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sorry, Mama. I was just looking at my new books.”
    “New books?” She put down her knife and walked over to Aubrey. There were three brand new hardcover books on the table sitting next to a beautifully designed box.
    “It’s The Wild Moon Gang series, Mama. You told me we were going to go to the bookstore this weekend, so that I could get one, but now we don’t have to.”
    “Where did you get them from?”
    “Mr. Calhoun. He just gave them to me a little while ago.”
    “He did? How did he know you wanted them? Did you talk to him about them?”
    “No. We don’t talk.”
    “Did he say anything to you when he gave them to you?”
    “He doesn’t say anything to me, Mama. He just gave them to me and went in his house.”
    First the flower and now the books. Daisy bit her lip. Her sister left explicit instructions about what she wanted for her child. She wanted her to take music lessons, and speak a foreign language, and go to a good college, but Jane had forgotten one thing.
    A manual on how to actually raise a kid.
    It was situations like these when Daisy wasn’t sure what to do.
    “I think you’re going to have to give them back.”
    “What?” She hugged one of the books to her chest. “No, Mama. He gave them to me. He gave me a gift.”
    “I know, Cookie. But remember when we talked about taking things from strangers?”
    “He’s not a stranger! He’s our neighbor and he’s nice.”
    “I’ll buy you the same books. Tomorrow morning. You’ll have them when you get home from school.”
    “You’ll make me hurt his feelings, Mama. I don’t want to hurt his feelings. He’s already sad.”
    “He’s sad? You think he’s sad?”
    “Yes, Mama. Don’t you?”
    She hadn’t, but Aubrey was a lot more perceptive than her, a lot more sensitive. She had no father. She lost her mother and Danny who she loved too. Daisy didn’t feel right about her taking a gift from a man she barely knew, but it felt wrong to take something away from her that gave her so much pleasure.
    “You can keep the books,” she said with a sigh.
    “Thank you, Mama.” Her little face lit up and she jumped into Daisy’s arms, and that caused her heart to tug painfully.
    “You’re welcome.”
    She was going to have to tell Clayton Calhoun not to give her kid any more stuff.
    *
    One week later Daisy stood in her shop, putting the final touches on the arrangement that was going into the lobby of Haven’s Range Resort . It was one of the largest pieces she had ever done. There were dozens and dozens of pristine white roses, formed into a perfect ball shaped creation and peeking out between the white blooms were lavender roses that she grew herself in the green house behind her store.
    “That’s gorgeous, Daisy,” Loretta said. “You’ve got a gift.”
    “Thanks, babe.” She winked at her. “Who knew you could turn a gig that paid twelve dollars an hour into a legit career?”
    “You were just supposed to be a girl I just hired for the summer. Who would think you’d become an in demand floral designer, buy me out of my own shop and marry my son?”
    “If I would have gotten the bartending job I wanted, this all could have turned out so differently.”
    “How are you feeling, Daisy?”
    “A little funky. I’ve done pieces like this before, but this is going to be the centerpiece in the lobby at this evening’s grand opening celebration. The owners of the resort gave us two tickets to the party. I want you to go.”
    “You don’t want to?”
    “I’ve got to stay with my munchkin.”
    “You could go and I could watch her.”
    “Nah. I don’t feel much like going to a party. I think Danny wore out my party shoes a long time ago.”
    “You’re sad,” Loretta said softly.
    “I’m fine.” She shook her head. “I just want this arrangement to look right. Haven’s Range was one of our first regular clients.”
    “It’s your anniversary, Daisy Lee.”
    “No it…” She glanced at the calendar on the