Not helping his mental clarity. “What’s the deal with Josie and Stuart?”

“He’s had a crush on her for years, but she’s still hung up on some guy from decades ago. Normally Stuart tries to kiss her under the mistletoe at some point during the holiday season, and it gets awkward for everyone.”

He nodded. “Keep Stuart away from the mistletoe. Got it.”

“Plus,” she continued with a small smile playing around the corner of her mouth. “This year the proceeds from the special charity event each week are going to benefit anti-bullying programs at the school district. It’s important that we have a record year.”

“As important as you having a fake boyfriend?”

She tapped a finger on her chin, considering her answer. “Equally.” The wind gusted again and she hugged herself, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “Can we go inside for a minute to finish this conversation? It’s weirdly freezing out here.”

“I think we can be done now. I’m not going to be your fake boyfriend. It’s a crap idea.”

“Can I see the greenhouse?” she asked, clearly undeterred.

Send her away, his mind warned, like a flashing danger sign.

Always a glutton for punishment, Gabe turned and opened the latch and led her through. The door snicked shut behind her, and he breathed in the scent of dirt and mulch, only now it was mixed with the faint smell of citrus. Would he ever be able to walk into this refuge again without it reminding him of Angi?

“Look at all of this,” she murmured in awe. At least the greenhouse distracted her from the ridiculous business of roping him into a pretend relationship.

“Why don’t you have more of these plants for sale in the shop?”

He shrugged. “My grandma wanted to concentrate on flowers. They were her happy place. I don’t want anything to take away from that.”

“But you’d be adding to the value the store brings to town, not detracting from it. To its reputation. It could be bigger, more. It could be amazing.”

“I don’t have a lot of experience with amazing,” he said. Only with Angi. He might want to hate her and how she’d treated him when they were younger, but he couldn’t deny that his life felt better—more—when she was a part of it.

“You need me.” She nearly shouted the words, and Gabe couldn’t tell which one of them she was trying to convince. “I’ll help you make the shop magnificent.”

“Andrew has already done that.”

“I appreciate his effort, but you need more.” She nodded, as if warming to the idea.

Gabe opened his mouth to argue, and then she said, “Think of how happy it would make your grandmother.”

Talk about going for his soft underbelly.

“Why would it make her happy?” he asked slowly.

She turned to him, her dark eyes filled with an understanding that even he didn’t have. “It wasn’t just the fall and subsequent stroke that caused the struggle in the shop. Iris’s business had been slowing down for years, Gabe. She’d been slowing down. It’s part of why my dad brought lunch to her every week. He tried to keep her spirits bolstered.”