Love Blossoms

By Elizabeth Coldwell

FROM POPULAR ROMANCE AUTHOR ELIZABETH COLDWELL

Book three in the Holiday Falls series

She creates floral displays for every happy ever after— but when will she get her own?

Bonnie Dunlop loves helping couples create the perfect floral arrangement for their special day, but the one bridal bouquet she fears she' ll never see is her own.

Matt McCarthy comes into her flower store one night, needing to cancel his order for a wedding that now won' t take place. Bonnie offers him a sympathetic ear, but their friendship quickly turns into something more intimate.

Everything tells Bonnie she' s finally met her Mr. Right, but she knows Matt' s on the rebound from his ex and she' s scared of getting too close to him in case things don' t last. A chance encounter seems to bring all her worst fears to life— is their love destined to wither and die like week-old roses, or can something special truly blossom between them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
• Release date: Jun 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781802508055

Elizabeth Coldwell

Elizabeth Coldwell is a multi-published author and editor whose stories have appeared in a number of best-selling anthologies. She has written novels in a variety of different genres, from paranormal to BDSM and contemporary romance. She is the former editor of the UK edition of Forum magazine and the proud winner of an International Leather Award. When she is not busy writing, she is an avid supporter of Rotherham United Football Club and can be regularly found on the terraces at weekends, cheering her boys to victory (hopefully!).

Book preview

Totally Bound Publishing books by Elizabeth Coldwell

Single Books

Something Within Him

Neil and Obey

The Feel of Wings

Away from it All

Wagers of Sin

Everything to Him

More Than Vanilla

Night Voices

Steal Your Soul Away

Beyond His Control

Mr December

Holiday Falls

Closed for Christmas

No Reservations

Anthologies

Treble: Three-Part Harmony

Sensory Limits: Cruise Control

Collections

Christsmas Crackers: The Christmas Box

Feral: Abyssinian Heat

Mi Amore: Missing in Milan

Paramour: Maestro

Rules of Summer: Tamed in Tuscany

We Three Kings: Temporary Angel

Her Harem: Wild in the Country

A Wolf in Billionaire’s Clothing: Wolf in the City

Holiday Falls

LOVE BLOSSOMS

ELIZABETH COLDWELL

Love Blossoms

ISBN # 978-1-80250-805-5

©Copyright Elizabeth Coldwell 2023

Cover Art by Erin Dameron-Hill ©Copyright June 2023

Interior text design by Claire Siemaszkiewicz

Totally Bound Publishing

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

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The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

Published in 2023 by Totally Bound Publishing, United Kingdom.

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Book three in the Holiday Falls series

She creates floral displays for every happy ever after—but when will she get her own?

Bonnie Dunlop loves helping couples create the perfect floral arrangement for their special day, but the one bridal bouquet she fears she’ll never see is her own.

Matt McCarthy comes into her flower store one night, needing to cancel his order for a wedding that now won’t take place. Bonnie offers him a sympathetic ear, but their friendship quickly turns into something more intimate.

Everything tells Bonnie she’s finally met her Mr. Right, but she knows Matt’s on the rebound from his ex and she’s scared of getting too close to him in case things don’t last. A chance encounter seems to bring all her worst fears to life—is their love destined to wither and die like week-old roses, or can something special truly blossom between them?

Dedication

For the other two-thirds of the Unholy Trinity

Trademark Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

Marvel: Marvel

Netflix: Netflix, Inc.

QR code: Denso Wave Incorporated

Jessica McClintock: Jessica McClintock, Inc.

Kindle: Amazon.com, Inc.

Grubhub: Grubhub

Toyota: Toyota Motor Corporation

Tupperware: Tupperware Brands Corporation

Chapter One

Lilies. I always think lilies are so beautiful. Shirley Davison sighed, looking around at the bunches of flowers on display.

Well, they’d certainly work for decorating the church, but for a bouquet you need something a little smaller. Something that won’t overshadow the bride. Bonnie glanced over to where Shirley’s daughter stood, clearly overwhelmed by the choice available. What do you think, Amanda?

Before Amanda could speak, her mother cut in. Why don’t you give us a few suggestions? I’m sure we’ll find something we like.

Not for the first time since they’d walked into her shop, Bonnie wondered which of the Davisons was actually getting married. Shirley acted like she was getting a do-over of her original wedding, arranging all the things Bonnie suspected she’d never had, or been able to afford, the first time around. Whatever Amanda wanted seemed as if it would come a poor second to Shirley’s wish to play the successful, glamorous mother of the bride.

