The smell of fertilizer and blooming flowers blended on the sluggish breeze as Sloane got out of the car and tucked her purse strap over her shoulder.
Connor caught her hand as they strolled across the gravel parking lot to the main office. Even that casual contact had her heart drumming. A passion like this couldn’t sustain itself forever, but she could—and would—enjoy it for the next nine days. Now she knew what she was missing, she wished she’d slept with him that first night.
They passed row after row of trees planted with military precision across several acres of land on the drive up, but here rows of greenhouses stretched alongside the main structure. A pebbled patio curved around the exterior of the office and branched out into sidewalks that stretched out on either side, and creative displays using some of the available plants were set up along the borders while a large fountain trickled in the sunniest area of the patio. The main building squatted beneath the shade of a huge Magnolia tree.
“One day I’d like to buy a house and have a Magnolia tree in my yard,” she commented.
“They’re nice trees, but they shed their leaves, and it’s a chore to rake them up.”
“But they bloom beautifully, and the blossoms smell wonderful.”
“They take a long time to get established and to bloom, though. Up to eight years.”
“Really? So long?”
“Yeah. This one was already here when Dad built the place.” He opened the door for her.
Sloane smiled as she eyed the interior. The structure was long, with wide wooden beams, and set up like a country store, with shelves along the walls and displays set up in the center aisle.
“Uh-oh. I’ve seen that look before.”
“What look?”
“The look of an avid shopper.”
“Actually all you’re seeing is a look of interest, because I’m not a gardener, and I don’t have a clue about any of this. It’s just the country store ambiance.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “And if we were in the a sporting goods store looking at fishing equipment, tents, camp stoves, and all that, what kind of look would be on your face?”
He grinned. “Guilty. Why don’t you look around while I go find Dad?”
“Okay.”
Other people milled around the store, seeming to know exactly what they needed.
She wandered down one of the aisles and studied the supplies on the shelves. Flower pots, hanging baskets, bird feeders, bird food, potting soil, plant food, fertilizer, peat moss, sand, tools, hoses, wind chimes, all sorts of knickknacks to put in the yard, and several types of powder and spray to protect plants from insects. How could anyone have a clue what they needed?
She paused by a five-foot-wide magazine rack with books on how to build a deck, how to plant vegetables, and several other germane topics. She was thumbing through one of them when Connor returned.
“He’s out back in one of the greenhouses.”
She replaced the book on the rack and walked with him around the back of the building.
Inside the greenhouse, huge fans at either end stirred the air, keeping the temperature moderate. Sprinkler systems hung over tables that supported numerous pots of flowers.
Toby smiled when he saw her, his gloved hands in a large pot “Hi. Glad you could come by.”
“Thanks. This is an impressive business you’ve got here.”
“It keeps me busy. Come on over and see what I’m doing.”
She moved close to the table, which had sides had built up to trap any dirt or debris. At one corner, clippings lay gathered.
“I’ve put sand, clay and peat moss together in this mix. Connor says you like Magnolias.”
“They’re lovely. And when I have a house, I’ll plant one.”
“Well, even the smallest Magnolia can grow between eight and twenty feet, so a balcony garden won’t sustain it. But I have something that smells just as good, and I’m potting it for you. You can keep it on your balcony, and it will perfume the air throughout spring and summer.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but,” he leaned close, “if you’re going to keep Connor occupied while I’m busy, you deserve some kind of compensation.”
Her face flashed hot. If he knew how they’d occupied each other earlier—“What kind of plant is it?”
“It’s a dwarf gardenia radicans.” He raised a plastic pot from the floor to sit on the table. “It stays green year-round, only grows about three feet tall, blooms all spring and summer, and puts out a wonderful fragrance. And it doesn’t take much effort to care for. I’m potting two for you. You can put them on either side of your balcony door, and if you leave the door open, the scent will come right into the apartment.”
She breathed in the fragrance of the small white blossoms. “It smells wonderful, and it’s really sweet of you.”
He smiled. “When you buy that house, come back and get your Magnolia.”
She laughed. “Sold.”
“So, you’ve already been looking for a house?”
“Yes, I’ve done some looking…actually, a lot of looking and dreaming…and I have a nest egg saved for a down payment.” She’d backed off recently, due to her employment issues, but when she returned to Charleston, she was going to send her resume to every big firm in the area.
“What kind of house are you interested in?”
“Yours is gorgeous. And I love the style. But I don’t need anything quite as big for just me.”
“Someday it might not be just you.”
That gave her heart a squeeze. But she couldn’t count on it. “Maybe, but I can’t depend on someday, so I’m going to live my dreams, and maybe I’ll find someone who wants to share them with me.”
