I smile thinly as he fills me in on the details, all the while wondering what the hell I’ve just done.
Later that afternoon I’m at the Huntingtons’, enjoying the scent of new roses and fresh grass in the air as I work. Noah plays on the lawn next to me while I wield the gardening shears on their yew hedges.
They’ve accepted my designs for the new lower garden, and work on that starts next week. For the time being, I’m keeping the hedges but making them shorter so they can have a view of the mountains from the top of the garden.
I move my stepladder to the next segment and climb up. Noah chatters happily to himself, and I whisper a silent thank you to the goddess of single moms that has him in a good mood today.
As soon as my first invoice from the Huntingtons comes in, I’ll book him into a nursery three afternoons a week. It’s easy to bring him to the center in the morning because it’s like a second home, and Joel has never minded the little guy being with me while I work.
But as he’s gotten older and more mobile, it’s hard to keep an eye on him. I can’t keep bringing him on jobs with me.
I hear footsteps on the path behind me and turn, expecting to see Annette Huntington, the lady of the house. Instead, a man saunters through with his hands in the pockets of his white chinos. He’s a few years younger than me, with squinty eyes and floppy blond hair.
“You’rethe new gardener?”
His gaze sweeps over my body and lingers too long on my breasts. Anyone else would try to hide the fact they’re checking me out, but not Chad, the entitled son of the Huntingtons. He smiles as if he’s a kid at a candy shop.
I keep my voice calm and turn back to the hedge with my gardening shears.
Snip.
“I’m the landscaper.”
Snip.
He snort-laughs as if I’ve said something funny. Forcing myself to ignore him, I lean over the hedge to reach the twigs sticking up on the far side.
Snip.
A hand lands on my ass with a dull slap. I jerk away, causing the shears to go wide and the stepladder to wobble.
“What the fuck?”
Chad chuckles and steps back as I leap off the stepladder. My cheeks are inflamed, and rage courses through me.
“You slapped my ass.” I’m so shocked and embarrassed that I don’t know what else to say.
Noah must pick up on my tone, because he starts whining. Chad glances at Noah and then back at me before taking a step forward.
“My parents are out.” His tongue darts out to lick his lips like a snake’s. “You’re single, I’m single, what do you say? Are you up for it? No strings attached?”
He’s speaking as if we’re at a bar and this is a normal proposal. His hand reaches for me, and I jump backwards.
“No.” I shake my head, and he frowns in confusion.
“Come on.” He glances at Noah, who thankfully has moved to stand behind me. “You must put out, so why not with me? I won’t tell anyone.”
He gives me what I think is supposed to be his sexy smile, but it makes him look like a deranged hyena.
I’ve faced this kind of thing before from men who assume, because I’m single and have a child, that I must be looking for sex. But it’s so shocking to be approached when I’m working that it takes a moment for my shock to turn into rage.
He reaches for me, and this time instead of jumping back, I lean into his touch. While he strokes my arm, I sweep the gardening shears upwards and open them as I bring them between his legs.
His eyes widen as I close the shears slightly, just enough to squeeze his goods in the sharp blade.
“You touch me again, and I’ll prune something you’ll miss.”
His eyes bug out of his head, and his face turns red.
