by Mary Manners
“Whoa, careful there.” Reese smacked him on the back, grinning. “You keep talking like that, bro, and you might actually start to sound like you’re glad to be here.”
“I’ll be glad when I can get to the books.” Wyatt replaced the plant, shrugging out of Reese’s reach. “Until then…”
“Do you have a cart? I’m going to need quite a bit of stuff.” Tuning out their banter, Kami drew her lower lip between her teeth as she conjured a mental picture of the barren flowerbeds that lined her front porch and considered all the possibilities. She’d moved into the house two winters ago, only months before her mom fell sick. Given the unexpected turn of events, all her plans to beautify the neglected grounds had fallen by the wayside. Now, there was so much space to fill. A twang of excitement coursed through her as she imagined turning the barrenness to beauty. Judging from the mass of blooms and greenery that surrounded her, the choices were endless. “Can I have a flat of those and two or three of the potted daffodils to go along with the roses? They’re so beautiful. Oh, and I’ll need a few hanging baskets, too.” She took a mental count of the hooks along her front and back porches. “Five, to be exact. I like the deep, violet-colored ones…so vibrant. And I suppose a few bags of potting soil are in order along with a couple of those ceramic planters in the brick-red color.”
“If it’s your first planting, you’ll need some peat to mix into the flowerbeds, as well,” Wyatt advised.
“Sounds like she’s going to need some assistance with such a tall order.” Reese climbed back into the truck. “Seems like you know what you’re doing, Wyatt, so help her while I finish up here.”
“But, the books—”
“They’ll be there when you’re done.” Reese waved him off. “It was nice seeing you again, Kami.” He tugged a ball cap low over his dark eyes. “Mom had to run to the store. She’ll be sorry she missed you.”
“Tell her hi, and that veggie lasagna’s on the menu for tonight if she feels like stopping by. I know how much she loves butternut squash.”
“I’ll pass it along.” Reese winked as he turned away from them before Wyatt could lodge a second protest. “You two have fun now.”
****
“You’ll need more than one cart.” Wyatt followed Kami down the aisle, watching her pause here and there to admire the array of plants. She burrowed her nose in the blooms, inhaling deeply, and the look of pure bliss on her face made him grin despite his foul mood. He’d been at the nursery since seven that morning and had yet to make it past the check-out counter and to the office. Numbers needed crunching, but stock got in the way.
And, to top it all off, the coffeemaker in the office was on the fritz. Wyatt’s head buzzed from caffeine deprivation.
“I’ll take two flats of those, one of those…” Kami swung back to face him, her green eyes dancing with excitement. “And, do you have any spikes?”
“Spikes?” Wyatt put on the breaks, nearly plowing into her as she dipped to sniff the begonias. The scent of her perfume, a blend of woodsy spices, was a subtle complement to the fragrance of the blooms. “You mean nails? Are you planning to landscape with timbers?”
“Good idea. I hadn’t thought of that.” Her lips curved into a Mona Lisa grin. “But I don’t mean nails. Not now, at least. Besides, I think I actually like the river rock more than timbers.”
“That’s duly noted, and I have to agree. But I’ll need a little more explanation concerning the spikes.”
“You know…” Her arms yawned wide as she mimed the shape of the plant. “I’m talking about those spiny green things you stick into a pot to add height to an arrangement and fill in bare spots.”
“Oh, yeah, spikes.” Wyatt turned, motioned. “I think they’re that way, near the monkey grass.”
“Monkey grass… such a funny name. But it looks like it would make a nice border.” Kami’s eyes glossed over at the thought. “I suppose you’re right…I should fetch another cart.”
“Good idea but let me.” Wyatt made short work of going after one. He shoved it back and began to add pots of the grass. “How many?”
“Oh, I have no idea. Six? No, eight.” She caught her lower lip between her teeth and gnawed a moment as she tapped the side of her head with an index finger. “Maybe we should make it an even dozen. The flower bed is pretty long.”
“OK, then. Where’s your truck?”
