Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
All About Michelle
More Books by Michelle Rene
An Arrangement for Rose
Copyright © 2020 - Michelle Rene
Published by: Michelle Rene
An Arrangement for Rose is a work of fiction.
Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design & Formatting by: Dark Water Covers
Edited by: Michael R. Burhans
Music is what feelings sound like.
- Author Unknown
Chapter 1
Rose
“I hope you rot in hell,” my ex spits venomously at me as he storms out the door of my quiet flower shop, Roses and More.
Six years ago, Todd McDaniels walked into my shop to order his mother flowers for her birthday. His megawatt smile nearly took my breath away and drew me in like a moth to a flame. By the time he left, not only had he ordered flowers for his mother and grandmother, he’d gotten my phone number as well.
We dated for nine months and then he surprised me by proposing on New Year’s Eve. Our wedding took place on the anniversary of our first date. In the beginning, Todd was everything a southern girl like me could want in a man. He was charming, polite, handsome and thoughtful. The first three years of our marriage could only be described as blissfully perfect. When my grandmother took ill and passed away, Todd was my rock.
It wasn’t until after I officially took over the business that he changed. My sweet, loving husband became jealous, possessive and verbally abusive. Though he was never physically abusive, after two years of being mentally beat down and defending myself against false accusations of affairs, I filed for divorce.
Even though I refused spousal support, the laws of the state dictate otherwise. All I wanted was a fresh start; instead, the judge ordered that payments be deducted directly from his paycheck every two weeks. Thus, the reason for today’s hissy fit. After seeing the deduction on his pay stub, Todd felt the need to show up with accusations that I am ruining his life.
“No thanks, the last two years of our marriage were hell enough,” I mutter to myself as I begin to massage my temples. It’s a feeble attempt to thwart off the headache I feel forming, but I still have a few hours of work ahead of me and a delivery to make.
My assistant Janet peeks her head out of the curtain that separates the storefront from the workroom, “Rose, honey, are you okay?”
I turn and give her a weak smile, “Yeah, I’m okay, just my monthly reality check from Todd.”
Janet steps through the doorway and leans against the counter, “Reality check or not, no one deserves to be spoken to like that.”
I brush invisible dust off the counter, not willing to make eye contact, “Yeah, well that’s just a taste of what I experienced every day the last two years of our marriage.”
Janet immediately wraps me in a hug, “Oh sweetheart, we need to find you a man that knows how to treat you right.”
I laugh as I pull out of her embrace and point a finger at her, “No. I have plenty of things to focus on without adding a man to the mix.”
“I’m just saying,” Janet begins before I cut her off.
“I know exactly what you are just saying, and as much as I appreciate your concern, I’m in no hurry to start a new relationship.” I glance at the clock just as the bell over the door rings, “Looks like it’s time for us to get back to work. Do you have everything you need for the gift basket?”
Janet nods, “I do, or did, I worked on that while your visitor was here, so it’s all ready to go.”
“Great! I have a few more arrangements to make before I can deliver it to the performing arts center.”
While Janet takes care of the customers, I move to the workroom to complete the arrangements. The sunshine arrangement has always been one of my favorites. Yellow mums mixed with orange tipped yellow carnations form the rounded arrangement, while black pipe cleaners create the eyes and mouth needed to put a smile on anyone’s face.
The rest of the afternoon passes quickly as I finish the remaining orders and a few arrangements for the cooler. As I’m cleaning up, Janet walks through the doorway, handing me the bank deposit bag.
“Rose, honey, I’ve locked up and cashed out for the night, here’s the deposit.”
Taking the bag from her, I lay it on the worktable, “Thanks Janet, what would I do without you?”
She waves a dismissive hand at me, “Oh you’d do just fine, but it would be boring without me,” she teases with a wink.
I laugh at her assessment before agreeing with her, “Yes, it definitely would be.”
I load the gift basket and floral arrangement into my SUV, and then go back inside to gather my things. Turning off the lights, I set the alarm and lock the door. I climb into my SUV, start the engine and head towards the performing arts center.
I pull around to the backstage entrance, turn off the engine and step out of my vehicle. I pocket my keys and remove the basket and arrangement from the back. This isn’t the first time I’ve made a delivery to the performing arts center. My grandmother was a proud supporter of the arts and donated arrangements displayed in the foyer to welcome the patrons to the performances.
I walk to the door, ring the bell and wait for someone to open it for me. When the door opens, Ben Johnson smiles and pushes the door open wider.
“Evening, Rose. Need some help with those?”
“Hi, Ben. Thanks, but I think I’ve got them.”
He closes the door and
