“I prefer this to any city block.It’s a beautiful part of the world.”
At the mention of city life, her eyes had dimmed, but that light returned as her gaze tracked over the area.
Lawson followed her gaze and spotted more of the doodads hanging from the trees and more of the bright cubes.He laughed when he spotted a small fairy hanging from the truck’s rear-view mirror and more dangling from the side mirrors.These were smaller, even more delicate.
He ruffled the dog’s head, then stepped away to check out the one closest to him.“I spotted more of these in the woods on my walk over.They’re beautiful and fit right in with the forest vibe.Makes me believe a fairy might pop out of the woods and whisk me away to her realm.Are they your work?”
He looked up to find Dani staring at him.Skin flushed, mouth open, and eyes wide.With a quick headshake, she closed her mouth and scraped her lower lip with her teeth.
He wanted to tug that lip free and kiss it.He doubted she had a clue how sexy she was in another flowery dress that fit with the whimsical art she created.Dani Richards could be a fairy come to life.
And she could whisk him away to her realm any time she wanted.
Dani managed to keep her hands at her side instead of slapping them to her flaming cheeks.Lawson’s words filled her up.
In a simple sentence, he proved he could see her.Not an idealized vision of her, but her actual self.He’d identified exactly what she wanted to do with her art and how she wanted to bring beauty and smiles to the world.
She swallowed hard and managed the words, although her voice trembled.Maybe he wouldn’t notice.“Thank you.That means a lot to me.That’s exactly how I feel when I’m creating them.Like they may pop to life and make someone smile.”
His smile widened, and she wanted to kiss it, to find out if he tasted as good as she suspected he would.
After her research, she’d realized he was a good guy.A normal man who’d been trying to introduce himself to a neighbor.Exactly as he’d said.
Now she could see past her panic to the man himself.Not a tool her parents had sent to use her somehow.But a sexy and attractive man who appeared to have more than a bit of softness in his soul.
“I have to ask why you’re putting pots of pretty wildflowers in the forest, though.The pops of color sure brighten up the paths, but I figure most wildflowers like the sun.”
Her cheeks flushed deeper.From the outside, Lawson could appear intimidating.Tall and strong.Capable and sure of himself.
But he was proving to be far more than that.Not afraid of the soft side of life.She’d met more than a few men who wouldn’t have noticed her art or the flowers.And if they had, they would have rolled their eyes and scoffed at her.
She sensed nothing but sincere interest from Lawson.“I’m trying to see if my bees will explore further from their hives.I have enough pollinators in the meadow, but if I decide to expand, I’ll need more sources for them.If they follow the flowers through the trees, they might find more plants that they enjoy.I’m also curious whether different food sources will change the taste of the honey.”
“Bees?”
The surprise evident on his face made her smile.Any wariness she’d felt yesterday had completely disappeared.This was a potent man with a big heart, and she suspected she could easily fall for him.
With her past, it shocked her that she would even consider falling in love.She imagined her parents would be confused, as she doubted they would know what to do with an emotion as strong as love.Or any feelings other than superiority and contempt.
Shaking free of the past, Dani focused on Lawson and his question.She shifted to her knees and gestured around the clearing.“There are a couple of dozen hives scattered around the clearing.”
Lawson turned to survey the scene, and she watched his gaze land on one apiary, then zip around the area, checking out the rest.“The colorful cubes?Those are beehives?”
Bibi bopped his hand, and Lawson immediately petted her, but his gaze remained on the clearing.
Knowing it was safe to get down, Dani stood and moved to the tailgate.She always used the back bumper to climb in and out of Beatrice.
Lawson offered her his hand, and a shock of pleasure rushed through her when she took it.Hoping he didn’t feel the tremble, she let him assist her to the ground.Then he lowered the tailgate to give Bibi easier access to follow her.
His hands grazed the tailgate with what she could only describe as reverence, and Dani wondered how it would feel to have those hands grazing her body.
She was absurd.But at least she knew she wasn’t cold or broken like the rest of her family seemed to be.They only got that kind of look when they were talking about profits.
To resist the desire to reach out and touch Lawson’s hands, she buried her fingers in Bibi’s fur and gave her a rubdown.
Lawson held out the hat she’d left in the truck bed.He smiled when she put it on.His gaze roved over her body for a long moment, but then he yanked it away and back to the apiaries.“Okay, tell me about bees.”
She laughed.“Careful.I can talk about my bees for hours.They’re fascinating, and if we’re not more careful as a species, we’ll lose them.If we do, we lose the planet shortly thereafter.”
