But stretching out behind the house where the sun hits just right are four large beds, boxed in with wood. I can smell the soil, rich and earthy, and they look well-constructed.
“So,” Cash says. “This should be enough to get you started, right? I know some things can’t be grown together or their roots will tangle and get fucked up, so we made them spacious, and we can put more dividers in if you need it. It all drains well, and should get enough sun that you can grow anything you want. What do you think?”
I blink, trying to figure out how to fit my gratitude into words. It was an offhand thing I said about gardening, and it’s been indulged in a way I never would have expected.
“It’s beautiful. It’s perfect,” I say. And then, because I can’t help myself, I throw my arms around him, mimicking the hug Cora gave him just a bit ago. At least it starts out like that. But then Cash wraps his arms around me, holding on, and the hug shifts from a simple one to something much more loaded.
He holds me longer than necessary, leaning in and pressing his nose to the crook of my neck, and I can feel the tension crackling between us. I know he can too, judging by the way he slides a hand down my back, stopping just shy of the swell of my ass.
It takes him a few beats, but he pulls back, and his eyes are darkened when he looks at me. “I’m glad you like it. I can’t wait to see what you’re going to plant.”
It’s a simple thing, but it means so much at the same time. I don’t even know if Cash or the others realize the effect they’re having on me, on Cora.
These men and their habit of making things wonderful. I don’t know what to do with any of it, but for right now, I’m distracted by the itch under my skin to start planting.
“I have to decide what I want to grow,” I say excitedly.
“We have a selection of seeds,” Cash says. “We always planned to do something like a garden, but it never panned out. Too much other stuff going on. I think Lainey is also into gardening, so you could call her for advice.”
It’s a good idea, and when I call her, she laughs with excitement and promises to come over as soon as she can.
By the time she arrives, I’ve changed into clothes I don’t mind getting dirty, and Cora and I stand with the men, looking at the fresh potential of the new soil.
“Oh, this is wonderful!” Lainey exclaims as she comes around the back of the house. “This is going to be so good. You’re very lucky, Harper.”
I duck my head to try to hide the blush spreading over my cheeks. Luckily, Lainey is distracted by giving her brother a one armed hug and then pushing him away.
“All right, off with the three of you,” she declares.
“What?” Lincoln gives her a look. “You’re kicking us out of our own backyard?”
“I sure am. This is officially girl time now. Gossip and gardening. Go back in the house and do man things.”
“Man things.”
“You heard me.”
Cash looks amused as he shakes his head. “I guess we heard the lady. Come on.” The three of them troop back inside, leaving us alone in the garden.
“I’ve never really done this before,” I tell Lainey. “So I don’t know where to start.”
“That’s okay!” she says brightly. “Just pick out what you want to grow, and I’ll help you.”
Cora and I sort through the seeds, picking out wildflowers and some fruit plants, and herbs. Lainey shows us the best way to divide them up so nothing gets overcrowded and the things that need the most sun are toward the outside of the garden beds while the others are closer to the shade of the house.
She hands me a trowel, and I get down on the ground, starting to dig small holes in the cool, slightly damp soil.
It feels good to do it, getting my hands dirty, just working on something meditative and easy as digging holes and making sure they’re spaced the right distance apart.
I look up after a bit to have Lainey check my work, only to find that she’s already watching me with her bright, observant eyes.
“What?” I ask. “Is there dirt on my face or something?”
She shakes her head. “No, it’s just… you seem different these days. Like there’s been a change in you. A change for the better, I mean.”
Immediately I feel the heat rushing to my face, and I drop my gaze back to the soil to avoid having to meet her eyes. “I… I mean, I don’t?—”
Lainey just laughs. “I’m not going to get in your business. I know you’re a private person, and I respect that. But you know, my brother has always been a great judge of character, and I’m glad he and his pack mates decided to bring you on at the bar and help you out. It’s been good for you, and I know it’s been good for them.”