Iris in Bloom: Take a Chance, Book 2 by Nancy Warren

conducive to harmonious owner/staff relations.
    “Thanks. I needed a change. I’ve got papers due and exams coming up. So I dyed my hair. Figured if I’m going to procrastinate, I should do something fun that won’t get me hung over.”
    Dosana was in her final year of her business degree. Since she was entirely self-funded she had to juggle school and her nearly full time hours at Sunflower. Iris planned the schedule around her busiest times and it worked for both of them. She’d be sorry to see Dosana go when she graduated and went on to greater things.
    “I still want to make this bakery my case study for graduation. What do you think?”
    “Will I have to give away all my secrets?”
    Dosana looked amused. “You think a bunch of college kids care about your recipe for morning glory muffins?”
    “I meant my finances smart ass.”
    “I think we can work in general terms so you only divulge what you’re comfortable with.” She moved in for the sales pitch. “And, you know, in return you’re going to get advice from business pros who help mentor students.”
    “I could definitely use some advice.” She shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
    Dosana hugged her. “That’s fantastic. Thanks. I’ll email you with everything I need. Speaking of which, I think we’re short on those organic brown sugar packets.”
    “Really? Check the next delivery. It should be on my computer.”
    Dosana returned in a second carrying Iris’s laptop with her. “What is this?”
    “Oh, right. That.” She’d forgotten to log out of the sperm bank website. Damn. She tried to act completely casual. “I’ve been playing with the idea of maybe having a baby.”
    “Alone?” Why did she make it sound so pathetic? A decade from now Dosana might find out that being a single business owner in a small town meant there was a pretty small pool of eligible men.
    “Like I said, I’m only toying with the idea.”
    “Shopping for a baby daddy,” she said in a teasing tone.
    “Don’t tell anyone. Okay?”
    Dosana was checking out the likely candidates on the website, her nose ring winking every time she shook her head. Then she glanced up. “What about that cute English teacher? Mr. McLeod? He’s hot, he’s smart and you get the feeling he knows his way around the female body if you know what I mean.”
    She knew exactly what Dosana meant. “He’s complicated.”
    “All the interesting ones are.”
    “Still married.”
    “Getting a divorce.”
    She raised her brows. “How do you know?”
    “Please. Sunflower is gossip central.”
    “How come I haven’t heard anyone gossiping about Geoff and his divorce?”
    Dosana turned to busy herself with returning the computer to the back room.
    And then she got it. She hadn’t heard because she was part of the gossip mill rumors.
    Her suspicion was confirmed when Dosana returned. “What are you wearing on your date with him on Thursday?”
    “How do you know I have a date with him Thursday?”
    “Everyone knows you have a date with him Thursday.”
    She was still thinking about that when the bell rang and Geoff himself walked in. He wore his usual teacher uniform, only this time he wore jeans with a shirt and skinny tie. She thought he was limping slightly and trying not to let it show so she decided not to mention the impromptu half marathon he’d completed yesterday.
    “Hi,” he said, all sexy voiced and still married to another woman.
    “Hi.” She tried to sound bright, and really, really busy even though he was the first customer and her café was empty.
    He stood in front of her counter and there was a moment of silence with a lot of unspoken packed into it. Finally, she said, “You’ve been coming here long enough that I can ask you if you want the usual?” she asked. “Americano and a muffin.”
    “Sure.”
    “Coming right up.”
    “About Thursday, how do you feel about driving an hour or so? I’ve been asking around about restaurants and it seems like—“
    “We