“I borrowed it from Ink. He asked me to tell you he was very sorry about that unexpected view you got this morning. He thought we were staying at one of the other houses.”
“Tell him not to worry about it. He was pretty far away, so I couldn’t see much,” I said. “But, um, does he have tattoos on his butt cheeks?”
Dice leaned forward and laughed so hard he started to cough. “Oh,” he said once he composed himself. “Yes, he does, but promise me you’ll ask him about it.”
“I don’t want to embarrass him or make him uncomfortable.”
“You won’t,” he assured me. “It’s a funny story that he pretends to not like to tell, but he secretly does.”
“I don’t know if I believe you. This sounds like a trap.”
“It’s not,” he promised. “Trust me. It’ll be worth it.”
“We’ll see,” I hedged.
“All right. Are you guys ready?”
“I think so,” I said and looked down at Diablo. He was sitting on the floor, crammed in the space between our legs, but he didn’t seem to mind one bit.
Dice pulled out of his driveway and turned to the right. “To the right is the home of a heavily tattooed biker who likes to roam around naked,” Dice said, mimicking the sound of a tour guide. “Coming up on the left is the home of another biker and his girlfriend. They prefer to wear clothes when outside or in the company of others.”
I reached over and playfully slapped his arm. “You’ve got to stop. You’re making my cheeks hurt.”
We continued through the residential area, and he pointed out where the various club members and their families lived.Then we drove through the dairy farm. I was surprised to see how large it was. The next stop after the dairy farm was an area with several office buildings.
“Ember’s office is in that building,” Dice said. “And Harper has a therapy practice in that building, but the next section is my favorite.”
We came to a stop in front of a large greenhouse. “This is where we grow organic and hydroponic plants. Do you want to go inside?”
“Yes, please,” I said excitedly. “Is Diablo allowed to go inside?”
“You know, I’ve never seen a dog in there, but I don’t see why it would be a problem. He’s not your average dog, anyway.”
I beamed proudly. “Thank you.”
Walking into the greenhouse was like walking into another world. There were so many plants, I didn’t know where to look. Dice escorted me through the aisles, pointing out the various fruits and vegetables they were growing. To my surprise, at the back of the main building, it connected to two other greenhouses, one on each side.
“Hydroponics are to the left, and decorative shrubs and trees are to the right. Each building connects to the fourth greenhouse where flowers are grown.”
“This is impressive,” I said. “Where are these sold? I’d love to buy some flowers and shrubs for the lake house.”
“Normally, people place their orders through our website, but I can bring you up here to pick out what you want.”
“Thank you. Remind me to get the website from you. I’ll be happy to pass it along to my clients. Redoing the flower beds is one of the first things people do after buying a new house.”
“Ember probably has some business cards you can hand out.”
“That’s perfect.”
We spent a long time walking through the greenhouses, and I enjoyed every second of it. It really felt like we were in a different world, and a part of me didn’t want to leave. However, the next stop was just as enjoyable.
“This is where Keegan trains racehorses,” Dice said.
“Like Kentucky Derby racehorses?”
“Yep,” he confirmed. “Several winners have come from this barn.”
“I had no idea.”