“My truck?” Kami combed a hand through her hair, catching the braid that snaked down the center of her back to her shapely hips. “I don’t have a truck.”
“A van, then?”
“Nope.”
“Please, tell me you drive an SUV.”
“Sedan, two doors. Gets great gas mileage.” She shrugged. “And it’s parked back at the restaurant. I walked over.”
“Well, that presents a bit of a problem.” Wyatt scanned the load she’d amassed. “How are you planning to get all these plants to your place? Not to mention the river rock you’re so fond of.”
“I hadn’t considered that. I didn’t mean to buy so much, but I guess my eyes are bigger than my, well, trunk.” She huffed out a breath and turned back toward the pizzeria—and her car—as if it was a life raft drifting farther away. “I suppose I’ll have to make a few trips.”
“A few? Moving all this will take you the better part of a day.”
“Then, I guess I’d better get started. Maybe you can just pile it all over there in the corner while I go fetch my car.”
“Pile it?” Wyatt swiped sweat from his eyes, frowning. The breeze died at the entrance to the main greenhouse and his mom was right—he was already wishing for the cool rain to return. Spring had barely unfolded and he was already burning up, such a change from yesterday’s temperatures. He’d forgotten just how unsettling East Tennessee weather could be. “We don’t pile our merchandise, unless it’s mulch. We stack, or line, or—”
“Well, excuse me. I had no idea. I’ll just leave everything except for the daffodils. I can come back for the rest tomorrow or the next day when Reese or Hattie can assist me, so I won’t be such a bother to you.”
“Oh, man…” Wyatt turned and paced the length of the aisle; the nip of rose thorns didn’t sting half as much as Kami’s ire. “I suppose I can haul it all for you. Reese took the delivery truck, but mine’s parked out back. We can probably fit most of this stuff, if I pack the bed carefully….” He wasn’t sure where the words came from. As they slipped out, he wished he could take them back. The last thing he wanted to do was spend more time with her. Getting tangled up with Kami Moretto was a mistake, plain and simple, especially since he hoped to leave Clover Cove again just as soon as he got the nursery back on its feet. Yet, more words came, digging the hole even deeper. “Yeah, I think we can manage with my truck.”
“No need.”
“Kami...” He began and she turned. Her tense posture easing.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t.” Chalk it up to the heat and the fact that his brain was muddled from a severe lack of caffeine. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear Kami cast a spell over him, skewing his internal axis by several degrees. “With a little luck we can do it in one trip and save you some time.”
“That would be great.” Her mouth rounded into a surprised little oh of delight. “Especially since I have to get back to the restaurant in time for the dinner rush. There’s no telling how long Jada will last today.”
“Jada?”
“Our part-time help.” Kami lifted a finger to her lips as she shook her head. “She’s young, and let’s just say that sometimes she gets a bit…distracted.”
“OK, then.” Wyatt began to haul the first cart toward the exit, where he’d pull his truck around to meet her. “Anything else you want? The remainder of the flats? A few more containers of monkey grass? Maybe your very own greenhouse?”
“That’s not funny, Wyatt Cutler.” Kami lifted the finger from her lips to waggle it at him. “I kn
ow for a fact your mama taught you better than to make fun of a woman simply because she loves flowers.”
“I’ll reserve the bulk of my laughter for when you begin to put this stuff in the ground. That will take some doing, and I’m sure the show will be worth the wait.” He delved his hand into his pants pocket for the keys to his four-by-four. “In the meantime, I’ll pull the truck around. We’ll get this loaded and be on our way.”
“Wait.” Kami’s fingers brushed his forearm, and even through the long sleeves of his shirt, her touch was electric. “I have to pay first.”
“No problem. I’ll start you a tab.” Wyatt pulled back and gave his arm a slight shake to still the hum of his nerve endings. No use…the unsettling vibration continued to pulse through him. He grasped the cart handle and shoved. “Odds are you’ll be back. If not, I’ll know where to find you.”
