Excerpt: Be My Hero - Nell Dixon

Nathalie Mayer is thirty-four. On the surface she is an attractive, happy, single, successful woman running her own bridal business. Despite her line of work and her obvious delight in other people’s weddings, including that of her twin brother, Nate. Nathalie has always declared that a settled relationship is not for her. There has only ever been one man whom Nathalie felt she could love.

Evan Davies is back in town after a six year absence. Last time he was here, he and Nathalie had tentatively begun to take their friendship to a different level. Now he’s home again and has the reason for his sudden departure from six years ago with him – his daughter, Polly.

The shop bell jangled again and a delivery man came in with an enormous basket of dark red roses.

“Oh, aren’t those gorgeous!” Gemma and Karen exclaimed together.

“Delivery for a Miss Nathalie Mayer?” The man read from a clipboard he carried in his other hand.

“Tali, they’re for you,” Gemma breathed.

“Wow, you must have an admirer?” Karen’s face was alive with curiosity.

Nathalie quickly took the basket from the man. “Thank you.” She moved away and rested the flowers on the counter. Karen and Gemma crowded around as the delivery man left.

“Open the card,” Gemma urged.

“Who are they from?” Karen asked.

Nathalie’s hand trembled as she slid the small white card from the envelope, even though she already knew who they must be from.

“Evan!” Karen announced in a triumphant voice before Nathalie had a chance to hide the card from view.

Nathalie pushed the card into the pocket of her jacket. “Can you take these through into the back of the shop please, Gemma?”

Gemma looked puzzled. “I’ll put them in your office.”

“Just friends, hmm?” Karen queried.

“The flowers were a thank-you for something I’d given his daughter,” Nathalie fibbed. She didn’t want Karen to spread her private life all over town. Unfortunately, she had a feeling it might already be too late. Karen had drawn her own conclusions.

“Are you bringing him to my rehearsal dinner?” Karen asked.

“I told you, no. We aren’t on those kinds of terms.” Nathalie felt herself flush.

“Well, those flowers look to me like the kind a man sends to a woman when he wants to be on those sorts of terms.” Karen picked up her handbag ready to leave. “Dark red roses? Please. Those are the flowers a woman gets the morning after a night well-spent with a man.” She nudged Nathalie’s arm. “And you look as if you didn’t get much sleep last night.” She swept off out of the shop.