"Pale purple," Dominic said, his dark eyes never leaving her face.

The dinner at the lakefront restaurant had been magic.

For three hours, Dominic didn't answer his satellite phone. He listened to Nora talk about her dream of expanding her greenhouse, her childhood in rural Illinois, and her love for rare botanical species. He laughed—really laughed—for the first time in memory.

When he drove her back to her apartment above Willow & Bloom at 11:00 PM, the night took a horrifying turn.

As Dominic’s sedan turned onto 4th Street, a bright orange glow illuminated the low night clouds.

"No..." Nora gasped, her hands slamming against the dashboard. "No, no, no!"

Willow & Bloom was in flames.

Plumes of black smoke poured from the shattered front windows. Fire trucks were already speeding down the avenue, sirens blaring through the quiet night, but the blaze had already swept through the wooden flower racks and interior counters.

Nora threw open the car door before Dominic could stop her, rushing toward the burning building.

"Nora! Stay back!" Dominic roared, springing out of the car and tackling her around the waist just as the front display window exploded outward in a shower of sparks and heat.

"My plants!" she screamed, tears streaming down her soot-stained cheeks as she fought against his iron grip. "My greenhouse in the back! The sweet peas—Evelyn’s sweet peas are in there!"

"Listen to me!" Dominic barked, turning her around to face him, his hands gripping her shoulders firmly. "Look at me, Nora!"

She looked at him, her face pale, her body shaking hysterically with sobs.