Lead Me Home, Numb3rs, Part 28/84
Don't own; don't sue.
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Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27
At the edge of Boise proper, Colby pulled into a small strip mall. It was one of his favorite places to shop.
He started at the south end. The bakery had the best chocolate-edged lace cookies in Idaho. Beth Colby was particularly fond of them so he bought a couple dozen.
His next stop was the coffee shop about halfway down the block. He wasn't really in need of any more caffeine but the flower shop on the north end didn't open for another ten minutes. A hot cocoa would take some of the chill out of his bones and kill the time. He even had chance to peruse _The Idaho Statesman_ before heading down to the florist.
The flower shop was small but were known for being able to pull off any job the bigger shops could. The fact that they were easy to get to was a bonus for Colby.
"Good morning," he said to girl behind the counter. She looked like she was about seventeen, obviously working a part-time job.
"Good morning. What I can I help you with today?"
"Well, I need two dozen pink roses... and then... do you have any plastic flowers?"
"Huh?"
"I have a friend who died this fall and this is my first chance to get to his grave."
"Oh. Oh, yeah, we can hook you up. I'll, uh, just have to go see what we've got in the back."
Colby grinned and nodded. This was why he liked small shops. "I can wait."
The teen popped into the back for a few moments before coming back. "My mom's gonna come out to talk you about the fake flowers, but I'll get started on the roses for you."
"Thanks."
Colby was puttering in the little section of knick-knacks near the door when the owner came out.
"Morgan tells me you want some flowers for a grave."
"Yeah. I was thinking maybe plastic so they wouldn't freeze right a way."
"Well, I can certainly do an arrangement for you. It's for a friend?"
"My godfather, actually. He died this fall and I, uh, wasn't able to get back before now."
The woman nodded, her eyes soft with sympathy. "I think I have just the thing. Can you give me fifteen minutes?"
"Yeah. My plans are fairly open today."
"Okay then. If you want to go down and get a coffee or something..."
"Nah, I'm good. But thanks."
The florist smiled and patted him on the arm. She headed for the back-room after a stop at the counter to talk with Morgan.
Colby smirked at the way the teen rolled her eyes as her mom walked away. It must stuck to have to work for your mom, especially at that age,he thought. When she set the two dozen roses on the counter, he went over to check them out.
"They're beautiful." The color was very bright if a little lighter on the tips. Each bloom was wide and full.
"Yeah."
Colby smiled and went back to his browsing. The selection of knick-knacks was actually pretty surprising. He'd expected the windchimes, suncatchers, and yard decorations but the little figurines, clocks and candles were nice additions. He was drawn to one piece in particular so he carried it to the counter.
"Would you happen to have a box for this?"
"Sure. I'll get this wrapped up for... you," Morgan trailed off with a frown. She was looking past Colby.
A glance of over his shoulder explained her change in mood. A late model SUV had pulled up out front. Five sets of skis were strapped the roof. Five teenagers got out and waved before heading down to the coffee shop.
Morgan sighed. Her eyes followed the two girls and three boys.
Colby smiled. "So which one of the boys is giving you roses?"
"What? No."
Colby turned again and watched as the group returned to their car with coffees in hand. The last of the boys to get in the vehicle tipped his ball cap at the shop.
"If he haven't figured out that he should be giving the girl who works in a flower shop flowers, he's not worth your time."
Morgan laughed and looked out the window to watch the SUV pull away.
"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to do fun stuff with your friends. But time with your family... that's a gift. They'll be gone before you know it."
Morgan gave Colby a long look before nodding. "Okay."
"So do you like working with your mom?"
"Actually, I do. She's amazing with the flowers. You're gonna love your arrangement."
"Yeah? And you? Do you ever do arranging?"
"I'm still learning." Morgan smiled again and looked down. "Oh, I haven't wrapped this, yet. Too busy gabbing."
Colby laughed. "I think it's called customer service."
Morgan giggled and shook her head. She quickly tucked tissue around his purchase. "I'm just going to get a box."
