always made sense.
She planted.
When the first was done, the purple and yellow flowers cheerful against the dull gray of the planter, she stepped back to study it. She wanted its mate to be as close to a mirror image as she could manage.
She was half done when she heard the rumble of tires on gravel. Logan, she thought, as she glanced around and identified his truck. She saw him start to turn toward the material area, then swing back
and drive toward the building.
He stepped out, worn boots, worn jeans, bad-boy black-lensed sunglasses.
She felt a little itch right between her shoulder blades.
'Hey,' he said.
'Hello, Logan.'
He stood there, his thumbs hooked in the front pockets of his work pants and a trio of fresh scratches
on his forearms just below the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt.
'Picking up some landscape timbers and some more black plastic for the Dawson job.'
'You're moving right along there.'
'It's cooking.' He stepped closer, studied her work. 'Those look good. I could use them.'
'These are for display.'
'You can make more. I take those over to Miz Dawson, the woman's going to snap them up. Sale's a sale, Red.'
'Oh, all right.' She'd hardly had a minute to think of them as her own. 'Let me at least finish them.
You tell her she'll need to replace these pansies when it gets hot. They won't handle summer. And if she puts perennials in them, she should cover the planters over for winter.'
'It happens I know something about plants myself.'
'Just want to make sure the customer's satisfied.'
He'd been polite, she thought. Even cooperative. Hadn't he come to give her a materials list? The least she could do was reciprocate. 'If Graceland's still on, I can take off some time next Thursday.' She
kept her eyes on the plants, her tone casual as a fistful of daisies. 'If that works for you.'
'Thursday?' He'd been all prepared with excuses if she happened to bring it up. Work was jamming
him up, they'd do it some other time.
But there she was, kneeling on the ground, with that damn hair curling all over the place and the sun hitting it. Those blue eyes, that cool Yankee voice.
'Sure, Thursday's good. You want me to pick you up here or at the house?'
'Here, if that's okay. What time works best for you?'
'Maybe around one. That way I can put the morning in.'
'That'll be perfect.' She rose, brushed off her gloves and set them neatly on the cart. 'Just let me put together a price for these planters, make you up an order form. If she decides against them, just bring them back.'
'She won't. Go ahead and do the paperwork.' He dug a many folded note out of his pocket. 'On these and the materials I've got down here. I'll load up.'
'Good. Fine.' She started inside. The itch had moved from her shoulder blades to just under her belly button.
It wasn't a date, it wasn't a date, she reminded herself. It wasn't even an outing, really. It was a gesture.
A goodwill gesture on both sides.
And now, she thought as she walked into her office, they were both stuck with it.
NINE
'I don't know how it got to be Thursday.'
'It has something to do with Thor, the Norse god.' Hayley hunched her shoulders sheepishly. 'I know
a lot of stupid things. I don't know why.'
'I wasn't looking for the origin of the word, more how it got here so fast. Thor?' Stella repeated, turning from the mirror in the employee bathroom.
'Pretty sure.'
'I'll just take your word on that one. Okay.' She spread out her arms. 'How do I look?'
'You look really nice.'
'Too nice? You know, too formal or prepared?'
'No, just right nice.' The fact was, she envied the way Stella looked in simple gray pants and black sweater. Sort of tailored, and curvy under it. When she wasn't pregnant, she herself tended to be on
the bony side and flat-chested.
'The sweater makes you look really built,' she added.
'Oh, God!' Horrified, Stella crossed her arms, pressing them against her breasts. 'Too built? Like,
hey, look at my boobs?'
'No.' Laughing, Hayley tugged Stella's arms down. 'Cut it out. You've got really excellent boobs.'
'I'm nervous. It's ridiculous, but I'm nervous. I hate being nervous, which is why I hardly ever am.'
She tugged at the sleeve of her sweater, brushed at it. 'Why do something you hate?'
'It's just a casual afternoon outing.' Hayley avoided the D word. They'd been over that. 'Just go and have fun.'
'Right. Of course. Stupid.' She shook herself off before walking out of the room. 'You've got my cell number.'
'Everybody has your cell number, Stella.' She cast a look at Ruby, who answered it with chuckle.
'I think the mayor probably has it on speed dial.'
'If there are any problems at all, don't hesitate to use it. And if you're not sure about anything, and
can't find Roz or Harper, just call me.'
'Yes, Mama. And don't worry, the keg's not coming until three.' She slapped a hand over her mouth. 'Did I say keg? Peg's what I meant. Yeah, I meant Peg.'
'Ha ha.'
'And the male strippers aren't a definite.' She got a hoot of laughter out of Ruby at that and grinned madly. 'So you can chill.'
'I don't think chilling's on today's schedule.'
'Can I ask how long it's been since you've been on a date—I mean, an outing?'
'Not that long. A few months.' When Hayley rolled her eyes, Stella rolled hers right back. 'I was busy. There was a lot to do with selling the house, packing up, arranging for storage, researching schools and pediatricians down here. I didn't have time.'
'And didn't have anyone who made you want to make time. You're making it today.'
'It's not like that. Why is he late?' she demanded, glancing at her watch. 'I knew he'd be late. He has
'I'm chronically late for mostly everything' written all over him.'
When a customer came in, Hayley patted Stella's shoulder. 'That's my cue. Have a good time. May I help you?' she asked, strolling over to the customer.
Stella waited another couple of minutes, assuring herself that Hayley had the new customer in hand.
Ruby rang up two more. Work was being done where work needed to be done, and she had nothing
to do but wait.
Deciding to do her waiting outside, she grabbed her jacket.
Her planters looked good, and she figured her display of them was directly responsible for the flats of pansies they'd moved in the past few days. That being the case, they could add a few more planters,
do a couple of half whiskey barrels, add some hanging pots.
Scribbling, she wandered around, picking out the best spots to place displays, to add other touches that would inspire customers to buy.
* * *
