“You wear them well.” Riva sipped her coffee.
“Marcus told me he likes seeing women with naturally gray hair.”
Riva raised her brows. “Oh?”
“He said it’s a sign of maturity to allow yourself to go gray.” Her smile was wistful. “I guess I’m more mature than I realized. But it’s nice to be appreciated for it.”
Riva studied her friend. “You really like Marcus, don’t you?”
“He’s a good guy.” Laurel’s pale blue eyes lit up. “I mean, I don’t know him that well, but based on what I’ve seen and what Windy has told me, he’s a genuinely good person. It’s been a while since I could say that about any man.”
“Well, I can understand why you’ve been skittish about men after the way things turned out with Reggie.”
Laurel set down her mug with a frown. “You really think I’ve been skittish?”
Maybe that was the wrong word. “Well, hesitant, apprehensive, tentative...?”
Laurel slowly nodded. “You’re probably right, but I don’t feel like that now.”
“Good for you.” Riva glanced at her pajamas and slippers. “Ineed to go to the nursery this morning. A bunch of plants are waiting for me. Guess I should get myself dressed.”
“Need any help?”
Riva didn’t know how to answer. The truth was she didn’t need Laurel’s help since Marcus was giving her a ride. It wasn’t that she didn’t want Laurel to know, but she wasn’t sure how her friend would react. Hopefully she wouldn’t see Riva as competition. “Nah, I think I’ve got it. But thanks.” She refilled her mug and left to get dressed.
Since she planned to get dirty, Riva decided on old jeans and a T-shirt today. After all, she wasn’t trying to impress anyone. Including Marcus. She pulled her hair into a messy pony, then tugged the tail through an old ball cap that once belonged to Paul. She was just buckling up some sandals when she heard a tapping on her door.
Laurel poked her head in. “Were you expecting Marcus this morning?”
“Yes. But he’s early.”
Laurel’s brow furrowed. “Early for what?”
“Oh, he just offered his pickup to help me get my plants.”
“Oh, right.” Laurel moved out of the way with a worried expression. “He’s waiting in the library.”
“Thanks.” Riva smiled at Laurel. “Don’t worry, sweetie, this is just a friend helping a friend. Nothing more.”
“Right...” But Laurel didn’t look convinced.
“Maybe you can help me when we get back?” Riva pocketed her phone. “I plan to pot a lot of plants in the yard this afternoon.”
“Well, I don’t have much of a green thumb. Maybe Windy will want to help.” Laurel held up a can of cat food. “Feeding time for Fred.”
For some reason, Riva felt apologetic to Laurel. Was it only because Marcus was helping her pick up plants? That seemed childish. But having housemates might be similar to having siblings. Not that she ever had any. She knew that conflicts couldarise when people lived under the same roof. Hopefully she could handle this.
“Ready to go?” Marcus asked as she joined him in the library.
“I am.”
“Sorry to be early.”
“No problem.” She led the way outside. When they got into his pickup, he started the engine, then pulled out his phone. “Maybe we should make sure the nursery is open this early.”
“Good idea.” She waited as he typed in the address.
“Uh-oh. They don’t open until ten.” His mouth twisted to one side. “I haven’t had any breakfast yet. How about you?”
