Flowers from the Heart

By Louise Armstrong

NEW Hardworking London florist, Lee-Ann Ashton, has no idea of the complications that will ensue when she agrees to become an ‘alibi girlfriend’ for gemstone dealer, William Dunstan. His delightful mother immediately starts planning a huge wedding, but Lee-Ann can't let him down: he needs her help to find a cache of missing diamonds and save the family business. It’s not until he’s accused of insider trading that he tries to break their arrangement, and by then, Lee-Ann doesn’t want it to end. Can she. along with his other friends, persuade William to accept help and clear his name?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Louise Armstrong
• Release date: Jun 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458172624

Louise Armstrong

The first story Louise Armstrong ever finished and sent off won the 1993 Crystal Heart Award from the Guild of Romance Writers, and she's been writing sweet romantic comedies ever since. 'I like to look on the light side of life,' she says. 'All my stories feature fun and adventure, and of course, they all have a happy ending.' LENA: leave your email address on my blog and I'll send you a coupon for a free copy of Hold on to Paradise.

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Louise Armstrong Publishing

Flowers from the Heart

Sweet Romance

Smashwords Edition

Copyright Louise Armstrong 2011

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CHAPTER 1

Every square retail foot of Flowers from the Heart sparkled and gleamed. Fresh booms splashed colour in every corner and spilled fragrance into the air, but the proprietor wasn’t smiling. Lee-Ann Ashton was wrestling with the morning post – and most of it seemed to be bills. This area of North London had a lot of flower-buying customers, but the overheads were scary. She’d taken the lease because her father had arranged a peppercorn rent, but she wished now that she’d taken a market stall instead.

‘But I didn’t!’ she reminded herself. She was committed to the shop until the year was out. The only answer was to improve her business. How could she do that? She nibbled the end of her white-blonde plait and decided: a website, that’s what I need. Maybe I’d get more bookings for weddings and other events.

The shop bell ding-donged and with a rush of cool air one of her most interesting customers strolled into the shop. Four months ago, the first week her new business opened, he’d bought an enormous bunch of snowy-white lilies, and he’d been buying generous amounts of flowers ever since.

She looked up smiling.

‘Good morning, Mr Dunstan.’

‘Good morning, Lee-Ann,’ he replied. As always, he was polite, but distant. What was he so preoccupied with? One day she’d serve him with a crimson rose clamped between her teeth simply to see if she could put a spark of interest in those chilly grey eyes.

‘Today I’d like a bunch of English flowers, please.’

Lee-Ann singled out flowers that reminded her of a cottage garden: pretty pink roses, lily of the valley, and lavender. Then she arranged a sweetly old-fashioned tied bunch. Then she popped a water tube on the stems and wrapped the bunch in crisp tissue paper.

Mr Dunstan stared out of the window. He looks worried, thought Lee-Ann, suddenly feeling sorry for him.

The shop bell jingled and Maxine, who owned the baker’s shop next door, barged in.

‘I’ll be with you in a minute,’ said Lee-Ann.

‘I need you now. Scott finished with me last night.’

Lee-Ann discerned a sad face under the bright make up and said gently, ‘Wait for me in the back. I’ll open the emergency chocolate biscuits and make us some coffee when I’ve served my customer.’

Maxine’s gaze flicked dismissively towards Lee-Ann’s customer, then, with sudden interest, she registered his handsome face and sophisticated air. Her black eyes raked up and then down the toned body under the tailored suit, then she tossed her black curls and sashayed up close in a jingle of bracelets.

‘Are those flowers for your office?’

Mr Dunstan answered politely.

‘For a lady I am meeting with at lunchtime.’

Maxine breezed on, leaning closer to him in her enthusiasm.

‘Lucky girl! Have you known her long?’

‘We’ve never met before.’

Maxine eyelashes fluttered as she touched his arm.

‘Not a blind date! You don’t look like a man who needs to have his love life arranged for him!’

He looked at Lee-Ann and a flash of humour enlivened his grey eyes.

‘I wish you could convince my mother of that.’

‘We’re single,’ Maxine said eagerly. ‘Aren’t we Lee-Ann? At least, Lee-Ann says she’s too busy to date, but I’m not.’

A smile twitched at the corners the man’s lips. He ignored Maxine’s remark and handed Lee-Ann his credit card.

‘Fine flowers, as always. Thank you.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Lee-Ann said, as he left.

‘Did you see his gold card?’ Maxine hissed. ‘What does he do?’

‘I don’t know.’

Somehow Lee-Ann found herself jammed up against Maxine in the shop window, both of them peeping down the street, watching the man leave. He strode down the pavement like an athlete. The sun made his black hair sparkle like a starling’s wing.

