Read Online Iris in Bloom: Take a Chance, Book 2 by Nancy Warren - Free Book Online Page B

and half-finished knitting projects put away, the old furniture polished and flowers everywhere, it looked as good as it ever would. In honor of her birthday, her mother had vases of irises spiking purples everywhere. However, since Iris’s favorite flower was, in fact, the sunflower, the huge happy heads grinned at the purple spikes as though knowing they’d be grinning their happy heads off long after the irises had wilted and died.
    As people began to arrive the room filled with conversation and laughter. This, she thought, was why she’d never left Hidden Falls. There were friends here she’d known since she was in elementary school and high school, others she’d worked with over the years.
    Dosana was here in a black leather skirt and boots, her sleeveless gray shirt showing off her shoulder tattoo.
    Lucky, the family rescue mutt, a golden lab who was convinced she was the twelfth child of the family, got into the swing of the party by dropping her disgusting gooey tennis ball in the laps of anyone foolish to sit with their knees at her head height. Then she backed up a step and stood, staring fixedly at the ball, her tail swinging slowly back and forth.
    The odd foolish person who didn’t know her very well would throw the ball a few feet. This was a mistake as it meant that Lucky would never, ever, stop retrieving the ball and plopping it back into their lap until one of them died of old age or a family member came by and put an end to the game.
    As Iris watched Cooper, her youngest brother, take the ball from Scott Beatty’s lap and head outside, Lucky in hot pursuit, Evan came and sat beside her. The two doctors, Caitlyn and Rose, were deep in conversation. Not about medicine, about shoes. They made a striking pair, both gorgeous, Rose dark and Caitlyn fair, and both deeply girly.
    “You’d never know those two were trained medical professionals,” her big brother said, shaking his head at the women as he settled back in the chintz chair beside hers.
    “Please don’t expect support from me on that subject.” She extended her own feet to show him. “For what these cost? I could have bought a new lawnmower and it would have been more practical. But I love my shoes.”
    “Happy Birthday, kid,” he said. Pulling her in for a hug.
    “Thanks. I’m so glad you came. And brought Caitlyn. We all love her. When I think of that lemon Popsicle you almost married…?”
    He shuddered. “Don’t remind me.”
    “You look happy,” she said. And he did. “Being a small town lawyer suits you.”
    “So far. It’s a different life than I ever imagined for myself.”
    “I think this is better.”
    He laughed. Then glanced at his almost wife. “I think so too.”
    “No wedding jitters?”
    “Not a one. My only fear is that she’ll realize she’s making a huge mistake and dump my ass before I’ve got her tied down.”
    She chuckled. Anyone could see these two were as deeply in love as Daphne and Jack, though hopefully not so embarrassing as to fondle each other in front of company as she could see her parents doing in the dining room doorway.
    Geoff could hear the noise of talk and laughter as he stepped up to the door and rang the bell. It was opened to him by Daphne who wore a big smile and smudged lipstick. She hugged him as though he’d grown up in the neighborhood instead of being a guy she’d met twice. “Geoff, I’m so glad you could make it.”
    She took his coat, relieved him of the wine he’d brought and gestured to the wrapped gift in his hand. “You didn’t have to bring all this. But there’s a gift table in the dining room. Everyone’s in the living room, go on down there and Jack will get you a drink.”
    “Thanks.”
    He dropped off the gift as instructed and followed the sounds of a party. Got to the doorway and stopped almost as though a blow had stunned him.
    Iris sat in a chintz armchair, nothing sexy about that, but she absolutely shimmered. Her face was alight with laughter as