.”

Belinda’s heart was touched by the sincere poignancy in the other woman’s voice. “You don’t think you’ve done something before now?”

“No. Not really. I feel like I’ve just been a spoiled rich girl. I spent half my twenties waiting to get married to an asshole who kept dragging his feet. All that wasted time. I finally broke up with him, and it was the best thing I ever did. But now I want to start over and be someone different. Someone better. So I need something to do. I was thinking about this.”

“I think it’s a great idea then,” Belinda told her. “We could definitely use a store like that, and it will help that you don’t need a lot of profit to survive. It wasn’t that long ago that our little downtown only had Anna’s, the laundromat, the flower shop, and my CPA business. All the other storefronts were empty. But now we’ve got the two primitives shops and the chiropractor, and a coffee shop is opening up over there soon. Your dress shop would be a perfect addition.”

Ariana grinned, scanning the cute downtown blocks, which looked a lot more alive than they had even two years ago. “I’m excited. I’m going to do it. I’ll call Jacob right away to sign the lease.”

“I’m excited about it too. I’m glad you’ve come to town.”

“Me too. I wasn’t sure about it at first. I really just wanted to get away, and since Charles was coming here to write his book, I figured I’d come with him. But I like it here. And I’m glad I met you. To tell you the truth, I was kind of hoping you and Charles...”

Belinda laughed. “Yeah, I think a lot of people were thinking that.”

“So there wasn’t any potential there? I thought he kind of liked you.”

For no good reason, Belinda pictured the hot need in Fitz’s eyes right before he kissed her. Every time. “I liked him too, but I think I’m at the point in my life where I’m looking for more than ‘kind of.’”

“Yeah. Of course you are.” Ariana turned around and nodded down the block. “Speaking of guys, what’s his story?”

Belinda looked and saw Fitz standing on the corner down the street, chatting with Ken Harley. “Whose story? Ken’s?”

“No. I know him. He’s the sheriff and married to the quiet blonde. I mean the other guy. Fitz or something like that? What’s his story?”

Belinda tried not to frown. “I... I don’t know. What do you want to know about him?”

“Nothing in particular. He’s just interesting. He always seems to be hanging around doing nothing. But he’s kind of cute, you know. And seems pretty smart.”

Managing to suppress a surge of jealousy and possessiveness, Belinda said, “He is smart. He just appeared one day out of nowhere. We don’t know much about him, but he’s a good guy.”

There. That hadn’t sounded too bad. And she hadn’t sounded too much like a jealous girlfriend who resented any other woman eyeing her man.

Ariana laughed. “Well, now you’ve got me more interested. What if he’s some kind of European prince in hiding? Or maybe he’s in witness protection. The possibilities are endless!”

It was clear that Ariana was teasing. Having fun. Maybe she did think Fitz was cute—who wouldn’t—but she didn’t appear to be actively pursuing him.

“Hasn’t anyone considered just asking him what his story is?” Ariana continued.

The question took Belinda aback. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but she blinked and froze for several seconds. “I...