Colby picked up a business card off the counter. He was in the process of slipping it in his pocket when he heard the door to the back open again. He turned, figuring it was Morgan with the box. Instead, he was greeted by a wonderful bouquet of faux flowers.
The bundle was not large but it was very nice. White calla lilies and pale peach roses made the majority of the bouquet. A few bright blue forget-me-nots peeked out among the green leaves. A silver ribbon ran around and though the bundle.
"Do they make these ribbons?" Colby reached out and traced the white letters with his finger.
"No, it's a grandfather one; I twisted it so it would read Godfather."
Morgan smiled as she came up next to her mom with the box. "I told you she was good."
"Yeah." Colby stroked a finger over the petals, surprised at how life-like they looked and felt. "It's perfect. Thank you so much, Miz..."
"Nancy."
"Thank you, Nancy."
Nancy went around the counter to start ringing up Colby's purchase. She slid his wrapped package into the box Morgan had brought while sending her daughter over to refill the shelf.
Colby smiled at her and pointed at Morgan. "You've got a good kid there."
"Yeah, most of the time. I hope she didn't have too much of an attitude with you."
"Nah. But come on, at that age, you'd have rather been skiing with your friends than working at your mom's shop."
"Skiing?"
"Yeah, some kids drove by with skis. They waved so I figured Morgan knew them."
"Morgan," she called and continued when her daughter came to the counter, "what's this about skiing?"
"Oh, Jess, Anna, Seth, John, and Ty were going out to Bogus Basin."
"Why didn't you ask to go?"
"You said you'd need help over the holidays with Caryn and Sarah out of town."
Nancy smiled and turned to Colby. "You're wrong. I don't have a good kid; I have a great kid."
Colby grinned. "And an excellent seller." He pulled a single rose from his bundle and handed it to Morgan.
Nancy was still laughing at Morgan's blush when a few moments later Colby left the shop with his three purchases.
Next
Part 01 Part 02 Part 03 Part 04 Part 05 Part 06 Part 07 Part 08 Part 09 Part 10
Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20
Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27
At the edge of Boise proper, Colby pulled into a small strip mall. It was one of his favorite places to shop.
He started at the south end. The bakery had the best chocolate-edged lace cookies in Idaho. Beth Colby was particularly fond of them so he bought a couple dozen.
His next stop was the coffee shop about halfway down the block. He wasn't really in need of any more caffeine but the flower shop on the north end didn't open for another ten minutes. A hot cocoa would take some of the chill out of his bones and kill the time. He even had chance to peruse _The Idaho Statesman_ before heading down to the florist.
The flower shop was small but were known for being able to pull off any job the bigger shops could. The fact that they were easy to get to was a bonus for Colby.
"Good morning," he said to girl behind the counter. She looked like she was about seventeen, obviously working a part-time job.
"Good morning. What I can I help you with today?"
"Well, I need two dozen pink roses... and then... do you have any plastic flowers?"
"Huh?"
"I have a friend who died this fall and this is my first chance to get to his grave."
"Oh. Oh, yeah, we can hook you up. I'll, uh, just have to go see what we've got in the back."
Colby grinned and nodded. This was why he liked small shops. "I can wait."
The teen popped into the back for a few moments before coming back. "My mom's gonna come out to talk you about the fake flowers, but I'll get started on the roses for you."
"Thanks."
Colby was puttering in the little section of knick-knacks near the door when the owner came out.
"Morgan tells me you want some flowers for a grave."
"Yeah. I was thinking maybe plastic so they wouldn't freeze right a way."
"Well, I can certainly do an arrangement for you. It's for a friend?"
"My godfather, actually. He died this fall and I, uh, wasn't able to get back before now."
The woman nodded, her eyes soft with sympathy. "I think I have just the thing. Can you give me fifteen minutes?"
"Yeah. My plans are fairly open today."
"Okay then. If you want to go down and get a coffee or something..."
