“When I see something I want, I go for it. I want to get to know you. Spend time with you. Eventually, take things further. We’ll go at your pace, but know that’s where my head is at with you and where I want things to go between us.”
Wow.
What he’s saying is kind of nice.
More than nice to be honest.
“So, you what? Want me to be your girlfriend?”
“If that’s what you want to call it,” he agrees, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Though I should point out, I won’t be calling you that. I’m not a boy. You’re sure as fuck not a girl. When I introduce you to people, it’s as my woman, not a girlfriend.”
Whoa.
My head is spinning at his declaration.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a boyfriend, let alone a man. Luka definitely was not that. He was simply a booty call.
“Wouldn’t it be messy to start anything now? I mean, with the deal between my brother and the club? It could be considered a conflict of interest in some ways.”
Shadow’s grin slides back in place., “You let me worry about that.”
I’m not sure what I should be thinking about all this right now. I probably need to tell him ‘No’. Instead, I nod in agreement, making his grin turn into a full-blown smile.
“So, what do we do now?” I ask.
“Now, we sit here and just talk. Get to know one another better. Tell me more about this dude ranch.” He chuckles and takes my hand.
Him doing something so simple is another new thing for me. I’ve never held hands with a man. It’s something intimate in a way a kiss isn’t.
The two of us sit back, his longer legs pushing the swing while I keep mine up in the seat. I explain my vision, enjoying the moment in a way I haven’t in so long, I don’t remember what it’s like to sit with someone like this.
“I’ve got to admit, the more you talk about it, I can see it in my head,” he states, watching me closely.
“Yeah, it’s the main thing I thought about doing after school. I knew I wanted to open my own business, I didn’t know if anyone would agree with me.”
“What other ideas did you have?”
“If I didn’t do the dude ranch, I thought about possibly doing a garden nursery,” I answer sheepishly.
“There’s a florist in town already,” he points out.
“Yes, but this wouldn’t be a typical nursery. We have farmers all over the place, but they don’t grow herbs. Not usually. My idea was to have a garden nursery that focused on different herbs, from simple thyme and oregano to cilantro, which is very sensitive to grow. You have to know what you’re doing when it comes to certain herbs like cilantro. If it grows too quickly, or if the weather is too warm, the leaf quality declines. I also thought I could even have beehives to go with it for the honey.”
“You seem to know your herbs.”
I nod and smile. “I used to grow them in the flowerbeds. It was a hobby. Though, I’ve never had beehives. The idea of them, though, and having fresh honey sounds amazing. You know if you plant them by different wildflowers, you can get a sweeter taste. I could easily sell out at the nursery and the farmer’s market.”
“If you could open this nursery, what would you name it?”
“Well, Meadows Garden Nursery, of course. I have to have the family name in it.” I laugh and look to the barn. “I just never thought of where I could put something like that as I did for the dude ranch.”
“You’re something else, you know that?”
I slowly tilt my head back to him, losing my smile. “I’m really not.”
“You are.” Shadow leans in, getting so close our noses are nearly touching. “I need to ask you a question.”
“What’s that?” I whisper.
