“Cuz I think it would make you happy. Would it?”
“Jonah,” she sighs. “This is too much.”
“But would it make you happy?”
Her hand stills on Ginger as she takes a moment to respond. “Yes.”
“Then it’s yours. How many garden beds do you want?”
“No, no, no. You don’t need to create garden beds. I can just work with the land.”
I point to her backyard. “But you have a raised garden. Is that what you’d prefer?”
“Yes, but—”
“Consider it done. I’ll take care of installing them, andyou’ll keep everything you grow. You’ll have access to them and the gardening shed whenever you want—they’re yours. How many beds do you want?”
Blush creeps over her neck and spreads across her face, and I kind of love how it doesn’t stay confined to her cheeks. Her entire head and neck turn red, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. Renée Wilde has always been all woman to me—sophisticated, and sure of herself. But watching her become speechless and blush like a little girl has me itching to see more of it.
All of it.
“Just one.”
I shake my head. “That’s not enough. Sky’s the limit.”
“Mom, can we plant sunflowers?” Delta asks as she rubs my dog’s hairy belly.
“I love sunflowers,” I reply.
“Fine,” Renée concedes. “Four beds. I can pay—”
“Oh, no. You’re absolutely not paying.”
“Jonah...”
“Fine. You can pay me in baked goods. I like cookies and cupcakes. Ooh, I also like Jell-O and pie.”
“We can do that!” Delta beams.
I point at her and give her a serious look. “You have pretty high standards to live up to, miss. Those no-bake cookies were incredible. I expect nothing but the best.”
“We are awesome bakers!”
“It’s settled then.”
“It is not,” Renée pushes.
“Fine.” I shrug dramatically. “I guess... you could come with me as my date to my brother’s wedding three weeks from Saturday.”
Her eyes roll the same way they did when I was her student. “There it is.”
“I’m only kinda joking. This garden has nothing to do with me actually wanting you to be my wedding date. Thegarden has absolutely no strings attached.”
“You promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
“Why on earth would you want to take me to a wedding?”
