He felt ridiculously flattered and also lost for words. “I’m so glad,” he finally said.
“I’m starting from the beginning of the series and listening straight through. I’m beginning to see why they’re so popular. And it’s very obvious youhavemet a woman.”
Her gaze met his and the air between them seemed to crackle and spark. Andrew found himself leaning closer, drawn inexorably to this particular woman, whom he found warm and kind and irresistible.
Her breath caught and her gaze flickered to his mouth. Andrew could have sworn time stood still. He tilted his head, about to close the distance between them when he suddenly heard children’s laughter drawing nearer.
He managed to ease away from her an instant before the children came around the hedge.
“We have cookies and lemonade,” Finn announced. He held the cookies on a plate while his sister walked carefully toward them, balancing two glasses.
Andrew reached for the lemonade and swallowed a long drink, wishing the iced liquid could cool the blazing desire that had built up in the few short moments the children had been gone.
“It’s good, isn’t it?” Finn demanded.
“Delicious,” he assured his son.
Rosie, he saw, was taking several long swallows as well. Her face looked flushed, her eyes bright.
“Do you want a cookie?” Zara asked.
“I’ll pass,” Andrew said gruffly. “If you do want to help Rosie plant some flowers, we should probably do that so we can get to the park.”
The kids’ faces didn’t look as if they wanted to leave but they put on their gardening gloves again and knelt to help.
After a charged pause, Rosie gave them instructions and while the three of them discussed the annuals she was using for color in the garden, Andrew continued to yank out stubborn weeds, wishing he could yank out his attraction to Rosie as easily.
He could think of a dozen reasons why he should completely ignore the way his pulse leaped around her and his skin prickled with awareness.
He liked Rosie Lucas immensely. She was kind, funny and intelligent. She had a way of making everyone around her feel at ease, and she seemed to genuinely care about his children.
Plus, she was even more lovely than her garden on a sunny day, with a smile that left him lightheaded.
When the children had each planted six or seven small starts, he rose, brushing dirt off his pants.
“We need to get going,” he said.
The kids groaned in unison but to his relief they didn’t argue.
Rosie stood as well, her expression warm and genuine. “Thanks for the help today,” she said. “You’ve made a huge dent in my never-ending battle against these weeds.”
“Anytime,” Andrew replied, even though he knew he should grab his children and ride out of this lovely garden as fast as they all could pedal.
Despite the confusing feelings swirling inside him, he couldn’t deny that he enjoyed spending time with Rosie. As they said their goodbyes and he herded the children towards their bikes, Andrew found himself already looking forward to their next encounter.
He knew he should probably keep his distance, but something told him that staying away from Rosie Lucas might be easier said than done.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Emma
Emma inhaled the scents of damp earth and pine and sea, Olive’s hand in hers as they navigated the winding forest trail. She loved this area, from the rugged cliffs to the offshore formations to these lush forests overflowing with ferns. This was her childhood.
“It’s so green!” Olive said. Her daughter walked slightly ahead of her, with Dottie on the leash. They had borrowed the dog from her mother, mainly because Olive adored her.
“There are a million kinds of green, aren’t there?”
“It looks like a fairyland. Do you think there are fairies in the forest?”
