to the front doors that read your hometown hardware store.
“I’m going to go look through the nursery while you do your thing,” I said.
He shrugged, like it didn’t really matter what I did. I narrowed my eyes at him as he walked away.
The indoor plants were in the opposite direction, so I let him go. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just keeping my eyes open for a plant who might get along with Myra and Blanche. Or maybe something for the office in the shop. There weren’t any windows in there, but if I could find something that thrived in low light, it would really perk things up.
A woman in a red Tilikum Hardware apron came down the aisle toward me. She looked to be in her forties, with blond hair in a careless ponytail and a friendly smile. Hopefully she was the garden specialist and could help me find some low-light varieties.
“Well hi there, Fiona,” she said. “So nice to meet you. I’m Olive Hembree.”
I blinked in surprise. How did she know my name? “Hi…”
“Looking for ways to make that dark old cabin more of a home?” she asked. “I don’t blame you. I can’t imagine it’s very cheery out there. Although maybe you’re used to that.”
“Um, do you mean Evan Bailey’s place?”
Still smiling, she nodded.
“It’s actually fine. I just really like plants.”
“Did you have a lot of plants where you were living before?”
That was a weird question. “I had a couple, yeah. Why?”
“I’m just so curious as to how that worked, being underground and all.”
“Underground?”
“Mm-hmm. How much space did you have? Did you really survive on canned food for all those years?”
“I’m sorry, what? I used to live in an apartment and ate normal food.”
“Oh,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “So you didn’t grow up in an underground bunker because your parents thought the world ended in 1985?”
I shook my head slowly. “No.”
She rolled her eyes with a sigh. “I’m going to have to have a little chat with Mavis Doolittle. She had it all wrong. Don’t tell me you really are a mail-order bride. I had the longest argument with Kaitlyn Peterson about that and I’d hate it if I was mistaken.”
“No, I’m not a mail-order bride either.”
“Pity. Evan Bailey could use a good woman in his life.”
I laughed. “He probably could.”
But was I actually up for that challenge?
“Is there anything I can help you find?”
“Yes, actually. I’m trying to find an indoor plant that can thrive in low light.”
She nodded again, as if that confirmed something, then showed me several options. I chose a cute spider plant with narrow light green leaves, since they’re both hardy and non-toxic to dogs.
I tucked the plant under my arm and looked around a little more. They had the cutest polka-dot plant, with mottled green and pink leaves. I kept thinking about that spot near the window where Blanche and Myra lived.
“I think my ladies need a friend. You could be their friend, couldn’t you? You’re not very big.”
It was a bit of a splurge, but I decided it would be worth it to make Evan’s house a little cheerier.
I took my plants up front and paid, then waited for Evan outside. He came out a few minutes later and cast a suspicious glance at my purchases.
He was still acting distant on the drive back to his place. I was starting to wonder if I’d done something to make him mad. Had I said something wrong at Gram’s last night? But why wouldn’t he just tell me?
I wished I knew what was going on inside that head of his.
He parked in front of his house and took his purchases into the shop. I brought my new plant inside and set her next to Myra and Blanche. I’d need to come up with a name for her, but so far nothing was jumping out at me. Dorothy, maybe? Agnes? I wasn’t sure.
“As for you, little pretty, let me show you your new home,” I said to the spider plant.
I tucked her under my arm, contemplating names, and walked over to the shop. This one might be a Margaret. Or maybe a Zelda.
Evan glanced over his shoulder at me when I walked in. I took the plant into the office and started moving a few things around to make room. It fit perfectly on the corner of the desk. I stepped back, put my hands on my hips, and tilted my head to look at her.