He had a few plans of his own before tonight’s festivities began and was still sorting out in his mind how he’d accomplish them. He made a turn, and headed to where he had set a few things set up this morning and was glad she didn’t notice they were driving away from the ranch.
“We have to make a stop on the way home.”
5
“Where are we going?” Jenna glanced around.
“I want to show you something.”
She looked at him and he glanced at her. She narrowed her eyes at his mischievous smile. “What do you have up your sleeve?”
“You’ll see. It’s not far now.” He was being mysterious and Jenna didn’t know what to expect.
Moments later they turned off the road and went up a laneway leading to a number of glass buildings.
She gasped. “Greenhouses. Are they yours?” Jenna was shocked. He’d never mentioned them.
“They belong to the ranch.”
“Wow, I didn’t know you had a greenhouse. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We try to be organic and grow vegetables for the ranch hands, their families, and livestock. Anything left over we give to local shelters.” He pulled into a spot under a shady tree. “Leave the windows down so the cab doesn’t heat up.”
“What a wonderful idea. Why didn’t we come here for our vegetables and stuff? You could have saved money,” she said andlet him help her from the truck. Not that she needed help, but it gave her an excuse to hold his hand.
“Don’t worry about that.” He held her hand and led her through the first greenhouse.”
She was dumbfounded at the neat rows of plants growing and looking so healthy. He led her to the back, into a smaller, newer-looking building.
“I had this built just after you left earlier this year,” he told her.
“You had this built in that short span of time?” Jenna exclaimed, stunned by the view before her. It was a greenhouse full of roses in various stages of bloom and in a rainbow of colors. She inhaled. The scent was heavenly. “Oh, Chet, I can’t believe this. It’s amazing.”
“It’s all for you, darlin’.” Chet rocked back on his heels, a big smile on his face, clearly pleased with her reaction.
“What do you mean for me? Me, me? Like you did this for me?” She was astonished.
He nodded.
“Oh, I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say.” She clutched her fingers under her chin and looked around. “Oh my.”
She faced him and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him as tight as she could. “It’s so beautiful. Thank you. I simply can’t believe it.”
He knew how much she loved roses and now she had her own private garden. “But I don’t know anything about growing them.” She leaned over and cradled a delicate pink bloom, inhaling its fragrance.
“Then you’ll learn. A gardener comes in regularly and you can fit your schedule to theirs. Or, you can simply enjoy the flowers. It’s hot in here, so why don’t you pick whatever you want for a bouquet, and we can take them home. Put them in a vase for dinner.”
Jenna threw her arms wide. “How can I possibly choose?” Her voice was light and airy, full of happiness, and her love for him filled her heart.
Right at that moment the overhead sprinkler system grunted and water rained down, soaking them.
She let out a happy screech and tilted her head back. “Not so hot anymore! It’s glorious.”
“Shit! They were supposed to fix that,” Chet boomed over Jenna’s squeal of surprise.
“I think it’s fabulous.” Jenna spun around under the water and laughed. She grabbed Chet’s arm and twirled around him. Her summer dress was dripping and clung to her within seconds. She didn’t care in the least as he was watching her spin. She saw how quickly his clothes also got soaked. His cotton shirt clung to his muscular chest.
She glanced down to see her dress was becoming even more transparent. Its light material was no match for the deluge of water.
