Remember Dreams Read online

  Remember Dreams

  Healing Hearts

  Ginny Sterling

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Remember Home (Lawfully Gifted)

  Remember Love

  Remember Honor

  Tempting the Billionaire

  About the Author

  Praise for Ginny Sterling

  What can I say except I absolutely loved this story, I laughed out loud and I shed emotional tears.” – Amazon Reviewer (Remember Home)

  “This series has quickly become one my favorites. Love the storyline, love the characters, love the back stories and love the sweet romance between each couple.” – Amazon Reviewer (Remember Love)

  “What an amazing start to a new series, Healing Hearts, a clean contemporary and extremely emotional tale. I loved the characters, the angst, and the honest discussions, along with the chemistry and interactions. The people are broken, but with encouragement, friendship, and the added benefit of animals, it is the beginnings for healing.” – Amazon Reviewer (Remember Hope)

  Introduction

  Every cloud has a silver lining…

  Marigold Riley always enjoyed spinning negative events into something positive, no matter how bad things got. She’s chipper, upbeat, outgoing, savoring every moment as a chance to grow and thrive, just like her floral shop. She was envious of the love she saw her friends shared, realizing that she would need to pursue her own chances for love by writing the mysterious Ben Watson.

  Ben Watson was a no-nonsense guy with little tolerance for drama… just like his dog, Paladin. He’s driven, hardworking, and well respected by his peers for his clinical analysis of a bad situation. When Ben receives an unexpected care package from Marigold, he’s intrigued and inexplicably drawn to her radiant personality.

  Will Ben’s brooding personality dim the effervescent light in Marigold’s soul? Could two opposites have a chance - even miles apart? Perhaps loving her will guide him down a path to happiness that he’s only dreamed of?

  Chapter 1

  October 2016

  This was going to be her year!

  This would be the year one of Marigold’s bareroot roses finally won a ribbon at the Tyler Rose Festival. Breeding and growing roses was a skill she’d picked up over the years from hours and hours spent in her grandmother’s greenhouse and backyard. Nana had always taken time to pass on her secrets, tips and tricks and this year it was going to pay off. She loved flowers and the joy they brought to other people.

  One of her first major floral events and catering orders for her little florist shop had been that mysterious phone call last October, where a woman from Kentucky had ordered five dozen red roses delivered to the local elementary school, to her childhood friend, Lily.

  Lily Griffin had someone wooing her, and the fact that she was getting that many roses delivered to her, was breathtaking in Mari’s eyes. Someday she wanted someone to care for her that much. Someone that understood her, wanted to be a part of her world, and didn’t call her crazy for spending so much time nursing the roses she was laboring so hard on.

  This year, she had one entry in the festival. A bright orange rose with swirls of white that she named Harvest Moon. It was a hybrid tea rose that she’d made by cross pollinating over several years from seed.

  Marigold felt extremely intimidated by the competition, but she was just as good as any of those others putting in their submissions. It didn’t matter if she wasn’t a degreed botanist, or a fancy horticulturist. She was an avid plant lover and a little ambitious.

  That was all she needed – and some luck.

  Sometimes the cross-pollination worked, and other times it didn’t. Her backyard was full of failed attempts that were just too beautiful to get rid of, regardless. There was some sort of beauty in everything, if you looked hard enough.

  Some of the duller shaded flowers had the most wondrous perfumes, making them just as valuable to her. She used their petals for potpourri that she made and sold in her florist shop. She also used those particular breeds to attempt blending that scent into something a little more colorful.

  Harvest Moon had a faint perfume but striking color. She wished it had the sweet fragrance that some of her duller colored roses had since it had turned out so beautiful. No matter, every choice made, every attempt, was a learning experience that would only make her that much better at what she did.

  The pale-yellow roses that she’d used for John and Lily’s wedding décor was one of her ‘duds’ that she’d been unable to part with. The rich, sweet, almost overpowering vanilla scent in the pale, translucent yellow shade had been utterly perfect when Lily said that the theme of the wedding was Twinkies.

  Marigold thought it was brilliant and so creative. A marriage or celebration should be focused on what makes you special. Other’s laughed at the idea and said it was ‘classically Lily-the outrageous teacher who always snacked on Twinkies’.

  Someday, she wanted someone to love her enough to publicly do something silly with her, just to make her feel special. She knew deep down she would never find that someone here in Tyler, either. Here, she was the overly happy hippie-chick with the florist shop on the square.

  Every description was accurate, and she was okay with that when looking at the whole picture. She was one of her precious duds that she loved so very much. It would take a special someone to see past the dull front and appreciate the true heart she had.

  Until then, she was more than willing to wait for her Prince Charming to arrive or sweep her off her feet.

  “A penny for your thoughts?”

