She had gained a love for them during her brief time living in Germany in the military and visiting the tulip festival in Amsterdam. She’d jumped into gardening full steam when she’d been taking care of her mom, and the habit had stuck.
Looks like you win, Malingerer.She hadn’t called him that to his face again, but she thought it in her head occasionally.Though she had to admit she’d long since dropped all thoughts of the amnesia being an act.What would his motive be?
He didn’t seem to be gaining anything in Emerald Hollow other than free rent at the Emerald House. But Ash had said he was more than paying for it with the work he was doing around the property. And Ash didn’t accept help easily, so it seemed like a win-win.
Sofia sipped her coffee and wandered to her closet. “What do I wear to humiliate myself in front of everyone in Emerald Hollow?” she mused, sifting through her dresses. She grabbed one that caught her eye then went to look for a matching pair of earrings. Just because she was single on Valentine’s Day didn’t mean she couldn’t go all out on the holiday. She considered it advertising for her business. Once she’d found a pair of giant cherry-red broken-heart earrings, she laid them next to the dress.Perfect.
She spent the next few hours making jewelry and fulfilling orders, keeping the front door open wide to catch hints of the tulip scents floating on the breeze. Her Valentine’s jewelry orders had gone out a few weeks ago, and she was back to mainly working on her WanderLost line. It was still booming, more than she’d ever expected.
Sofia took a break after another hour of work to go examine her tulips. They seemed to be bursting out of every planter, more plentiful than any year before. A smile subconsciously washed over her face, and she snapped a few photos to share on her business’s social media. Since she was Emerald Hollow Artisanal, she might as well showcase some of the beauty of Emerald Hollow.Even if these tulips are blooming freakishly early.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
ISAIAH
Isaiah got started on some outside projects for Ash early in the morning on February fourteenth. He shook his head at the brilliant blue sky, the warm sun glancing over his skin. He’d mostly made the bet with Sofia for fun and never dreamed he would be right about it.
He contemplated how furious she was going to be that evening at karaoke, picturing a slight flush filling her freckle-covered cheeks, and blew out a breath.
After he finished raking the freshly mowed lawn, which was surprisingly green and healthy so early in the year, he was putting the equipment away when Ash poked his head into the shed.
“Hey, Isaiah. All good?”
“Yep. The flowers are insane this morning, right? They came out of nowhere.”
Something that Isaiah couldn’t read crossed Ash’s face, and Ash shook his head. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I guess we’re gonna get to see Sofia sing tonight.”
Isaiah took his opening. “About that… How serious is Sofia about not liking to sing in public? Is it a real fear, or is she just jittery about it? She seems so confident in everything.”
Ash scratched the back of his neck. “I’ve only seen her do it once, and she wasn’t completely herself that night. I don’t know the original story, but I think she had a bad experience with singing in public when she was a kid. It’s been a long time, though.”
Isaiah’s stomach clenched. He felt a little bad about her losing the bet, but he didn’t see a way out of it. “Huh. Do you think she’ll actually show tonight?” As soon as he asked it, he knew the answer. She was way too proud to bow out of a bet.
“Oh, she’ll be there. But we’ll be nice. She can go on early, before the place is too crowded, or late, when people have had a few of our Love Potions. Just make her sing something simple like the Alphabet song.”
“Love Potions?”
Ash grinned. “We like to lean into a theme here. They’re one of our specialty cocktails. You’ll have to try one. I’ve got to get back inside, but I’ll see you tonight. Everything looks great out here.”
Ash walked away, and Isaiah finished organizing the equipment in the shed. He got one of those weird sensations he’d been experiencing since he’d arrived, in which he knew something about himself while he didn’t have any specific memories to tie it to.
The sensation had been triggered by the Love Potion description. He instinctively knew that he was more of a beer guy, but since he was a man with no memory and no last name, maybe a Love Potion cocktail didn’t sound so bad.
Chapter Thirty
SOFIA
Sofia slipped into her hot-pink dress and secured the large earrings in her ears. She put on some low strappy heels and wore her curls loose and tousled. If they were going to make her sing, she might as well put on a show.
But her confidence started to wane when she pulled into the parking lot of the Emerald House. Part of the bet was that she had to sing a song of Isaiah’s choosing. She groaned.What is he going to make me sing?
Her spirits lifted slightly when she spotted Holly as soon as she entered the Emerald House. It had been transformed for the holiday, paper hearts in every color hanging from the ceiling. Sofia ran and gave her a hug.
“Are the Love Potions out yet? I’m going to need one before this whole karaoke thing.” Sofia peered around Holly, searching for the drink table.
Holly let out a soft laugh. “They’re out, but be careful. Maybe they’ll make your nerves worse.”
“Nerves? What nerves?” Sofia asked, grabbing Holly’s wrist and pulling her toward the drink table she’d just spotted. The Love Potions were adorable: pink drinks served in large heart-shaped martini glasses, with bright raspberries floating in thecenter. Sofia picked one up and took a sip. “Mmm. Yes, this will ease the pain.”
