“There is no me and Rosie,” Fletcher replies, and for the first time today, he’s not smiling. I know there’s more to this story than either of them are willing to share.
“But you want there to be?” Eli asks.
Fletcher rolls his shoulders back and sets his sandwich down beside him. Brewer jumps up, setting his paws on his lap, and Fletcher finally smiles before pushing the dog down. “You’ve had enough, boy. Go lay down.”
He looks up to find us waiting for an answer before shaking his head and letting out a breathy laugh. “I’ve got my hands full enough with Henry.”
“And Rosie would definitely require two hands,” Eli says before tipping his beer back and taking a swig.
“Oh yeah, she would,” I agree. My best friend is more than a handful for sure, but she’s worth the effort, and I have a feeling Fletcher realizes that as well. Though I don’t push him. Neither of them seem ready to deal with whatever is brewing beneath the surface, and Lord knows I have enough on my own plate to not try to play matchmaker.
We all laugh right as my mother’s car appears in the driveway. Excited to show her our handiwork, I hop off the porch and pat down my dirty clothes, waiting for her to park. Right as she’s getting out of her car, Walker’s Ford F-150 swings into the lane. It’s an older model, obviously well loved, and it suits him.
The truck pulls up next to my mom’s car and Walker hops out, his movements slow, his body tense. Something about the way he peruses the entire area has nervous energy buzzing through me.
Shit.
His nephew leans out the window and waves. “Hi!”
His boyish charm settles my nerves. I smile and wave back.
“What’s going on?” Walker mumbles to my mother.
She shrugs. “I was just about to ask the same thing.”
Eli’s hand lands on my shoulder, and he squeezes me against his side. “Tally here had a great idea today. And she roped us all into helping.”
Nervously, I give him a closed-mouth smile. But before I can say anything, Walker speaks. “Roped you in to help with what?”
“We uncovered the rest of the tulip bulbs!” I say brightly. “Tada.” I do a little jig. I have no idea why—probably because I feel nervous about the way my mother and Walker are looking at me.
Walker’s brows pull together. “You what?” He takes a step closer, and even though he’s still ten feet away, I feel the itch to back up.
Instead, I straighten my back. “With the Daffodil Festival around the corner, the flowers need time to bloom.” I sound more sure of myself than I feel. But this is how we always did it. The end of March meant the start of tulip season. By mid-April, we’d be in full bloom. Despite knowing all of this, however, something doesn’t feel right. It might be the panicked expression on my mother’s face. Or the simple shift in Walker’s stance; the way his jaw ticks as he looks off to the fields.
He’s angry. As is my mother. Whatever his plan was, they’re clearly in this together.
Walker’s emotions pass quickly across his face, and soon, he’s his usual stoic self. Unreadable. He glances at the men surrounding me. “Thanks for the help. If you guys ever need anything—”
Fletcher holds up a hand. “It’s what neighbors do. I’ve actually got to go pick up Henry at my mother’s. You all good?”He directs the question at me. I think he can sense that something is off.
I give a quick nod and fake a smile. “Yes. Thank you again. If you ever need a sitter for Henry, I’m your girl.”
He smiles and then the rest of the guys begin to pack up, heading for their trucks. Eli pauses next to me before leaving. “Walker doesn’t look happy. I’m not making that up, right?” He mumbles it out of the side of his mouth, his focus on my mother and Walker, who are talking together in quiet tones.
I shake my head as Eli gives my arm a gentle squeeze. “Want me to stick around?”
“No, I’ll be fine.”
His blue eyes study me for a beat longer before he nods and carries on his way. As he passes Walker and my mother, he stops to gives her a gentle squeeze and does some fist-bump thing in Walker’s direction, which Walker just stares at before Eli shrugs and gives up. Then he seems to notice Billie’s son hanging out the back of the truck and walks up to say hello. The way the little boy lights up, it’s clear he’s a big fan of the hockey player.
I stay where I am as everyone leaves, wondering what bombshell is about to be dropped. As soon as the last car pulls away, my mother spins on me. “Whywould you uncover the flower beds?”
Confused, I look between her and Walker, searching for an answer to their concern.
“Why wouldn’t I? The festival is coming up. The flowers won’t have time to bloom if they’re covered.”
The sound of a car door slamming echoes as Walker’s sister comes around the truck. She gives me a nod of her head and an uneasy smile. “Hi, Tally.”
