Page 64 of Flowers To Give

“Hey! Jeremy!”

Looking over, Yana is fighting the crowd to cut over to him, waving her arm over her head. Glad to see her, Jeremy dismounts Asher and gives her a sideways hug as she gets closer. She’s smiling wide, arm tightly squeezing him as she says, “You did so good!”

“Thanks,” Jeremy smiles back. Biting his lip, he offers the reins to her and asks, “Could you take Asher back to the trailers for me? I need to find someone.”

She takes the reins, brow furrowed as she asks, “Is it Rezai? Are you leaving with him?”

Looking dearly at his friend, he tells her, “I can’t explain it now. I’ll call you though, I promise.”

She takes a step forward, asking, “When will I see you again?”

“I don’t know,” he smiles softly, reassuring her, “But you will.”

Yana suddenly jumps him, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He pats her back as he hugs her in return. He’s going to miss his friend. When they pull away, Yana has tears in her eyes but wears a big smile as she says, “Alright. See you later.”

They hold onto each other’s shoulders for a moment longer before Yana’s pawing at her face and leading Asher away from Jeremy. His hand brushes against Asher’s dark coat as she passes, saying a silent goodbye to the horse that had served him so well over the years. People passing him at eye level make Yana and Asher seem small as they dwindle from his sight.

Turning his attention to searching the crowd, Jeremy walks around the entirety of the outskirts of the arena. He scans all the faces, but nobody is who he’s looking for. He searches so long that most of the crowd has dissipated, making a whole round around the entire arena and looping back to the line of trailers. In front of the Willmaker Ranch’s Toyota that holds Jeremy’sduffel bag of meager belongings, a man in an anachronistic hoodie and sunglasses stands at the truck bed with an enormous bouquet of flowers in hand.

To any passerby, the man would look like a nobody. But Jeremy recognizes him right away, heart pounding as he stops and watches Clark stand and wait for him. Clark hasn’t seen Jeremy yet, brow furrowed and head turned to the side. The striking man flexes his jutted jaw, tense and on alert. Jeremy is reminded how high strung Clark had been even as children, and how one childish hug would relax him. Some part of him knows that if he’d do the same now then he’d deflate his intensity just the same.

“That look,” Merle says from beside Jeremy.

Glancing over, Merle’s also in his dark hoodie and a round sunglasses, lifting the glasses off from his face now in order to look Jeremy in the eye. Cocking a brow, Jeremy asks, “What look?”

“The one you had just now when you saw him,” Merle glances over to Clark before continuing, “That’s how I want you to look at me.”

Taking a deep breath, Jeremy steadies his pounding heart as he tells the truth, “Merle, I don’t think I can ever give you that.”

Merle’s lips get tight as he nods, searching Jeremy’s face as he says, “I get that now. It’s always been him, hasn’t it?”

Taking a steadying breath, Jeremy admits, “I’d be lying to myself if I said no.”

A small smile plays on Merle’s lips as he says, “I know he has it.”

Confused, Jeremy asks, “Has what?”

“Your cure.”

Jeremy nods, knowing that Merle is right.

Taking a deep breath, Merle reaches out and touches Jeremy’s fingertips, telling him, “I’ll never forget our time on the beach.”

Lightly squeezing Merle’s hand, Jeremy nods and pulls away.

Exhaling slowly, Merle searches Jeremy’s face for a moment longer before glancing back over to Clark and saying, “I think he’s waiting for you.”

Jeremy follows his line of sight and notices Clark looking right at them. Turning once more to Merle, he’s already gone. The mysterious director disappears into the thin crowd, leaving Jeremy alone with his decision. Facing his fate, Jeremy starts walking over to Clark.

The actor looks around a moment before daring to be recognized by taking off his sunglasses and pushing back the hood from his sweater. Jeremy can’t help but smile as he approaches Clark, taking off his cowboy hat in turn and saying, “I was hoping you’d come.”

“That was some performance,” Clark smiles back, handing Jeremy the bouquet and saying, “Here. These are for you.”

A plume of floral perfume hits Jeremy’s nose as he takes the expansive arrangement in his arms. He leans into the scent, nose tickling against velvety flower petals. The large bouquet takes up most of Jeremy’s torso, holding the heavy flowers in his arms while having his hat in hand. He blushes at the gesture and says, “Thank you.”

Clark chews on his bottom lip, searching Jeremy’s face as he says in one gust of air, “Sheila said you quit today.”

Nodding, Jeremy looks back down at the flowers.