“I’m serious. The term sounds familiar, but that might be because I did lawn care when I was a teenager.”
“I remember those days.”
Weekends were the best back then. Reed pushed the mower, pulled weeds, and got dirty in half the yards in the neighborhood.
I begged my parents to hire him so I could watch from the air-conditioned comfort of my house. I had the best seat picked out in front of the dining room window.But nooo.Dad insisted on doing our yard himself to save money.
Frugal jerk.
I had to resort to physical exertion to creep on Reed. I’d insist Kenzie and I take the longest bike rides those days. It was worth the sore tush to watch theReed Hayes lawn care show.
He’d have his ball cap turned backward and dark sunglasses on. Typically, he’d start the day wearing a tank top. But that usually got taken off by the second yard. His skin glistened with sweat as he worked. I memorized every muscle of his upper body. And who knew calves could be sexy?
Did I distractedly ram into a parked car once or twice?
I’d love to say no, but I don’t want to lie anymore. I already have to do that enough for everything else lately. Can you be my safe space about this one thing? K. Thanks.
“So, a rake is?” he prompts me to answer, yanking me from my lustful memories.
“A rake is a term used in eighteenth-century literature to describe a man of ill repute, usually of a sexual nature.”
“Like a man whore?” He places his palm against his chest, feigning offense. “Wow. That hurts. And what’s with the slut shaming?” Chuckling, he leads me along the boardwalk.
Meanwhile, my happy thoughts dive off a cliff into frigid water.
Reed being a man whore? Rings a bit too true, considering what happened five years ago. Kenzie warned me that he wasn’t the relationship type and to be careful. But I didn’t believe her.
Until I saw the proof with my own eyes.
I ache to release his hand and storm away so I can process my feelings in privacy.
Yet I can’t do that. The clock is ticking on my freedom, so I lock those tainted memories away.I’ll have to do what I do best:Suck it in, suck it up, and smile through it.
Fortunately, our surroundings make it easier for me to disassociate from the past.
The sounds of nature fill my ears as we meander deeper into the forest. Grasshoppers and crickets sing their familiar songs. Wind rustles through the leaves in the tree canopy above us. The weathered wooden boards beneath us creak occasionally.
Leaning to the right, I survey the area beyond the railing. The boardwalk stands around three feet above the marshy ground.
I easily spot frogs, turtles, and several wading birds called White Ibises. They’re busy digging their long, pointy bills into the mud to find little critters to fill their bellies.
I don’t bother writing that species down for my life list since I’ve seen hundreds of them before.
Before I annoy Reed with all my ornithological glory or attempt to ply information out of him, I linger in the serenity of nature. After all the stressors of the last few months, I could use some silence. So rather than talking or listening for individual bird sounds or squinting at the treetops to appease my hungry eyes, I inhale, exhale, and simply exist.
Peace engulfs us out here. It’s solace and tranquility.
And I finally have someone to share it with.
Reed pulses my hand at that very second as if his thoughts mirror mine.
Reed’s the first to break the comfortable silence. “All right, cookie. What do I need to know about birdwatching? I want to do this right.”
Oh, this man is going straight for my heart.
I honestly thought he was gonna grow bored within the hour, probably complaining about the humidity or bugs the entire time.
Reed Hayes is full of surprises.
