Dutch Crocus

By Clare Revell

Adam and Sam West are looking forward to getting life and their marriage back on track. But things aren't that simple. Having lost her company, Sam is unable to find work. On top of which she's come down with the stomach flu, which seems to be getting worse and worse. Scared he's going to lose her, Adam and Aunt Lydia persuade Sam to go the doctors. But nothing can prepare either of them for the diagnosis Sam receives.Enjoy this complimentary standalone sequel in the Flowers can be Fatal series. Includes a peek at the first book in the series, "Carnations in January".

• Language: English
• Publisher: White Rose Publishing
• Release date: May 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781522300052

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Dutch Crocus

a complimentary Flowers can be Fatal story

Clare Revell

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Dutch Crocus

COPYRIGHT 2017 by Clare Revell

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Pelican Ventures, LLC except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version(R), NIV(R), Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

White Rose Publishing, a division of Pelican Ventures, LLC

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White Rose Publishing Circle and Rosebud logo is a trademark of Pelican Ventures, LLC

Publishing History

First White Rose Edition, 2017

Electronic ISBN 978-1-5223-0005-2

Published in the United States of America

Editor’s Note

Dearest readers,

Over the years, you have supported Pelican Book Group in a way that is unprecedented and touches the hearts of all our staff and authors. Thank you! You are the reason we do what we do.

Since Clare Revell’s first book with us many years ago, we’ve watched her become a reader favourite, and the Flowers Can Be Fatal series is Clare at her best!

We offer you this complimentary sequel to Sweet Peas in April as a special thank you for reading Clare’s books and for reading all Pelican books.

If you’ve downloaded Sweet Peas in April you’ll find Dutch Crocus full of familiar characters. If you haven’t yet read Sweet Peas, no worries! You can enjoy this story first!

Happy reading!

God Bless,

Nicola

Books by Clare Revell

A Romantic Suspense for Every Day of the Week:

Monday’s Child

Tuesday’s Child

Wednesday’s Child

Thursday’s Child

Friday’s Child

Saturday’s Child

Sunday’s Child

Pure Amore™ Contemporary Romances

Battle of the Flowers

Keepsake

Young Adult Signal Me Adventure Series

November-Charlie

Delta-Victor

Echo-Foxtrot

Single Title Romantic Suspense

Turned

After the Fire

Passport to Romance™

Vegas Vacation

Welsh Wildfire

Christmas Extravaganza™

Down in Yon Forest

Season for Miracles

Time’s Arrow

Fairytale of Headley Cross

A Mummy for Christmas

An Aussie Christmas Angel

Christmas Eva

Flowers Can be Fatal Series

A Romantic Suspense for Every Month of the Year:

Carnations in January

Violets in February

Daffodils in March

Sweet peas in April

Lily of the Valley in May

Roses in June

Water lilies in July

Gladioli in August

Forget-me-nots in September

Marigolds in October

‘Mums in November

Holly in December

Clare’s Dedication

For my readers

Flowers can be Fatal

Carnations in January shake the foundations

Violets in February are an aid to salvation

Daffodils in March bring betrayal and loss

Sweet peas in April consume all the dross

Lily of the Valley in May brings danger untold

Roses in June show hope in a heart filled with gold

Water lilies in July a town will submerge

Gladioli in August love from the ash will emerge

Forget-me-nots in September are on the front line of fear

Marigolds in October will test her career

Chrysanthemums in November show the burden of choice

Holly in December lets a broken family rejoice

Dutch crocuses bring the year to a close.

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. ~ Isaiah 35:1-2

End of June

Sam West leaned against the back door for support and watched her husband, Adam, kneeling in the dirt. Shirt tossed to the path beside him, sweat sheened his back in the heat of the morning sun as he planted crocus and tulip bulbs in the borders along the side fence. It should provide a riot of color in the spring.

Dutch crocuses were a tiny multicolored flower that sometimes blossomed with twin blooms, and which budded in early spring, year on year. Sam loved their meaning—remembrance. She’d tried telling Adam that, ideally, they should be planted in autumn, but he wanted to do them now before he forgot.

They were for Immy. Something to remember their daughter by, as the crocuses should bloom each year around the anniversary of the day they lost her.

Sam gripped the cup in her outstretched hand, the sun reflecting off the wedding and engagement rings she wore. Even though the cup was at arm’s length, her stomach still churned in the nauseating way it had seemed to do constantly for the past couple of weeks.

How swiftly life changed. At the start of April, she’d been alone, her marriage in ruins—ten years separated from the only man she’d ever loved, and now here they were, together, remarried and happy. He’d taken her on a surprise ‘honeymoon’ trip to Holland in the middle of May, arranging it all without her even guessing a thing. They’d ordered the bulbs whilst they were in Amsterdam.

Due to arrive in mid-September, for an autumn planting, the bulbs had instead arrived ten weeks early.

Adam glanced up at her and smiled. Is that coffee? he asked, a hopeful glint in his eye.

Sam nodded, moving over to him. She swallowed hard. Yeah.

His earth-covered fingers grazed hers as he took the cup. Thanks, love. He sat back on his heels. I can’t remember the last time I did this. This is what Saturday mornings are made for. Gardening, flowers, being with my wife.

I guess so. She swallowed hard.

You OK, honey? You don’t look so good.

Don’t feel it, to be honest. I might go lie down again.

Adam caught hold of her hand. Sweetheart, isn’t it time you saw a doctor? You’ve been sick a good two weeks now.

"It’s just the stress of finding a new job, that’s all. You know, I’ve been out of