Toby shot a look toward his son. “Whoever they may be won’t just drop out of the sky. You have to put yourself out there. Had I not met Marian standing in line at the movies and introduced myself, Connor wouldn’t be here.”
Sloane bit her bottom lip and refused to look at Connor. The warmth of his body radiated against her back, and when he laid his hand on her shoulder, she touched his fingers.
Toby glanced up at her, then went back to what he was doing, a slight smile curving his mouth.
She reached to touch one of the blossoms and inhaled the fragrance again. “You’d better tell me how to take care of these so I don’t kill them. What kind of sun, and how much water, and I noticed some plant food, but I have no idea what kind to buy.” And she’d pay for the pots and other materials at least.
He went through everything she needed to do to keep the plants healthy, then he and Connor loaded the two heavy pots into a high-sided wagon.
“Take my truck so you can haul these to the house. You can take them to Sloane’s this evening.” Toby held out his keys, and Connor gave him the car keys in exchange.
“I’m glad you came, Sloane.”
He extended his hand and she stepped past it to hug him. “Thank you.”
“Sloane left dinner for you in the refrigerator.” Connor said. “It’s enough for two.”
Toby’s eyebrows rose.
Before he could thank her, she said, “When you’re cooking it’s easy to throw in a few extra tomatoes and a little more pasta. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
“Thanks. I’m sure I will.”
Connor pulled the wagon to the parking lot. “We have one more stop to make before we go back to the house.”
The sun was higher and the air still. “You talked it over with your dad about what kind of plant I’d like.”
“The other night I noticed you liked the jasmine and clematis that Mom planted, and you commented on the Magnolia. So we picked something that has a strong, sweet fragrance that would also thrive on your balcony without taking up too much room.” He lowered truck’s bent tailgate and loaded the two pots.
“It was very thoughtful. Thank you. But I want to pay for at least half the cost.”
Connor shook his head. “Dad got free labor out of me the first two days I was here, and you’ve thanked him with a meal he’ll enjoy. And you’ve already thanked me.” He shot her a smile. “But you can do it again any time you like.”
Heat touched her cheeks even as her body quickened at the suggestion. Connor opened the truck door for her, offering her a hand up. Once she was settled he said, “I’ll be right back. Need to return the garden wagon to the office.”
She tracked him as he strode back to the office and parked the wagon. He was so careful about everything he said, other than the fact that he wanted her. He kept everything on the surface. Like the tattoo on his wrist. Who was Olivia? An old flame? A younger sister? Someone important, for certain. Maybe she’d find an opportunity to ask him later, over dinner.
Or should she? She was only a temporary lover. And it wasn’t her business. The thought gave her a hard pinch.
Beneath the water, the hollow sound of each breath he released was as familiar as his own footsteps. He watched Sloane as she sat on the bottom of the pool and regulated her breathing.
He remembered drownproofing during BUD/S. One of the guys hadn’t quite made it to the surface and almost drowned.
How many missions had he been on where they infiltrated the area from the water? Twenty? Twenty-five? Adding in training missions brought the count up to a hundred times at least. He’d always thrived on the challenge.
But this wasn’t supposed to be a real challenge. It was supposed to be something fun for Sloane. And he didn’t get that from her. She was doing it more to please him than because she wanted to.
She wouldn’t back down from this any more than she would from her ex and the partners of her law firm.
But she had nothing to prove to him, and apparently he needed to make that clear. If scuba wasn’t her cup of tea, it was okay. Because if something happened to her—The idea gave his insides a twist. The chances were slim, but they were real. For all the pleasure of scuba diving, there was an edge of danger to it too. Something that hounded most everything he and his teammates did.
Behind her mask, her eyes were closed. Her body looked relaxed, and her hands rested on her thighs. When he touched her wrist, she startled and her tawny eyes sprang open.
Using the hand signals he’d taught her, he motioned for her to surface.
She kicked off from the bottom of the twelve-foot depth and turned to paddle to the steps leading down into the pool.
She pulled the mouthpiece free, perched on the steps on one hip, and pushed the facemask atop her head.
He joined her. “You’re doing really well.”
“But?”
“If this is as far as you want to go with it, it’s fine. You’ve experienced what it’s like to use the tanks, and you’ve been a quick study with everything I’ve taught you.”
She focused on her flippers as she moved them in the water. “It’s—a little claustrophobic looking up and seeing the water overhead.”
“Is that what the meditation is for?”
“Yes, to calm me. It helps with my breathing, too.”
