“Hey, Lia!” Ezra shouted.
I started, my eyes popping open. Coop let me go and stepped back. With a swift movement, he picked up some of the empty flats. By the time Ezra came into view, Coop held most of them. He didn’t look at me.
“Hey, Ez,” Coop said. “We just finished. What do you think?”
My big brother—whom I wanted to beat to death at the moment—didn’t quite smirk, so hemightnot have noticed my red face or Coop’s guilty expression.
“Kind of cheesy, isn’t it?” Ezra pushed back his glasses as he studied the heart garden.
“Not for what your mother has in mind,” Coop said, unfazed by the criticism. He kept his eyes fixed on my brother.
“True enough.” Ezra turned to me. “Mom’s ready for you.”
“Okay.” I bent to pick up one of the remaining empty flower trays. “I’ll be up as soon as I finish helping Coop clean this up.”
Ezra did smirk then. “Better text her,” my brother said to me. “I’m off to Wildwood with Dad.” He strode from the garden.
“Clear sky called for tomorrow,” Coop said, his hands still full.
An almost kiss and all I got for it was a weather forecast?
He chuckled at my expression and nodded toward his truck. “What I’m trying to ask is have you ever seen the Aurora Borealis?”
“No. Let me help with those.” I took a few of the flats from him.
“I’d like to show you the lights,” he said as we walked to the truck. “Want to come with me for a midnight picnic on the next clear night? You bring a blanket, and I’ll bring pizza.” He loaded the flats onto the truck and grinned. “I make a mean pizza.”
“Sounds like fun.” My phone pinged, indicating a text. I pulled it from my pocket. “My mom.”
“I’ll finish this,” he said. “You go ahead.”
A midnight picnic with Coop. Just us under the Aurora Borealis. A chance for him to explain that “if.” I pushed aside the sense of unease. I wanted to feel excited about the prospect.
***
Coop
“Hey.” Ezra stepped around a large hedge and into the main garden again.
“Hey.” Coop continued to watch Lia until she disappeared into the kitchen door, a small smile on his face. “I thought you were going somewhere with your father.”
“Yeah. In a minute. I wanted to congratulate you on the appointment as head gardener.” Ezra slapped him on the back. “Dad just told me. He said he’s really impressed with your ideas and how hard you work.”
“Thanks.” Coop grinned but didn’t try to put in words what Mr. Savage’s announcement meant. All those years of working and studying. The loss of Miles and all the uncertainty that had followed. Coop could stay at this place he loved so much. He glanced toward the kitchen again. And then there was Lia.
Ezra shifted awkwardly.
“What’s up?” Coop asked, turning back to him.
“I noticed that you and my sister have been spending a lot of time together.” Ezra used the toe of his boot to swirl around the dirt.
“Is that a problem?” Coop took a slow breath as a thought occurred to him. Of course. The boss’s daughter. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Savage didn’t want her hanging out with a lowly gardener. Even the new head gardener. Had her parents sent Ezra to warn him off?
“No.” Ezra looked up, surprised. “Not with me. Not with my parents either, that I know of.”
“With Lia?” Coop asked, confused.
“Obviously not with her.” Ezra pushed back his glasses. “Look, I can tell you’re really into her. I just don’t … I mean, you know … uh.” He took a quick breath and his words came tumbling out. “Lia’s only here for the summer. She’s going back to Sacramento this fall. I’m sorry. I just don’t want to see you getting hurt, man.”
