"If you were that big of a computer geek, why did you go into law enforcement? I'm surprised you're not a programmer or something."
He didn't want to talk about what caused him to make such a major lane change eight years ago.
"Sometimes plans change." Clenching his jaw, he shoved his hands a little deeper into his pockets. "Did you play any sports in school?"
"No, just dance. I did ballet when I was young then shifted to contemporary dance when I got older."
They continued to talk about their high school and college years as Rudy turned them down another road near the outskirts of town.
When a rustle sounded in the underbrush to Eden's right, she gasped and stepped in front of him and grabbed his shirt in both hands. "What's that?"
Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her. He didn't care what it was, if it pushed Eden into his arms, it couldn't be anything bad. He held her tight as he studied the bushes. He laughed when he spotted two long white ears followed by a black and white body, sporting a fluffy white tail.
"It's only a bunny. Mr. Jackson had a couple of rabbits escape last year, and he never caught them."
She didn't release her hold on his shirt as she peered at the animal. "Is it dangerous?"
"It'd probably put up a fight if you tried to catch it, but otherwise, it's harmless."
She let go of his shirt as she bent to catch a glimpse of the rabbit scurrying into the bushes again, and his stomach dropped as he lowered his arms. He shouldn't be disappointed about letting her go, but he was.
Before long, they reached Hazel's house where the middle-aged woman greeted them from her front porch and beckoned them into her backyard.
Mom must have called and told her we were coming.
Hazel's garden had been one of his sisters' favorite places to hang out when they were young, so he had come here often when he wasn't playing soccer or football with his friends, but he hadn't visited Hazel's gardens in years. Everything looked much smaller than he remembered.
Rudy leaned close to Eden and whispered. "Be careful not to touch anything and stay on the painted decorative steppingstones. If you don't obey the rules, Hazel will ban you from her gardens." Then he hung back and watched her fascination with the fairy garden where Hazel had created villages on and around a series of five tree stumps.
The tiny homes consisted of an assortment of upside-down flowerpots covered in pebbles and sticks. One home was made from an old teapot. Miniature deer and woodland creatures graced small yards outlined with tiny picket fences, and little ladders and bridges led from one stump to another. Tiny, winged fairies and rocks painted to look like colorful mushrooms dotted the villages.
"They're incredible!" Eden exclaimed as she bent low to get a closer look. She looked up at Hazel. "Did you paint all of these by hand?"
Hazel beamed. "Yes, and I have to touch them up every few years, because the sun and weather take a toll on them."
"I can't believe this. They're adorable. And so detailed."
Eden continued to ooh and ahh, and Hazel continued to beam as they moved from the fairy garden to the butterfly garden.
Here the paving stones were mosaics made of colored rocks and broken tiles. Some even had colorful pieces of broken glass set into the cement. This was where Hazel's vegetable garden sat. Interspersed between the plants sat groupings of garden stakes with a variety of butterflies, bees, and dragonflies in a variety of colors and sizes. Clusters of small rocks painted like ladybugs and other creepy crawlies filled in open patches on the ground.
Hazel had even attached a series of hand-painted aluminum butterflies to the inside of her back fence.
Moving on, Rudy noted that Hazel had cut down a few trees from the cluster on the right side of her garden and added a gnome village amidst the stumps and hollowed-out logs. Here the decor mimicked the fairy garden but on a larger scale with a bolder color scheme. Garden gnomes of all shapes, sizes, and colors worked miniature garden plots, played in the stream, slept in hammocks, and read under mushrooms.
The soft tinkling of wind chimes sounded throughout the garden, adding to the magical feel of the place.
"I just can't get over how cute it all is!" Eden said when she finally pulled her attention away from the gnomes.
She wore the biggest smile he had ever seen, and her brown eyes sparkled in the evening sun. The urge to kiss her hit him like a punch in the gut, stealing his breath. It's a good thing Hazel followed them, or he might have given into the urge. He didn't think she had ever looked more enthusiastic and passionate. The wonder on her face only made her more beautiful. Which was saying something because Eden DuPont was a beautiful woman. One who was quickly worming her way into his heart.
He liked her. More than he'd wanted to admit. And that disturbed him because falling in love and getting married weren't a part of his plans. Not for a few more years anyway. Because when he got married, he wanted kids, and to raise a family, he needed a home for them. Besides, Eden would never be content to settle down in this small town with a country boy like him and live in a modest home.
Eden turned her attention to Hazel's wind chimes. They'd seen several throughout the gardens already, but the bulk of Hazel's creations hung along her back deck. Everything from the traditional chime pipes to small bells and old-fashioned keys to cut glass and gemstones from chandeliers made up the fascinating wind chimes.
As if just for Eden's benefit, a breeze picked up, stirring the dozens of chimes, creating a symphony; a combination of light, tinkling music mixed with low, deep tones. The chimes with crystal beads and broken pieces of glass glimmered and twinkled in the light of the setting sun.
They admired the creativity and beauty of the chimes for some time before Eden brought up the reason for their visit. She told Hazel about the website she was setting up for Hattie and her social marketing efforts.