Bonnie took a breath and considered options, sizing up Amanda with her pale skin, fine-boned features and long ash-blonde hair. She looked, Bonnie figured, much the way her mother would have done at the same age, and she wondered if Shirley Davison had even considered that she was looking to repeat her own wedding day. Well, I’d be tempted to go for something classic. There’s a trend for dark and moody bouquets right now, lots of amaranthus and protea, but if you’re wanting lilies for the church, then I’d suggest simple white flowers for the bride and bridesmaids too. Anemones are really cute, and I’d add some sprigs of eucalyptus to fill out the arrangement and give a nice contrast in color. Why don’t I show you what I have in my book?

Book? Shirley asked, her interest piqued.

Yes. I photograph all the bouquets I create. That way, I have pictures for inspiration, but I can also make sure no two brides have exactly the same arrangement—unless they want that, of course.

Oh no. Shirley shook her head. Amanda deserves something unique and special. She put an arm around her daughter’s waist and hugged her, and for the first time, Bonnie sensed a genuine affection between the two. Shirley Davison might be a little overbearing and self-important but there was no denying she loved her daughter and wanted what was best for her.

Well, while you’re looking through those photos, can I get you both something to drink? Tea? Coffee?

Do you have chamomile tea? Shirley asked.

I can make that for you.

That would be lovely. With a little honey, if that’s possible.

No problem. Amanda?

Amanda looked up from the page she’d been studying. The same for me, please. No, wait, could I have coffee with milk and two sugars? She turned to Bonnie. I never used to take sugar in my drinks, but… Well, I swear it’s the stress of getting married, but I’ve dropped a dress size in the last month. I’ve had to have my wedding dress taken in once already.

I can imagine, Bonnie replied. I’ll go put the kettle on, and I think I’ve got a pack of cookies in the back somewhere. I’ll hunt those out for you.

Before you do, can I ask a question? Amanda sounded a little hesitant.

Bonnie smiled, doing her best to put Amanda at ease. Sure, fire away.

Why is there a blank page at the beginning of the book?

Most people didn’t notice that. They were too busy flicking through the photographs, searching for inspiration. Well, that’s where I’m going to have a shot of the bouquet from my wedding, Bonnie admitted.

You’re getting married? Shirley’s face brightened. Congratulations, honey.

Oh, no, I’m just… Let me get you those drinks. Bonnie hurried out to the back room, wanting to hide the heat that had risen in her cheeks. Not only was there no wedding on the horizon for her, there wasn’t even a man in her life. There hadn’t been for longer than she cared to recall.

I just don’t understand why you’re still single, Bonnie’s best friend, Tara, had said on any number of occasions. You’re attractive, intelligent, kind… You run your own business. The guys should be queuing up to date you.

Bonnie figured she knew the reason why she was still on her own. Her height. Most men might not come right out and say it, but they didn’t want a girlfriend who was close to six feet tall. She knew the shorter ones felt threatened by the way she towered over them, and even with taller guys, she hated not being able to wear high heels when they went out. Sometimes, she thought she ought to forget about her special page in the book of bouquets, use it to showcase another bride’s special flowers, but that would be as good as admitting she was never going to get her own happy ever after. And the one thing she would never do was give up on love.

* * * *

Amanda and her mother spent the best part of an hour leafing through the photos of floral arrangements and coming to decisions about what they liked. Bonnie took notes and made sketches, and by the time they left the store, both Amanda and Shirley seemed more than happy with the choices they’d made.

As Bonnie went to stow her notebook, the bell over the door tinkled. She looked around to see her sister, Cassidy, standing in the doorway, clutching a battered-looking paperback.

Here you go, Bonnie. I found it in the end. It had fallen down behind the nightstand in my bedroom, would you believe? Cassidy walked over and set the book down on the counter. The historical novel was this month’s selection for the reading club that met at Becker’s Books on Main Street, and Cassidy had promised to lend her copy to Bonnie when they’d been talking over dinner a few nights ago.

Thanks, but I thought you were going to drop this off at the house tonight.

I was intending to, but then I remembered we’ve got another rehearsal planned for this evening.

Really? That’s the third this week. Are you sure they aren’t working you too hard? When Cassidy had decided to major in theater arts, their dad had claimed it wasn’t a real degree, not like math or science, but from what Bonnie had seen, her sister put in as many hours as her friends who studied the more academic subjects.

"These rehearsals are voluntary. And this is my first time directing a play, so