“We’d need triple our crew to get all this out of here anyway,” Quincy, the high school student who worked weekends doing landscaping for Flutterfly, added.
Four hours later, the entirety of the back of the delivery vehicle was full, some plants piled in multiple layers. They were already looking pretty wilted, but that was to be expected. They’d be in shock for a few days, but then hopefully, with some TLC, each of them would spring right back to the glory in which they’d been found.
When Bess had mentioned this listing, Cami had had no idea what a plant windfall it was. They couldn’t have bought flowers this established from any nursery, and this quantity of plants would have cost thousands. Thousands they didn’t have. These were going to fill in the exhibit area so beautifully.
“That’s all we can fit,” she told the rest of the two-person crew, who’d just worked until they had blisters and sunburn. “And we still have a job ahead of us getting these in the ground, even though that can wait until tomorrow.” They’d unload and give them a good spray-down at least, and then put them in the dirt in the morning. But even the unloading was going to take energy that had been zapped for the last half hour. This work was worth it, but it’d been a lot. Her arm muscles burned.
Bess stood as Cami looked around at the cleared yard. There were still plenty of plants and flowers, but they’d removed enough that it alllooked purposeful now, the mosaic stepping stones creating a clear path from the back door to the far fence.
“Do you think the owner would throw in the bird feeders?” Quincy asked.
“Those weren’t listed,” Bess said.
“Yeah, but they couldn’t even be seen before we got here. He might not know they existed. Maybe they’re just something else to get rid of.”
Cami spotted a rustic-looking cast-iron feeder on a stake with a scalloped edge and an iron bird sitting on the edge. It was lovely and delicate, and if the owner was just going to toss it, she’d certainly be happy to take it off his hands. “We can message him and ask. If so, we can always come back another day.” Cami bent and picked up the last plant that Quincy had just dug up, a lovely purple coneflower that her butterflies were going to love.
“We’ll gather the tools,” Bess said as Cami turned to carry the last plant to the truck.
“Thanks.” As she was walking, she heard the approach of a vehicle and looked over her shoulder to see a black truck approaching the house. The sun was just beginning to set and had lowered so that the clouds were outlined in pink against a blue background. It was beautiful and dreamy, and the overwhelming scent of flowers just added to the ambience. She could hear the man get out of his truck and then the sounds of Bess talking to him as Cami rearranged a few plants near the front and made room for the final one. “Hold tight, ladies, we’ll get you to your new home soon.” Then she fiddled with them a little, checking that they were tolerating the stress they were under before closing the door and bringing out the key in her pocket to lock it up tight.
Cami rounded the vehicle and smiled at Quincy, who had his hands full of the shovels they’d used. “Go ahead and put those in my trunk,” Cami said. “The truck is full to the brim.”
“Got it,” Quincy said.
Cami turned in the direction of the house, squinting toward the porch, where she could see the masculine outline of the man who’d justkindly gifted her business thousands of dollars of beautiful, established greenery. Bess was standing to his right, and Cami lifted her hand against the glare as she approached, that pink-and-blue glow right in her eyes making it difficult to see.
When she’d walked close enough that the house blocked the direct light, Cami lowered her hand, her smile fleeing as she stumbled slightly in the dirt.
She almost hadn’t recognized him.
Rex Lowe was staring at her, jaw set and eyes slightly narrowed, as she found her footing and walked the last few steps to stand at the base of the low porch.
She was very suddenly transported back in time. She felt unsteady on her feet, a mingling of past and present slamming into her and nearly knocking her down. It’d been eleven years since she’d seen him, and though the boy she remembered was still in the almond shape of his eyes, the high cheekbones, and the straight slash of his mouth—currently set in a scowl—just about everything else about him had changed. Where once he’d carried himself like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his height, now he stood tall and proud, broad shoulders back, the lines of his body muscular yet lean, every inch of him utterly solid.
He was wearing a pair of black jeans and a gray T-shirt featuring the army logo. She’d heard somewhere he’d gone into the military and did something with computers or numbers, or maybe both. But she hadn’t ever expected to see him again. She hadn’t thought much more about it than that.
Bess, who had been chattering away, finally noticed that Rex was looking at something behind her and turned, giving Cami a giddy smile. “Hey, Cam. Mr. Lowe says we’re welcome to take any baths or feeders or stones we want. Anything to neaten up the yard.” She looked at Rex and tilted her head flirtatiously. “We couldn’t be any more thankful. You should come by sometime and see your plants rehomed.”
He looked at Bess as though she’d spoken Japanese.
“Only if you’re in the area or have a butterfly need we might meet,” she said with a giggle, clearly smitten with the man.
Cami’s mouth had gone dry, and she brought her hands together, not quite knowing what to do with them. His eyes were laser focused on her now. She looked away with an intake of breath and then tilted her head, her gaze moving over the roses that grew up the front of the house and spilled over the overhang he was standing under. The moment felt surreal and slightly ridiculous. She let out a small bubble of laughter, bringing her fingers to her mouth and pressing her lips together as if the sound had escaped against her will. She met his eyes again as his frown deepened.
She sucked back the delirium. Whatever else Rex was thinking, he probably also thought she and Bess were at least a little nuts. She hadn’t been able to help the nervous laugh. It was just the sight of him, this tall, muscular man likely skilled with weapons and wearing a shirt with a military logo standing in front of a pink cascade of flowers. It was like GI Joe had crashed the prom and was glaring at her from in front of the photo backdrop.
God, she felt like she’d fallen asleep and woken in some strange alternative reality.
Bess was looking back and forth between them now, clearly confused by the tension she’d finally sensed.
“Well,” Cami said. The word burst from her mouth, emerging a few octaves higher than her normal speaking voice. “Well,” she corrected, lowering the tone. “It was very kind of you. They’ll be well taken care of.” There was a beat of silence. “The plants,” she said, as though it needed clarification.
Rex leaned against the post next to him, crossing his arms and causing his impressive muscles to become ... more impressive. “Not a problem. You did the work. I appreciate them gone. Win-win.”
She cleared her throat. “Indeed. Okay, ready, Bess?”
“Um, sure. Okay then. See ya.” She gave Rex a little wave and descended the two steps to join Cami. They began walking toward thetruck, which Quincy already had running. Cami could see him playing on his phone through the windshield.