4
“Nice house,” Wyatt murmured as he turned into Kami’s drive. “Lots of potential. How long have you lived here?”
“A little over a year.” Kami shifted in her seat, suddenly embarrassed by the paint peeling off black shutters set against stark white siding. The colors were drab and bleak, and a flurry of weeds growing along the walk and up through cracks along the narrow drive only served to make the grounds look as if they’d suffered a bad haircut. “I know it looks like I just moved in. The place is a mess but the price was right. I had good intentions for renovations, but didn’t get around to much last spring with Mama so sick.”
“Right.” Wyatt tapped the brake pedal as they neared the detached garage, slipping the truck into a space between the wall and the walk. “That’s tough. I know you must miss her.”
“I do. It still hurts here.” Kami flattened a palm to her chest. “Deep inside.”
“I understand.” Sunlight streamed through the windshield, bringing out gold flecks around the edges of his coffee-colored eyes. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Thanks.”
His smile was a flash of light in the storm and, by the gentle tone of his voice, she knew he really did understand. It was a comfort to talk to someone who’d been through the fire, who knew what she was feeling.
“You must be hurting, too. Your dad, you two were close?”
“For the most part, until I left for New York. He wanted me to stay around, help with the business. He always had a dream that we’d all—Reese, Maddie, Dillon and me—grow up to join him in his venture. Reese did, choosing to bypass college to get his training in-house and hands-on. Even Dillon and Maddie both decided to study horticulture at the University of Tennessee. Maddie will be finished in another year, Dillon in two, and they both plan to return home afterwards. This all made things even harder for me, because I have no desire to dabble in plants. Dad and I had words over it, and I suppose I regret them now.”
“You shouldn’t. You have to live your own life, Wyatt. Besides, you had no idea how things would go. Your dad was young. Who knew?”
“True. It’s just…well…I always thought there would be time later on down the road, to mend fences. Since I’m the oldest, Dad was counting on me to set the stage. I guess Reese stepped neatly into those shoes. I have to give him props—he really knows his stuff.”
“But now you’re back. Why?”
“Both Reese and Mom can coax a rock to grow, but their business sense stops about two yards from the vault. Neither cares to crunch numbers or keep a record of anything beyond what fertilizer is used when and where and why—that type of thing. Dad always took care of the books.”
“I see, so you balance the scales.” Kami tapped fingernails along the thigh of her jeans. “That’s important.”
“Doesn’t matter. Dad’s not here anymore. He’ll never know. And, Mom’s worked her fingers to the bone, trying to hold on to things. It worries me.”
“I get that. My dad’s in the same boat. Since Mom died, all he wants to do is hole up at the restaurant. He’d keep it open twenty-four hours a day if he could. He doesn’t sleep anymore, says he only dreams of Mom and it hurts too much. It’s wearing on his health.”
“Your dad…my mom. It’s a mess, isn’t it?”
“The fact that you came home—it matters to your mom—and to Reese, I’m sure.” Kami leaned toward the open window, biting her lower lip as the breeze tickled her cheek. “Even so, you’re not happy to be back.”
“I had a lot going on in New York.” Wyatt switched off the ignition. “It’s hard to let go of it.”
“You left behind a girlfriend?”
“No, not that.” He shook his head and the door latch popped as he released it. “Who had time? It was my job that kept me busy…a good one with decent pay—more than decent pay—and a future.”
Kami rolled her eyes. “Sounds pretty safe and extremely monotonous—not at all like the Wyatt Cutler I remember.”
“Is that so?” His gaze skimmed over her. “And how do you remember me?”
“Brooding, a thinker. But a bit reckless, as well. Do you still have that motorcycle you used to love?”
“Sold it last year.”
“That’s a shame. You’ve become so…careful.”
“Boy, that’s interesting coming from the mouth of a woman who slings plates in a restaurant day in and day out.”
“Cutler nursery is your parents’ legacy, Wyatt, just like Pappy’s Pizzeria is mine. I’d be more than sad if I ever had to leave Clover Cove. I love it here. Don’t you want to raise a family here?”
