me the casino deal is off.”
Lily was surprised. “Really? Because of the murder?”
“ Someone bought the land.”
“I thought there were a couple of land options.”
“Not according to Geoffrey. The new hospital is going on the site the casino wanted.”
The shop was feeling crowded when Ryan walked in. “Good morning , ladies.” He looked at Iris. “Any new stories I should know about?”
Lily tried to change the subject. “Ryan Steele, this is Candy Clarke. I don’t know if you’ve met. Candy owns Candies Cakes and Catering. Candy , Ryan is the new acting police chief in town.”
Candy looked Ryan up and down , grinning. “I hope you’re around for the long haul.”
Ryan fidgeted. “Lily. Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?”
Daisy and Iris snickered as they watched Ryan follow Lily to the back room.
Ryan looked annoyed. “Did you take that envelope from my deck last night?”
“You left it there,” Lily said defensively.
“That’s not my question. I need to add it to the evidence. Where is it now?”
Lily stared at him with her arms folded. “At my mother’s house.”
He grabbed her arm. “Let’s go get it.”
Lily jerked away. “Wait a minute. I’m busy. I’ve got a business to run.”
He eyed her skeptically. “It sounded like a coffee klatch out there. No one looked very busy.”
Lily stood her ground defiantly. “You can’t just come in here and boss me around, Ryan Steele.”
“ This is important. I need that evidence. You can cooperate or I could arrest you for taking it.”
“What? You wouldn’t.” Lily stormed out of the back room. “Mom, can you go with Mr. Steele to get that envelope at your house? He needs it immediately.”
“I’d love to.” Iris winked at Ryan. “Do I get to ride in your cruiser?”
Ryan walked out without looking at Lily. Iris followed with a big smile on her face. “I can’t wait to tell my friends. Will you put the siren on?”
Ryan opened the door for Iris and ignored her question.
Daisy watched with her mouth hanging open. “What just happened?”
Lily was jamming flowers into a big basket arrangement. “What do you mean?”
“You and the handsome cop. Do you like him?”
“Are you kidding? He thinks he can come in her e and order me around. I have a business to run.”
“Sure Lily. You only get this worked up when you like a guy.”
Lily glared at Daisy. “I’m going to make these deliveries and pick up flowers at Geoffrey’s greenhouse.”
***
Lily had cooled down by the time she pulled into Geoffrey’s parking lot. Sitting in her car to completely calm herself, she thought, I don’t need that Ryan Steele. I can figure this out myself. She walked into the storage building attached to the greenhouse. The sweet smell of flowers surrounded her immediately.
“Geoffre y? I’m here to pick up my order,” she called.
Geoffrey looked up from his desk. “I wasn’t sure if you still needed the flowers since the wedding is cancelled.”
“Your mom is generously donating them to the hospital charity event.”
Geoffrey closed the ledger he was working on. “There’s nothing generous about my mother. There must be something in it for her.”
Lily sat down at Geoffrey’s desk. “Oh?”
“I probably shouldn’t say this, but Tamara Biotchi doesn’t do anything if there isn’t something in it for her.”
“What do you know about Clifton Harris?” Lily got straight to the point.
“My almost-brother-in- law?”
“Yeah.”
Geoffrey leaned back in his chair. “Hand-picked by my mother. Poor Melinda. She didn’t have the courage to be her own person. Maybe now she can let herself love the person her heart wants.”
“Jack?”
“He has always loved Melinda, but he accepted that she had to obey Mother. He knew he couldn’t fight that battle.”
“And now? With Clifton dead?”
Geoffrey shrugged. “Maybe he has a chance. But Mother despises him.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure.
Lily was surprised. “Really? Because of the murder?”
“ Someone bought the land.”
“I thought there were a couple of land options.”
“Not according to Geoffrey. The new hospital is going on the site the casino wanted.”
The shop was feeling crowded when Ryan walked in. “Good morning , ladies.” He looked at Iris. “Any new stories I should know about?”
Lily tried to change the subject. “Ryan Steele, this is Candy Clarke. I don’t know if you’ve met. Candy owns Candies Cakes and Catering. Candy , Ryan is the new acting police chief in town.”
Candy looked Ryan up and down , grinning. “I hope you’re around for the long haul.”
Ryan fidgeted. “Lily. Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?”
Daisy and Iris snickered as they watched Ryan follow Lily to the back room.
Ryan looked annoyed. “Did you take that envelope from my deck last night?”
“You left it there,” Lily said defensively.
“That’s not my question. I need to add it to the evidence. Where is it now?”
Lily stared at him with her arms folded. “At my mother’s house.”
He grabbed her arm. “Let’s go get it.”
Lily jerked away. “Wait a minute. I’m busy. I’ve got a business to run.”
He eyed her skeptically. “It sounded like a coffee klatch out there. No one looked very busy.”
Lily stood her ground defiantly. “You can’t just come in here and boss me around, Ryan Steele.”
“ This is important. I need that evidence. You can cooperate or I could arrest you for taking it.”
“What? You wouldn’t.” Lily stormed out of the back room. “Mom, can you go with Mr. Steele to get that envelope at your house? He needs it immediately.”
“I’d love to.” Iris winked at Ryan. “Do I get to ride in your cruiser?”
Ryan walked out without looking at Lily. Iris followed with a big smile on her face. “I can’t wait to tell my friends. Will you put the siren on?”
Ryan opened the door for Iris and ignored her question.
Daisy watched with her mouth hanging open. “What just happened?”
Lily was jamming flowers into a big basket arrangement. “What do you mean?”
“You and the handsome cop. Do you like him?”
“Are you kidding? He thinks he can come in her e and order me around. I have a business to run.”
“Sure Lily. You only get this worked up when you like a guy.”
Lily glared at Daisy. “I’m going to make these deliveries and pick up flowers at Geoffrey’s greenhouse.”
***
Lily had cooled down by the time she pulled into Geoffrey’s parking lot. Sitting in her car to completely calm herself, she thought, I don’t need that Ryan Steele. I can figure this out myself. She walked into the storage building attached to the greenhouse. The sweet smell of flowers surrounded her immediately.
“Geoffre y? I’m here to pick up my order,” she called.
Geoffrey looked up from his desk. “I wasn’t sure if you still needed the flowers since the wedding is cancelled.”
“Your mom is generously donating them to the hospital charity event.”
Geoffrey closed the ledger he was working on. “There’s nothing generous about my mother. There must be something in it for her.”
Lily sat down at Geoffrey’s desk. “Oh?”
“I probably shouldn’t say this, but Tamara Biotchi doesn’t do anything if there isn’t something in it for her.”
“What do you know about Clifton Harris?” Lily got straight to the point.
“My almost-brother-in- law?”
“Yeah.”
Geoffrey leaned back in his chair. “Hand-picked by my mother. Poor Melinda. She didn’t have the courage to be her own person. Maybe now she can let herself love the person her heart wants.”
“Jack?”
“He has always loved Melinda, but he accepted that she had to obey Mother. He knew he couldn’t fight that battle.”
“And now? With Clifton dead?”
Geoffrey shrugged. “Maybe he has a chance. But Mother despises him.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure.
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