“How long have you been in town?” I ask while I grab some plants and start placing them where it makes the most sense. I already know the answer, but I’m trying to take Willow’s advice to heart.
“Just a couple of weeks. I used to live here, and then I moved away for college and never came back.”
“What brought you back, then?” Now, this I am curious about. I remember talking to her dad about her once, a while ago, and he was adamant she would never be coming back to live here. I think a little corner of my heart cracked off hearing that.
Her shoulders stiffen, and I immediately feel like an ass forprying.
“I got screwed over at my job and couldn’t work in my field in Austin anymore. It made the most sense to come back here to try to figure things out.”
“Do you miss it? Austin?”
She stands up after dropping a couple of zucchini plants on the ground. She tilts her head to the side like she’s thinking.
“I thought I would,” she says, barely above a whisper. “But outside of a little boredom, I don’t think I do. I was in a very fast-paced position, barely had enough time for a life outside of work, and had no real friends. I had my sister, her family, and my job. It was … kind of sad.” Her tone is melancholy. She clears her throat, burying any emotion that was threatening to come out. “So, what do you do?”
Shit.
I blink at her as my brain scrambles to come up with something.
Lennox’s job pops into my head, and I run with it. “Umm, I’m a wildlife specialist and Park Ranger.”
“What exactly does that mean? Do you just play with animals all day?”
I try to remember what Lennox does all day, and the only thing I can think of is him hiking in the state park next to our town and documenting the animals he finds.
“It’s a little of everything, actually. I do a lot of record keeping on the animals in the surrounding areas and help the larger landowners with any wildlife management .” Close enough.
I hold my breath, hoping she doesn’t ask for any specifics because I have none to give.
“That’s cool. I’ve never heard of that before.”
“It keeps me active.”
It keeps me active? What the hell am I saying right now?
“I bet it does.” Her eyes travel down to the sweat-soaked shirt clinging to my abs.
The corner of my mouth tips up in a smirk. So, she’s not entirely unaffected.
“So, you ready to plant these?” I ask, and her eyes snap up to mine. A deep blush covers the bridge of her nose and cheeks, and I’ve never seen something so innocent and attractive at the same time.
“Yep, let’s do this.”
It takes us another hour to plant everything. When we’re done, Ainsley steps back, admiring our work.
“I can’t believe I actually have a garden. Thank you so much for helping me. I don’t think I would have been able to do all of this by myself, let alone properly.”
“You would have figured it out.”
She steps closer and wraps me in a tight hug. I freeze, not knowing how to react. It’s a hug of thanks—I know that, logically—but my body hasn’t gotten the memo.
She abruptly pulls back. “I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for. You just caught me off guard.”
We stare at each other for a minute, and I can feel the tension snapping tight between us.
“Well, I should probably go grab a shower before I head over to my parents,” she says, breaking the spell. “Thanks again, Dean.”
