Renata Santos doesn't expect her heart to flutter when she catches a boy stealing flowers out of her backyard. But as she unravels his reputation, she realizes puppy-eyed delinquent Isaac Marshall may just be the sunshine she needs to turn her life...
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P R I M R O S E
[primula vulgaris] ➳ neglect.
REALISTICALLY, IT WOULD TAKE Isaac five minutes at most to prick Elsie's finger and get her glucose reading. Maybe they'd need five more minutes to return to the banquet room, but no more than that.
There was no way they'd leave me here with Isaac's dad for more than ten minutes. That was the string of hope I held onto as I watched him flag down a waitress.
"Red or white, sir?" she asked when she found her way to our table. My interest piqued when I saw two bottles of wine. Isaac's dad indicated the red variety, and the waitress uncorked the bottle to top up his glass.
Once finished, she gave me a quick once-over before she wheeled her cart away. And then I was alone with him again.
"Sorry, where were we?" I tried to maintain my composure as we faced each other. For lack of wine or even coffee, I held my cup of water to my lips. "The animal shelter?"
"Yes," he agreed, sipping from his glass with a knot in his brow. I could tell he was genuine — that everything I had brought up earlier was truly new information to him. And I didn't understand how that was possible.
Not knowing about Isaac's obsession with animals was like not knowing his name.
"You seem like you've been a good influence on my son," said Isaac's dad. Not expecting this, I felt myself grow warm. "I'm glad he has someone like you in his life out there."
Since I'd learned about him, I'd thought of Isaac's dad as a heartless monster, who only interacted with his son at this party to save face. But despite his booming voice and imposing silhouette, he seemed to be making an effort to be kind.
Unless this was some kind of manipulation. "Thank you," I said, unsure if that would be a satisfactory response. Feeling brave, I added, "I didn't move to Newberry under the best circumstances either, so having him around has meant a lot to me."
He nodded, directing his attention to his wine glass. I took that as a hint and decided my best course of action was to finish eating as quickly as possible, then run off with Isaac before things got awkward again. I dug into the centerpiece on my plate — a chunk of salmon fillet.
Of course, Isaac's father picked this exact moment to speak. "When did you move to Newberry?"
"This past January." I hastily wiped my mouth with a napkin.
"Are you from the city?" When I nodded, he chuckled. "That must've been a difficult adjustment. It wasn't such a drastic change for Isaac. He grew up in a small town, and only lived in the city briefly when his mother and I separated. He was eager to return to something familiar, and picked Newberry for God knows what reason."
"It's good that you're here, Ren," he continued, motioning to me with his elbow on the table. "I could be reaching — and you can let me know if I am — but I believe you've been able to give Isaac some perspective."
