Elias' POV

I sit behind the counter humming a made-up song, mindlessly clicking through emails on the computer.

Work should be my primary focus. Instead, yesterday's meet-up with Clark sits at the forefront of my crowded brain. We hadn't been in touch much after Ava's event, both of us living busy lives, so it was nice to see him again.

Getting to know Oliver was nice, too. He has the personality where you can toss him into any crowd, and he'll leave with half of them calling him a friend. I had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the food.

But that car I saw...Clark had been so sure it was paparazzi. My gut felt otherwise, and still does.

Then again, yes, I could've overreacted. I haven't been part of Clark's world long enough to tell the difference between a pap and a potential stalker. You can't judge someone based solely on their outward appearance.

But—big reach here—what if it was his brother Christian spying on us instead of the paparazzi?

He made it clear he didn't like me when we first met. Or should I say when he paid me a visit intending to threaten me under the guise of being a protective older brother. Is the man really that unhinged to stoop so low to do something like that? And was he after me or Clark?

I shake my head, pushing away all speculations.

The last thing I want to do is make baseless accusations and drive a wedge between me and Clark, or him and his brother. Our arrangement has us together for a year, so we both need things to go as smoothly as possible.

The bell above the door sounds, and I curse myself silently. I forgot to flip the damn sign to Closed.

I'm supposed to leave in fifteen minutes to tour the building I want for my second shop. It's in a great neighborhood with lots of foot traffic. I'm feeling good about my chances of getting the owner, Phil, to sell.

Let's get through this first.

Plastering on a polite smile, I glance up to greet my last customer of the day. "Hi! Welcome to...Oh. What are you doing here, Pops?"

"Just picked up my medicine from the pharmacy and thought I'd swing by to check on you." He grins at me, the corners of his warm brown eyes crinkling.

He lost his hair while I was in middle school, so he's been rocking the bald look ever since. A few things I got from him are my height, Type 4 hair, and my love of the outdoors. At sixty-two, he's still active and in great shape, like my mother. Most people guess he's at least a decade younger.

Seeing how well my parents have aged, I have no worries that I'll still be a catch when I get older.

"I'm doing okay." I shut down the computer and grabbed my keys off the counter, ready to head out. "Actually, I was just about to go look at a space for the new shop. Do you want to come with me?"

"Wish I could, but I promised your mama I'd come straight home and help with supper."

"Dang. You don't want to hang out with your only son for a few minutes?"

"Listen, you know how she gets when she asks you to do something, and you don't do it. I want no trouble."

Approaching him, I shoot him a playful smile. "Blame me for making you late, then. C'mon, old man."

"Alright. It's your funeral." Shaking his head in amusement, he follows me out the door. "Where is this spot located, anyway? I can't be driving all around town unless you're going to give me some gas."

"Goodness, man. It's not that far, I promise." I laugh and lock the shop door before walking to my car. "Just follow me, okay? I'll even drive slow for you."

He chuckles. "Yeah, okay."

***

When we pulled up to the location, I immediately spotted the owner, Phil, standing outside waiting for us.

He's hunched against the brick wall wearing that permanent scowl-like expression with a cigarette dangling from his thin lips, an activity he probably should have given up decades ago.

But life is short as hell, so who am I to judge?

"Elias." Phil greets me with a firm handshake as me and my father approach. "This must be your old man, huh?"

"Leon," my father replies, grasping Phil's hand. "Pleasure."

Phil nods, taking one last drag before stubbing out the cigarette. "Well, let's get you inside, shall we?"

The door creaks as he unlocks it, revealing a vast space stripped down to bare bones. I can't tell what my father is thinking because his poker face is unmatched, but to me, this feels like the shell of a dream waiting to be filled.

As my eyes sweep over the exposed beams and concrete floor, I can already see it—display cases, lush greenery tumbling from the ceiling, jewel-toned blooms popping against clean white walls. It's perfect. It's everything.

"Well, Pops? What do you think of the place?" I turned to my father, nerves suddenly fluttering in my stomach.

"It's..." His dark brow remains furrowed as he continues to look around. "It's a start, I guess."

"Oh." My heart sinks, and I'm unable to mask the disappointment in my voice. "You don't like it."

"It's not that, son."

"Then what is it? Be honest. I can handle it."

"It's just...well, you've already had this talk with your mama." He follows up. "She and I aren't getting any younger. We've both been thinking about retiring for a while now. Let the business go out with a bang."

"Everyone seems to be on the same page except for me," I mutter, kicking up invisible dirt. "I hear where y'all are coming from, but I'm not giving up on the family business. Not yet," is the only response I can get out.

"I know you won't." He sighs, resting a hand on my shoulder. "I want you to be happy, regardless. To always follow your heart. But I also don't want you biting off more than you can chew, you hear?"

I nod.

"Being a full-time business owner of two shops at two different locations is no joke, son. It won't be easy."

"I know it won't," I whisper past the lump in my throat, not wanting to second-guess myself because I can admit he definitely has a point. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

He pats my back before dropping his hand. "You could always get your sister to come down and help out whenever things ever get too tough."

I roll my eyes, laughing. "Last I heard, she was working a job somewhere in Australia. Helping me run a flower shop is the farthest thing from her mind, I'm sure."

"Nah. Give your big sister more credit."

"I'm trying."

As we prepare to leave, he pauses by the door. "You know something else—your mama and I ain't seen much of you lately. Used to be you'd pop in every other day."

"Ah, well..." I stumble over my words, face suddenly feeling hot. "I've been busy with the shop and stuff."

He smirks. "And busy with who else?"

"Okay, okay, you got me! I may have...met someone recently."

"How serious is it?"

"Very."

Please, God, forgive me for lying.

"Well, if it's serious, then I want to meet him. Set something up and invite him over to the house."

"Yeah, sure. I'll talk to him about it."

Shit.

I mean, this was bound to happen, right? My parents are old, but they're still tech savvy. They would've found out about me and Clark eventually, so I guess it's better this way. I just hope Clark is ready to be grilled by my folks.

After my father takes off in his car, I'm about to start the engine to mine when my phone rings. I pick up to see a name on the screen that rarely appears.

Remy.

What the hell does he want? Curious, I answer. "Hey, Remy. Everything okay?"

"Elias! Thank God you picked up. I'm so sorry to bother you, but I need a huge favor."

"Uh, sure, yeah..." I reply, taken aback by the urgency in his voice. "What do you need help with?"

"We've got this big event tomorrow, and the inventory is a mess. Kahlan was supposed to help me sort it out, but he's not picking up his damn phone. Is there any way you could swing by and give me a hand?"

I hesitate.

It's not that I don't want to help Remy, but I worry how it might look to Clark. Things were tense between them at Ava's event, mostly from Clark's side. The last thing I want is for him to get the wrong idea again.

But, on the other hand, Remy sounds desperate as hell. Even though we aren't close like him and Kahlan, we're still friends. And friends don't leave friends high and dry.

"I'm already in town, so I can be there in about twenty minutes."

"You're a lifesaver, Elias! I owe you one."

I end the call and pull out of the parking lot, hoping this doesn't blow up in my face.