“That’s a good idea. But once you’re in the ocean, there will be other things to focus on besides looking up. But if you don’t want to try it, it’s okay.”
“You’ll be with me. I trust you to keep me safe.”
The tightness in his stomach loosened. “We’ll practice a couple more times in the pool before we go out. And Dad will come along to spot us one day this coming week.”
“Okay.”
As he dressed to follow her home for dinner, he thought about the trust he read in her eyes, her expression. He couldn’t protect her from being hurt after they parted. He couldn’t promise her more than these few days. But he wanted to. That thought sent a short burst of panic through him. He hadn’t done a bang-up job as a husband or a boyfriend. And the teams were only part of why.
If he let Sloane down… He didn’t want to think about it.
Sloane could really cook. The lasagna was delicious, the salad dressing a surprise, and the bread fresh. She owned that she hadn’t baked it or the dessert, but it didn’t matter. The fact that she could have if she had the time was impressive enough.
He could tell she really enjoyed cooking from the way she served it. The salad had curls of carrot to garnish it, shaped like a flower. She’d blended seasoned olive oil to dip the bread in. The lasagna looked like it should be in a cooking magazine. And he even liked the wine, though he wasn’t a wine drinker.
They should have created an herb garden for her instead of the potted shrubs for her balcony. He might do it anyway before she left.
When he pushed his chair back from the table, he was stuffed. “I feel like I just had a meal at a five-star restaurant. If you ever decide to give up the law, you could open your own restaurant.”
The way she smiled told him she was pleased by the compliment.
“Thank you. We can clear the table later. I thought we could take a walk on the beach until our food has settled,” she suggested. “We can have dessert and coffee when we get back.”
“I’m up for that.”
When they arrived at the beach, the sun had already kissed the horizon good night and was nodding off fast, while purplish blue clouds hovered over the water, promising another storm out at sea.
The crowds who would have littered the sand had left, and only small clusters of people remained, either sitting watching the tide, or walking the beach close to the water.
A young girl of six or seven danced in a puddle of water left behind by the tide. Her hair caught the last rays of reflective light as the clouds shifted, giving the crown of her head a red-gold halo. A woman called to her, and she rushed up the sand to join her, grabbing the woman’s hand.
Against Connor’s will, his attention was drawn to the woman and girl as they followed them down the beach. The failing light turned their forms into silhouettes against the pale sand. His heart thundered in his ears, and his breath came in shallow gasps. Anxiety ripped through him, and he had the urge to run down the beach after them.
Sloane’s voice sounded muffled, but reached him. “I used to love to sit out on my grandmother’s porch and watch it storm. She had this old-fashioned metal glider, and I’d bundle up in it with a blanket and pillow. It never occurred to me or my grandmother that I would have been electrocuted if lightning struck while I was sitting there.”
He dragged in a breath to steady himself. His hearing cleared. “We played baseball in the rain with an aluminum bat. When you’re kids, you don’t worry about what could happen, you just live in the moment.”
He was grateful when she changed the subject.
“Any of your grandparents still living?” she asked.
“Yeah. My mom’s parents are still alive. And she has a brother who lives in Seattle. I’ve been up to see him and his family. Dad has two sisters, and we’ve been to Tennessee to see them and their families. But when families are spaced out it’s hard to keep in touch or stay close.” And he had lost touch with so many because of his job. “Tell me about your family.”
“That might take all night. We have a large family.”
“Just hit the highlights.”
“There’s my grandparents, who are both in their mid-seventies. He was a civil engineer and she was a teacher. They still live alone, unassisted. They had six children, so I have numerous aunts and uncles and cousins, and then they all have families. We have somewhere between twenty-five to thirty people for Christmas at my grandparents’ house. Mostly outside if the weather permits. They live in Savannah.”
Thirty people. Jesus. “That’s quite a clan.”
“Yeah. It’s a little wild with all the adults and the kids. Have you ever thought about marriage?”
There was the question he’d been dreading. “Yeah. I was married for almost six years. We divorced five years ago.”
“I’m sorry, Connor.”
“She’s remarried and has a little boy.” His throat ached. “He’s two. We still stay in touch.”
“It’s good you’ve stayed friends.”
“She deserves to be happy.” He didn’t know what he deserved after the way he behaved afterward… That was part of the problem. That and the PTSD dogging him right now. The guilt still ate at him. He brutally tamped down the swell of pain and grief that threatened to rise.
She remained silent, though she slipped an arm through his and leaned against him. He wasn’t surprised by the offer of comfort. She was a giver. Like Cynthia.
She deserved better. He should have spent more time thinking this thing through instead of just grabbing for what he wanted.