“I don’t think I can do this,” I said, wringing my hands together as I paced the floor in my flower shop.

“You can,” my friend and new employee, Chloe, assured me as she took my hands and held them between us. “Dillon is a great guy, Laurel, and yes, you guys have known each other forever and you were a bit of a wild child, but you’re an adult now. You’ve both changed. Plus, he’s agreed to help you. He wouldn’t do that if he hated you, right?”

“I guess so,” I muttered, but my stomach was still in knots, and I’d started sweating all over the place. I mean, really sweating. If I didn’t calm down I’d have to go home and shower before my appointment with Dillon.

“Well, I know so,” Chloe said firmly, and I let out a deep breath.

“I haven’t really talked to him since I’ve been back,” I began. I’d moved back to Cherry Springs from Houston after being away for most of my adult life. “I thought he’d been avoiding me, but maybe the fact that we haven’t spoken is just a coincidence. I mean, he was busy at Gabe and Zoey’s wedding, and he’s running a company, so … maybe I shouldn’t take things personally?”

It was more of a question than a statement, because I’d always taken things personally where Dillon was concerned.

I’d been in love with him since I was nine years old.

“I’m so excited your mom said you could come over,” my new best friend, Jasmine, said as we walked from my car to her house. “It’s going to be the best weekend ever.”

My parents had been thrilled when I asked if I could spend the night at Jazzy’s house, since I’d never been invited to a sleepover before. It was almost weird how excited they were, but I knew they’d made plans to go out on a date while I was gone, so maybe that’s why they’d been smiling so big as I packed my favorite backpack.

“What do you want to do?” I asked, trying not to stare at the biggest, most amazing house I’d ever seen.

It was beautiful, with pillars on the porch and stairs that started out wide, then shortened as you moved up them. It was painted bright white, with a porch that wrapped around the house.

I’d never seen anything like it.

That was when it happened… A lanky boy with red hair and the greenest eyes I’d ever seen, outside of Jazzy’s, stepped out onto the porch with a glass of lemonade in his hand. His hair was a little long, with curls on the end, and he had freckles dancing across his nose. And when he smiled in response to something his mother, who I hadn’t even noticed was next to him, said, I fell head over heels in love.

“Who’s that?” I asked in a whisper, suddenly cold and clammy at the thought of getting too close.

“Ugh, my twin brother, Dillon,” Jasmine said with a sneer. “He’s been sick, and you would have thought he was dying with all of the moaning and groaning he’s been doing over the last week.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” Chloe said, pulling me out of my memory and causing me to backtrack to try and remember what she was talking about.

Oh, right, not taking the cold shoulder Dillon had been giving me personally.

I took a deep breath and let it out. I’d vowed to be stronger, kinder, more patient, and to always stick up for myself. After four years of being my ex-boyfriend Travis’s verbal whipping post, I was putting myself first and surrounding myself with positive people.

So what if Dillon thought I was still the same mouthy brat with crooked pigtails and a penchant for mischief. If he couldn’t see that I’d changed and let bygones go so that we could at least be friends now, then that was his loss.

I’d been back in Cherry Springs for almost a year now, and I was happy. It was my home, and soon, it would be the place where I ran my business. I had great friends, and although things weren’t great right now with my parents, I knew we’d get through it.

If Dillon wanted to help me with the business plan, then go back to pretending I didn’t exist, then I’d just have to live with that.

“You both just need to get to know who you are now, and maybe he’ll forget the pink underwear and the other pranks. He and Jasmine are really close now, so…”

I nodded, hoping she was right. Even if I knew Dillon would never fall in love with me, marry me and have babies with me, like I’d always dreamed, I’d still like to have him in my life in a positive way.

“Okay, I can do this,” I assured her, causing her to smile. Then, needing to change the subject, I asked, “How are things with you and Reardon?”

“Amazing,” Chloe gushed, her hand automatically going to rest on her baby bump. “We’ve decided it’s time to move in together.”

“Yay, really? Where to? Yours, his, or a bigger place?”

“A bigger place. We’re staying in Copper Woods, since Chris has friends there, but getting a place with office space for both of us and rooms for the kids. It’ll be ready next week.”

“That’s so great,” I said, meaning it, as I appreciated the gleam of the engagement ring on her finger. “Does that mean you’ve set a date?”

“Not yet,” Chloe said, this time the one who was sighing. “I promised Reardon we would do it before the baby comes, but now that we’re moving, I kind of want to get that finished before we worry about a wedding. Although, I don’t want anything big. Just a simple ceremony with our friends and family in attendance.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“And, I was kind of hoping to be your first client.”

“Really?” I cried, not bothering to contain my excitement. She was my friend and employee, after all; I’d save my professional, not jumping up and down, face for clients who were strangers.

“Yes, really, of course it has to be you.”

“Then I guess I’d better pull up my big girl pants and head to my meeting with Dillon. We’ve got a wedding to plan.”