  Marigold jumped guiltily, sipping the honeyed mead that the vendors were selling at the festival. It tasted awful and truthfully, she wasn’t enjoying it in the slightest, but was too frugal to toss the beverage. Five dollars for swill was expensive and the name was quite misleading. There was nothing ‘honeyed’ about the yellow liquid in her cup.

  “Hey, Lily,” Mari said cheerfully, watching the couple take a seat at the picnic bench opposite of where she was.

  “Nice to see you again John – and my girl, Radar. How’s my puppy-wuppy?” she crooned playfully from a distance, knowing better than to put her hand down by the large dog’s muzzle. She was a bit scared of large animals.

  Roses didn’t bite; dogs could.

  “I do believe that’s the first time Radar’s been called a puppy-wuppy,” John said, laughing easily.

  Marigold could see why Lily was so infatuated with the man. He had a warm, caring attitude to him that made him easily approachable. She was so happy for the couple and their new found love; as Lily wrapped one arm around John’s shoulders and he gazed at her with love glowing in his eyes.

  “We thought we’d say hello. I hope we weren’t bothering you,” Lily began, turning back to where Marigold sat. “Did you enter another rose this year? I want to make sure we cast a vote for yours.”

  “I did. It’s a pretty white and orange tea rose. I named it Harvest Moon, doesn’t that sound so ethereal and dreamy?”

  “That’s pretty creative. Are you ever going to submit our roses from the wedding? I think you should call it Hostess Dream or something funky like that. I love those roses and dried out my bouquet. I don’t suppose you’d sell me one or two bushes for my yard, would you?”

  “Where would you want them pl
anted at, honey? I’ll turn the soil for you this evening if you want, sweetheart,” John chimed in, quickly kissing Lily on the cheek. “They were perfect, weren’t they? I like the name Hostess Dream, too.”

  “You two are too sweet!” Mari said, laughing happily. “I love the name and maybe I will submit it next year. Hostess Dream, that is clever – and no, you can’t buy them. You can have three bushes. I have seven in the yard for cuttings and would be happy to share with you.”

  “You have seven in that color alone?” John asked, stunned.

  “John, Mari grew up on several acres of land not far from where I lived. Her grandparents had the corner house on the street, as well as the five acres behind the subdivision.”

  Mari nodded happily in agreement.

  “Nana gave me the house when she passed and the florist shop, because she knew how much I loved the roses and being a part of her world. The acreage is fenced off now to prevent poachers of my roses and it’s full of blossoms for the shop. There are rows and rows of bushes.”

  “Wow!”

  “It’s pretty impressive – as well as the bees.”

  “I could do without the bees,” Lily frowned quickly.

  “I can’t,” Mari admitted. “They are necessary for the pollination and make things interesting with their simple touch. I try to be selective in what I blend and keep track of, but sometimes… sometimes the little critters get there first.”

  “You don’t get mad that they interfere with your plans?”

  “Oh no! Not at all,” Mari said, smiling softly. “Sometimes you have to go with the flow and let the natural order of things just happen. When you do, something beautiful and so singularly special comes out of it.”

  “Well, we hope you win or at least ribbon this year,” Lily said tenderly, reaching over the picnic table and squeezing her hand affectionately. “I think we’ll go pick out a few treasures and I’ll call you later to get the bushes. I’d really prefer to pay you for them…”

  “And I’d prefer you didn’t,” Mari said firmly with a smile. “Consider them a late wedding present, you lovebirds.”

  “Thank you again,” John interrupted as Lily started to open her mouth to argue. “We really appreciate it, Marigold.”

  “Of course! What are friends for?”

  “You are the best,” Lily said tenderly. “If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’d really like to pay you back for how wonderful you always are to me. I think we need to get together and hang out more often.”

  “You’re busy and I understand why, too, now that I’ve met your sweet husband.”

  “There’s someone out there for you, too,” Lily reminded her and Marigold grinned to hide the crushing feeling that suddenly was overwhelming her. If there was someone out there, she wished it just wasn’t taking so long to meet Mr. Wonderful. She was lonely and ready to have someone look at her like John looked at Lily.

  “Oh, I meant to tell you both,” Mari said, changing the subject quickly. “There are some organic dog treats down this row of tents. I think the booth was on the far right. I almost picked up some for you but there was a massive Great Dane looking at me like I was kibble.”

  John laughed and got to his feet.

  “Mari, you know Radar wouldn’t hurt you.”

  “I would hope not.”

  “We’ll have to get you used to the animals someday,” he promised, smiling. “Lily, if you want to stay, you can. I’ll grab something for Radar and come back.”

  “Go with your husband,” Mari urged quickly, smiling. “You two have fun and I’ll call you later if I place.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Bye.”

  Marigold watched the couple walk off, holding hands, with the massive German Shephard walking in line beside Lily’s husband. Taking another sip of the honeyed mead, she made a face and shivered with disgust.

