“That’s what I said.” There’s a bit of an edge to his voice now.
“Oh.” Delaney’s voice is soft, almost sad, as though he’s missed out on something. Her gaze flicks to me, as if confirming he never sent me flowers.
I want to ask her if she missed the memo the other night that I’m pregnant, but we’re not in a relationship. Never really were in one.
“All right, well, that doesn’t matter. Men don’t know much about flowers half the time even when they do send them.” Delaney quickly makes an excuse.
“Except your brother,” Poppy cuts in.
Delany shakes her head, although I’m sure Bennett is very particular about what flowers he gives Delaney. “Yeah, but most men just point at something and say, ‘Put something pretty together.’ Not everybody’s partner is a landscape architect.”
Delaney smiles, her love for my brother clear. A tinge of jealousy hits me, wondering what having that kind of certainty in your life feels like.
“Okay, let’s just continue.” I take a breath. “We’re trusting you, Delaney.”
“Just Delaney?” Poppy sounds offended.
“Oh, come on, Poppy, I’ll go to you about bees and honey.” I laugh.
Delaney shows us more flowers. I spot one in a vase higher than I can reach on the shelf, so I grab the step stool and stretch up to reach it. It’s big, full, and white with the palest pink coloring around the petals. It’s perfect.
I’m on my tiptoes, and I almost have the flower when an arm wraps around my waist, lifting my feet off the stool.
Zander plops me on the floor and steps up to grab it himself. “I’ll get it.”
“She almost had it,” Poppy says from the counter. “She doesn’t need saving.”
I glance at Delaney with a questioning look, wondering what is wrong with Poppy today. Usually she’s easygoing and fun, but today she seems angry.
Delaney shrugs.
“Overbearing much?” Poppy murmurs, but we all hear her.
“It’s not overbearing. It’s romantic,” Delaney cuts in quickly, shooting me a smile.
“Romantic? It’s controlling,” Poppy snaps. “She’s perfectly capable of getting a flower.”
“Okay, Poppy, thanks for the opinion. We have the flower now,” I say, desperate to defuse the situation.
“I’m just helping her,” Zander mutters and leans in close. “You can’t be climbing on stools like that,” he whispers.
Poppy can’t hear him, but she’s eyeing me suspiciously.
This secret has no shot of staying undiscovered when he’s doing things like that.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Zander
Beau and I are sitting and having breakfast in The Getaway Lodge dining room.
“I need a night out,” I say to him.
Darla is flitting around, making sure all of my crew are happy. She’s the most hospitable person I’ve ever known. The most considerate too. Neither she nor Brad has approached me with questions about my intentions for their daughter. It’s kind of nice, I have to admit, to not have that pressure on me while I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to do this parenting thing.
The books Beau loaded onto my phone are good, and I’ve watched a few YouTube videos, but I still question whether I’ll figure out how to be a good father or not, even as committed as I am to becoming one.
“I want off the ranch,” I say again when Beau ignores my first request.