‘He’s going to the tube station,’ Maxine said, surprise in her voice. ‘I thought he’d have a big shiny limo waiting.’

Lee-Ann came to her senses.

‘Come inside, Maxine! What are we doing?’

‘What are you not doing?’ Maxine protested. ‘A man like that, single, drop-dead gorgeous, on the market, and you never mentioned him! How often does he come in?’

‘Sometimes not at all. Sometimes every day of the week.’

Maxine thought about it while Lee-Ann made coffee.

‘Travels on business and dates when he’s home,’ she decided. ‘And he’s looking, kid. He’s looking for love!’

‘Not my idea of love. Only a playboy would need so many flowers.’

‘You heard him. His mother makes him go on blind dates.’

Lee-Ann laughed.

‘Does he look as if he’d let his mother boss him around?’

Maxine dumped three sugars in her coffee and stuffed a biscuit in her mouth.

‘Well, no, now you mention it. Why are you wearing black again. I told you to wear a blue that went with your eyes.’

‘I don’t want to clash with my flowers. You know I always wear black when I’m working.’

‘Scott said I stood out from the crowd and that’s why he noticed me. I can’t understand why he suddenly wants time on his own. Do you think he’s met another woman?’

‘It’s possible, but he might want to concentrate on his work.’

Maxine sighed.

‘He is ambitious. Did I tell you that he’s going to own his own company one day…’

Lee-Ann whisked around the shop as Maxine talked, selecting blooms for the day’s arrangements. She had a lot to do, and she had to concentrate on the flow of colours, the mix of shapes and contrast of textures to make her arrangements as beautiful as possible, but she listened as sympathetically as she could until the trickle of early customers turned into the morning rush and Maxine gave up and went back to her bakery.

The day flew past, and Lee-Ann concentrated on business until nine o’clock that evening, when to her surprise, Mr Dunstan strode in through the door. He looked around him at the empty shop.

‘Yellow roses,’ Lee-Ann said, wondering what he could need more flowers for. ‘I’m sorry, but that’s all I’ve got left.’

His grey eyes were vivid and full of life, and for the first time they were looking directly at her, truly seeing her. Lee-Ann couldn’t help smiling at him. Maybe he is so stiff in the mornings because he is an owl rather than a lark, she thought.

She waited for him to order a bouquet, but he didn’t ask for flowers. Instead he carried on examining her as if he could see right down to the bottom of her soul, and not, thought Lee-Ann, as if he much approved of what he was finding there! She felt her cheeks growing hot under his examination.

‘Found a greenfly on my nose?’ she asked tartly.

And then she could have dropped through the floor at her rudeness.

‘I’m sorry,’ she apologised, feeling hotter and more embarrassed by the second. ‘I’m tired...I wasn’t thinking...’

He was standing so close she could see the black rings around his vivid grey eyes. He looked tired, she realised.

'Of course you’re tired. You want to close your shop and go home.’

‘Well, yes. But if you want flowers I can-’

He reached out a hand to stop her, catching her lightly on her upper arm.

‘I don’t want flowers, I want you!’

Lee-Ann’s stomach swooshed, and her mouth fell open. It seemed like ages before she could even mutter, ‘I don’t quite follow...’

Amusement flashed in his grey eyes.

‘Of course you don’t. I haven’t explained yet.’ His sharp grey glance ran over the tidy, empty shop. ‘I take it you have finished for the day?’

‘Yes.’

‘I’d like to ask you a favour. Will you come for a drink with me? Perhaps a meal, if you haven’t eaten.’

Whatever could he want? There was only one way to find out.

‘I am hungry,’ she admitted. ‘The Pig & Whistle does great food.’

She turned away and began closing the shop. She felt excited as they stepped into the night. The spring sky was turning a deep navy blue, but the streetlamps cast enough of a glow for her to see to pull down the shop shutter, and for William Dunstan to watch her while she struggled to turn the key in the stubborn lock. After watching her fumble for a few seconds, he took the key.

‘It’s always stiff,’ she warned him.

He smiled, made a quick movement, and the lock clicked home instantly. As he returned the key to Lee-Ann, his hand brushed hers gently.

‘Your fingers are cold,’ he said.

‘My flowers like it cool,’ she murmured.

They started to walk the few yards to the Pig and Whistle. A row of London plane trees rustled behind the building. Her new violet heels tapped on the pavement, and the cheerful sound gave her confidence. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

Mr Dunstan and Lee-Ann settled at a round wooden table with drinks and a plate of sandwiches. She glanced up, and a thrill zapped through her body. He was