  Maybe she’d pour this swill out, after all.

  Getting up, she dumped it into the grass with a flourish.

  It was time to buy a few cuttings for next year’s crop of roses to hybridize. She would take the cuttings home, slice the stalks and splice them into plants she already had established. Once she harvested the rosehips, she’d gather the seeds, and see what became of her endeavors.

  She didn’t place at all in the competition.

  Marigold was quite disappointed, but couldn’t help feeling a bit of promise and encouragement for next year’s endeavors. She’d bought a few cuttings of the winning plant, a stunning rose with a deep, ruddy color.

  She was so happy with how beautiful Harvest Moon was, it was easy to be okay with it losing. The blooms would make wonderful bouquets for autumn. Some yellow roses, a few bright oranges, and then the creamy blends of her newest rose. Oh yes, it would make a stunning centerpiece or bouquet that would easily sell.

  Lily pulled into the driveway and waved happily out the open window of her car door. She was here to pick up the roses that Mari had offered her and truthfully, she was glad Lily was here. She would need the spots to make room for a few new attempts at breeding.

  Mari had pruned the roses back and wrapped them with twine to keep the large plants from taking up so much room in the trunk. The massive canes were covered with thorns and that was one thing she would like to disappear over time. She had faint scratches all over her arms from being snagged by the bushes, time and time again.

  “Are you sure you won’t let me pay you for them?” Lily asked.

  “I’m positive. Is your trunk empty?”

  “Oh, I thought I’d set them in the floorboards.”

  “Whoops,” Marigold hesitated and looked around. “Let me get some plastic then so the floorboards don’t get all messed up. Are you sure you don’t want them in the trunk?”

  “I’ve got packages to mail out.”

  “I could take them for you,” Marigold offered quickly. “I’ve got to run to the post office, anyhow.”

  “Thanks, but it’s kind of a pet project of mine,” Lily said, smiling softly at her and then hesitated. It was easy to see that the woman had just thought of something as she stared at Marigold intensely.

  Mari swallowed nervously.

  “Something wrong?”

  “No. I think I just had an idea,” Lily admitted and smiled widely. Marigold couldn’t help but think that the woman she’d known for years suddenly resembled a wolf that scented its prey.

  “Why am I not sure I’m going to like this idea of yours?”

  “You like everything,” Lily protested quickly, “why start being selective now?”

  “I’m always selective with everything I do.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “What are you thinking? You want a different color rose?” Mari said hopefully, as Lily continued to eye her carefully. It was like she was being scrutinized and studied.

  “Quit looking at me like that,” Marigold said after a moment, feeling distinctly uncomfortable, with the unease growing every moment until Lily finally smiled and shrugged.

  “I’d like your help with something, but I want to run it past John first. Can I get back with you later on?”

  “Is this about the roses?”

  “You could say that,” Lily said, smiling evenly. “It’s about growing things, for sure.”

  “John! John!” Lily called out, hopping out of the car. She was always impressed by how attentive her husband was as he came flying around the corner of the house from the backyard, looking alarmed and brandishing the shovel he’d been using.

  “Put that down.”

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. I think something is going to go soooo very right!”

  “The roses?”

  “No. I had an idea and I want to see what you think of it,” Lily began nervously, knowing her husband was very protective of his team. That was why they mailed out care packages to each one of the ‘boys’ on a weekly basis. They received few things in the mail and it had once m
eant the world to him. “Hear me out before you say ‘no’.”

  “No,” he said quickly, straight-faced.

  “John!”

  “What?” he laughed, smiling at her. It never ceased to amaze her that this wonderful man was a part of her life and that they’d met by chance.

  “I never tell you ‘no’ and I thought I would test it out for a change.”

  “Be serious, would you? It’s about Marigold.”

  “Is she alright?”

  “Yes, but she’s lonely and I think maybe she needs someone to write to, like I wrote you,” Lily said quietly, studying her husband. He immediately frowned.

  “Don’t say no,” she reminded him. “Hear me out first. I know what having someone to talk to did for me…”

  “Lily, we are different. You are a miracle to me,” John interrupted.

  “Sometimes you need a friend you can confide in and talk to that doesn’t feel real. No strings attached, you know? I grew to care for you because you listened and heard the real me on the inside.”

  “It wasn’t because of this sexy body?” he teased, dropping the shovel and putting his arms around her waist.

  She loved the way he always seemed to reach for her and hold her. It was like having a chance to touch a person she considered her better half, her soulmate, like it strengthened their bond between them. They were always trying to have some sort of contact. Even watching television, they held hands or were lying together on the couch.

  “Oh, it was definitely that,” Lily admitted, laying her cheek on his shoulder. “But what if Marigold had someone she could talk to when she felt down, someone to write about her roses and endeavors, her fears and wishes… someone that could listen and get to know the real person on the inside.”