Rebuilding Valley View (Valley View Book #4)

Chapter 6

My muscles are sore and my head hurts and I really would love to spend this weekend blowing off steam, but after last weekend’s issues, I am definitely just staying in. I stopped by the store and purchase some bubble bath soap, planning on taking my new bathtub for a spin for the very first time. I pull myself up the stairs to my apartment when I see a card on the door that says I have a delivery in the flower shop. I groan thinking about doing those stairs again, but I walk back down and open the door to the shop.

“Mrs. Jean?”

“Is that you, Charlie?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m in the back, come on back.”

I head back to her office and she is elbow-deep in a flower arrangement. I hold up the card, “Hey, I got a delivery?”

“Oh, yeah, funny story somebody called in an order for flowers for you.”

“For me?” I’m still quite confused. I don’t know anybody who would be purchasing flowers for me.

“They’re right there.”

I look to where she is nodding and see a beautiful arrangement of wildflowers. They are orange, reds, and yellows, all different styles. “Who are they from?”

“There is a card,” she says with a smile playing on her face.

“Oh okay.” I take a whiff of the flowers and then look inside for a card. Once I read the messages, a small smile spreads across my face.

“You know, Tyler Brown is one of the good ones.”

I look back at Mrs. Jean. “You know Tyler?”

“Everybody knows the Brown family. I used to teach his Sunday School class.”

“I see.” Trying to imagine the Tyler I met as a little kid in Sunday School certainly is difficult.

“Never seen him send anybody flowers though,” she continues.

“That’s information to ponder, I guess.”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Was there anything else, Mrs. Jean?” Her body language and facial expressions are sure saying a lot even though she shakes her head.

“No, that was all. Don’t forget to take the card with you.”

“I won’t. Thank you.”

I slide the card back into the arrangement and pick up the vase, walking it up to my apartment again. I open my front window and place the vase right in the sun, they really are beautiful. I pull out the card again and sit on my couch tapping it in my hand. The card included Tyler’s number, allowing me to take the next step, easier said than done.

“Ugh, what to do, what to do.” I grab a bottle of beer and sit back on the couch. “Alright, why the hell not?” I dial the number and after two rings, he picks up.

“Hello?”

“Tyler?”

“One and only.”

“I don’t know about that, I bet there are other Tylers in the world.”

He laughs, “Probably none like me though.”

“Cocky, much?” I’m giving him some crap, but he is probably right. He definitely seems like one of a kind.

“So did you get my flowers?”

“I did. I’m looking at them right now. They are beautiful.”