A Place with Briar. Amber Williams Leigh

He smiled. He sensed from experience that she was a wary soul, but an inherently good one. His instincts had served him well in the past...unless he counted Tiffany and the viper that had lived unbeknownst to him under her polished veneer. “And I take it you’re the Adrian who owns the flower shop next door.”

      “That’s me. Flora, finest flowers in Fairhope. You must be Briar’s new guest.”

      “You heard about me, huh?”

      “We don’t get many single men around Hanna’s,” Adrian told him, easing into a smile. “And with somebody like Liv on the loose, nothing stays secret for long. Though since the fact that you have an ex-wife didn’t come up in this morning’s gossip exchange, I’m guessing I’m the first to know that you’re divorced.”

      He lifted a shoulder, slipping his hands into his pockets in a relaxed stance. “It’s not something people like to advertise.”

      “Don’t I know it.” At his curious look, she nodded. “We’re of the same breed as far as failed marriages are concerned.”

      “Ah. Sorry.”

      She shook her head. “Nothing to be sorry about. Especially when your ex is a wife beater hiding behind a badge.”

      “Please tell me justice was served,” he said.

      “After long last. Suspension for him and restraining order for me and my son,” she said matter-of-factly before tending to some long-stemmed roses. “So what brings you to Fairhope?”

      “Much-needed vacation,” he lied.

      “Workaholic?”

      “Actually, I’m kind of between jobs.”

      “What do you do?”

      He hesitated then realized there was no reason to lie, at least about his job. “I was a Huntsville police detective.”

      Her brows lifted again. “Seriously?”

      “I put ten years on the force.”

      “You know, now that I think about it, you look like a cop,” she said with a smug smile.

      “Since the wife-beating ex is a cop, too, I’m guessing that isn’t a compliment.”

      She smiled. “I’ll trust you and he have little in common other than your chosen careers.”

      “And I’ll thank you for that, Ms. Carlton,” he replied.

      “Adrian,” she corrected. “Ms. Carlton is my mother, which is why I tend to shudder whenever anyone calls me by that particular name.”

      He chuckled again. Yes, he was growing to like Adrian.

      “You thinking of transferring south?” she asked. “I’m acquainted with a few of the officers at the local PD. I could introduce you....”

      “No, for now I’m just...” He stopped because he saw understanding begin to creep into her eyes. “This seems like a nice enough place to live, I’ll admit. Everyone’s friendly. The weather’s good—not too hot.”

      She snorted out a laugh. “Wait until mid-July before you start making weather assumptions. I should give you the grand city tour, introduce you to the right people. You might like it enough to stick.”

      No. It’d be a while before he could stick anywhere. The thought of two weeks in Fairhope already seemed like an eternity. At Hanna’s, anyway—close to Briar and other things too far out of his reach. However, if he couldn’t be around Briar without thinking straight then her friends might be able to tell him more than he could wean out of her. “What are you doing tonight?”

      She considered. “I could ask Briar to babysit.”

      “You don’t have to do that. I don’t want to put Briar out.” God knew she had enough on her plate already.

      “Oh, Kyle loves Briar,” she explained. “He helps her out around the place, gives her a much-needed hand, even if it is with the little things.”

      He hesitated, weighing the situation. “Well, okay, then. I’ll meet you at the tavern around seven?”

      “Seven it is.” She started to walk off. “I have a customer waiting on these roses. It was nice meeting you, Cole.”

      CHAPTER FOUR

      “YOU GOT A date with the new guy?”

      Adrian heaved an aggrieved sigh. “It’s not a date, Liv. I’m just showing him around.”

      “I think he might be able to show you a thing or two,” Olivia deduced.

      Adrian took a bite out of her tuna sandwich, knowing as well as Briar did that a reply would only egg on Olivia. It was no use trying to budge Olivia once she set her mind to something. Especially if that something was in any way, shape or form promiscuous.

      Olivia and Adrian were eating lunch at the inn kitchen table while Briar attempted to fix the leaky pipes under the sink. It didn’t take long for Olivia to notice that she was having difficulty using the socket wrench. “You need a plumber.”

      “Plumbers cost money,” Briar said. “Unfortunately, I can’t afford such a luxury.”

      “Come on, cuz,” Olivia said. “It’s not that bad.”

      Briar frowned as she gave up on the pipes and the wrench, tucking it away with her other tools and cleaning supplies by closing the cabinet doors. She washed her hands then walked to the fridge to pull out the makings for lunch. “I got a call from a county man today. Property taxes are overdue.”

      Olivia and Adrian exchanged worrisome glances. “Did you ask for an extension?” Adrian asked.

      “I’ve already had two,” Briar explained, pulling open a packet of bacon. Strips sizzled as she laid them one by one on a hot skillet. The smooth, practiced motions of her hands were at odds with the slight quaver of her tone. “He said that if I don’t pay by the middle of July, they’ll seize the property to compensate.”

      Olivia choked on her sandwich as Adrian gaped in horror. “They can’t do that.”

      The last time Briar had felt this tired, drained, was during her mother’s last days. “With the way business is going, I don’t know if I can raise it. If I don’t nail down one of these potential investors soon, I could lose everything.”

      “We’ll fight for it.”

      “That’s right,” Adrian assured her, echoing Olivia’s sentiment. “We’ll fight for what’s ours, Briar. We’ll help you.”

      She shook her head. “I’m already bleeding the both of you for rent. Adrian, you had to replace your greenhouse after the last hurricane and I know it ate a hole in your house budget—you barely had enough left over to send Kyle to soccer camp. And, Liv, you’re saving up for an addition to the tavern. I have to do this alone.”

      “You can’t do everything alone,” Olivia protested.

      “And that’s why I have potential investors.” She waved her hands in frustration. “Can we not talk about this right now? So, tell me what you think of the new girl.”

      Defeated, Adrian lowered to her seat, appetite forgotten. “Roxie Honeycutt. She seems nice, really excited about opening shop.”

      “Though Lord knows we don’t need another bridal boutique around here,” Olivia said before taking a big bite out of a banana.

      “She also has a license for wedding consultation,” Briar added.

      Olivia made a face. “They give out licenses for just about anything nowadays.”

      “Anyway,” Briar went on, “she has some interesting ideas—I think she’ll do well. And I bet her gowns