"Nah, I'm good. But thanks."
The florist smiled and patted him on the arm. She headed for the back-room after a stop at the counter to talk with Morgan.
Colby smirked at the way the teen rolled her eyes as her mom walked away. It must stuck to have to work for your mom, especially at that age,he thought. When she set the two dozen roses on the counter, he went over to check them out.
"They're beautiful." The color was very bright if a little lighter on the tips. Each bloom was wide and full.
"Yeah."
Colby smiled and went back to his browsing. The selection of knick-knacks was actually pretty surprising. He'd expected the windchimes, suncatchers, and yard decorations but the little figurines, clocks and candles were nice additions. He was drawn to one piece in particular so he carried it to the counter.
"Would you happen to have a box for this?"
"Sure. I'll get this wrapped up for... you," Morgan trailed off with a frown. She was looking past Colby.
A glance of over his shoulder explained her change in mood. A late model SUV had pulled up out front. Five sets of skis were strapped the roof. Five teenagers got out and waved before heading down to the coffee shop.
Morgan sighed. Her eyes followed the two girls and three boys.
Colby smiled. "So which one of the boys is giving you roses?"
"What? No."
Colby turned again and watched as the group returned to their car with coffees in hand. The last of the boys to get in the vehicle tipped his ball cap at the shop.
"If he haven't figured out that he should be giving the girl who works in a flower shop flowers, he's not worth your time."
Morgan laughed and looked out the window to watch the SUV pull away.
"Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to do fun stuff with your friends. But time with your family... that's a gift. They'll be gone before you know it."
Morgan gave Colby a long look before nodding. "Okay."
"So do you like working with your mom?"
"Actually, I do. She's amazing with the flowers. You're gonna love your arrangement."
"Yeah? And you? Do you ever do arranging?"
"I'm still learning." Morgan smiled again and looked down. "Oh, I haven't wrapped this, yet. Too busy gabbing."
Colby laughed. "I think it's called customer service."
Morgan giggled and shook her head. She quickly tucked tissue around his purchase. "I'm just going to get a box."
Colby picked up a business card off the counter. He was in the process of slipping it in his pocket when he heard the door to the back open again. He turned, figuring it was Morgan with the box. Instead, he was greeted by a wonderful bouquet of faux flowers.
The bundle was not large but it was very nice. White calla lilies and pale peach roses made the majority of the bouquet. A few bright blue forget-me-nots peeked out among the green leaves. A silver ribbon ran around and though the bundle.
"Do they make these ribbons?" Colby reached out and traced the white letters with his finger.
"No, it's a grandfather one; I twisted it so it would read Godfather."
Morgan smiled as she came up next to her mom with the box. "I told you she was good."
"Yeah." Colby stroked a finger over the petals, surprised at how life-like they looked and felt. "It's perfect. Thank you so much, Miz..."
"Nancy."
"Thank you, Nancy."
Nancy went around the counter to start ringing up Colby's purchase. She slid his wrapped package into the box Morgan had brought while sending her daughter over to refill the shelf.
Colby smiled at her and pointed at Morgan. "You've got a good kid there."
"Yeah, most of the time. I hope she didn't have too much of an attitude with you."
"Nah. But come on, at that age, you'd have rather been skiing with your friends than working at your mom's shop."
"Skiing?"
"Yeah, some kids drove by with skis. They waved so I figured Morgan knew them."
"Morgan," she called and continued when her daughter came to the counter, "what's this about skiing?"
"Oh, Jess, Anna, Seth, John, and Ty were going out to Bogus Basin."
"Why didn't you ask to go?"
"You said you'd need help over the holidays with Caryn and Sarah out of town."
Nancy smiled and turned to Colby. "You're wrong. I don't have a good kid; I have a great kid."
Colby grinned. "And an excellent seller." He pulled a single rose from his bundle and handed it to Morgan.
Nancy was still laughing at Morgan's blush when a few moments later Colby left the shop with his three purchases.
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