“Is that an invitation?” His gaze zeroed in on her. “Or maybe you’re just releasing an all-points bulletin.”
“What? You’re thinking me…you?” Kami’s cheeks flamed as she puffed out a breath. “I hardly think we’d make it out of the starting gate.”
“Really? Why?” He peeled his gaze from her long enough to glance into the side mirror. “Am I that…unappealing?”
“No. You’re fairly easy on the eyes.” As a matter of fact, he was more appealing to her than she’d like to admit, but there was no point letting on. Kami scrambled for words. “We’re just too different. New York, Clover Cove…” She lifted one upturned palm, then the other, as if weighing the options. “You’re desperate to leave, and I’m scrambling to stay. Need I say more?”
“You never know what sort of surprises tomorrow might bring.”
“Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?”
“I suppose both of us.”
“Maybe you haven’t given Clover Cove—and Cutler Nursery—a chance. Your dad loved it, and your mom still does. Maybe you’ll acquire a fondness, as well. After all, you can’t beat the location. Pappy’s Pizzeria draws a crowd like honey draws flies. Folks are bound to notice the nursery when they stop in for a bite to eat.”
“Now you’re being facetious.”
“Nope, just offering a reality check. It’s possible to build a future here, you know—one that doesn’t include groveling to the higher-ups.”
“Groveling? I hardly think working hard to climb the proverbial career ladder includes groveling.”
“No? Then why does the suggestion launch daggers from your eyes?”
“You have a way with words that’s slightly…unsettling.” Wyatt draped one hand over the steering wheel and leaned toward her. His breath whispered along her cheek. “But the reality is this: I prefer not to pursue a future that’s elbow deep in mulch. The only reason I came home was to work the books, and I haven’t even seen the inside of the office yet—not that there’s much to see in that department. Reese has all these ideas, and no concept of the money it will take to pursue them. While he buys overstock in rose bushes the parking lot washes away and greenhouses topple around him.”
“Maybe he’s got a long-term vision for the nursery.”
“Yeah, I have one, too—only at the opposite end of the spectrum. It’s called a date with bankruptcy court.”
“Bite your tongue, Wyatt Cutler.” Kami jabbed a finger into his ribs. She found solid muscle, and lots of it. S
he pulled back, folded her hands in her lap. It was much safer that way. “How can you even utter such words?”
“Because, without the help of fervent prayer, losing the nursery is a very strong possibility.”
“Well, then we’d all better start praying, because relinquishing Cutler Nursery would destroy your mom just as much as losing the pizzeria would crush my dad. We can’t let either happen.”
“You don’t need to waste time worrying over me or my family.” Wyatt waved her off. “I can manage things.”
“I’m sure you can. But I care about your mom. Worrying is what friends do when they care about someone staring into a serious hurt. You used to know that, Wyatt.”
“I still know it. And you’ve got enough on your plate. Your dad—”
“Has taught me that money isn’t everything while family is.” Kami slipped from the passenger seat and followed him around to the front of the truck. “Losing someone you dearly love ought to drive that point home. If anything happens to Dad—”
“Nothing’s going to happen to him.”
“You, better than anyone, should know there’s absolutely no guarantee about what may or may not happen tomorrow—or even this afternoon, for that matter.”
“But I do know what’s going to happen here, now.” He smoothed a finger along her jaw, sending a flash of warmth up the length of her spine. Suddenly, she could barely manage to breathe. Wyatt leaned in and his breath whispered across her brow. “Do you…know what’s about to happen?”
Her traitorous pulse skipped into a double-time cadence as his scent, a battle of hard work and clean soap, settled over her. “I’m not…sure.”
“Then I’ll fill you in.” He lifted her chin with the flick of his finger so their gazes locked. His dark eyes held a hint of challenge. “You’re going to tell me where you want all this stuff, and I’m going to haul it for you while you brew me a cup of coffee.”
