Page 33 of Lee

Once she got home, Rori quickly changed clothes, then made a sandwich. She put it in her backpack along with a bottle of water, her phone, and wallet. After locking up her apartment, she carried the backpack and her camera bag out to her car.

She’d discovered the flower garden at the park the previous weekend, and she was looking forward to exploring it again and photographing the blossoms there.

Knowing Lee and his family and friends were there too made Rori a little cautious. However, the park was big, and she hadn’t seen anyone playing volleyball in the immediate area of the garden the last time she’d been there. So, the chances of her running into them were pretty slim.

And while that might be a bit disappointing, it was also a good thing.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Lee helped Blake carry the lawn chairs to the area where the others had gathered at the park. He enjoyed these leisurely moments with no pressure, just hanging out with his family.

His parents had maintained certain traditions growing up. Family devotions after supper each day. Sunday dinner together after church. And once a month, they’d had a family birthday dinner, usually with pizza and games.

Now, the adult children living in Serenity had begun their own traditions. Friday night pizza, and when the weather was nice, Sunday afternoons in the park for a picnic and volleyball.

Coming back to Serenity hadn’t been his first choice when he’d been laid off from his job at a veterinary hospital. But now that he had settled into life there, Lee was thinking it was probably the best place for him.

“I asked Rori to join us,” Charli said as Lee unfolded one of the lawn chairs.

He straightened and looked over to where his sister stood with Shiloh in her arms. “You did?”

“Yep. I thought maybe it would be nice to include her.”

“What did she say?” Lee glanced toward the road. “Is she coming?”

Charli frowned as she shook her head. “She’s going to be here at the park, but she declined to join us.”

“What?” Lee crossed his arms as he stared at his sister.

“She said she was coming to the park to take pictures in the garden,” Charli said, her expression turning contemplative. “You could always go see if she’s there. Invite her yourself.”

“Why do you think that would make a difference?”

“I think she refused my invitation because it didn’t come from you. You’re her co-worker. She probably thought it would be awkward for you if she just showed up.”

It made sense. However, that didn’t necessarily mean that he thought it was a good idea to extend the invitation himself.

Unfortunately, Charli seemed determined that he should at least try to convince Rori to join them. And Janessa generously contributed her two cents’ worth, which aligned perfectly with Charli’s. Big surprise there.

Though his mind said it was better to keep distant from her, his heart already cared for Rori. And because of that, he wanted to give her opportunities to be around people who could offer her friendship. If Charli was right about her refusing the invitation because it didn’t come from him, Lee felt like he needed to at least see if Rori did actually want to spend time with them.

“Okay. Fine.” He looked in the direction of the garden. “I’ll go see if she’s there.”

“And do your best to be persuasive,” Charli said.

“I’m not going to strong arm her into spending the afternoon with us,” Lee told her. “You know, it’s possible that some people might not want to hang out with us. We can be a bit much.”

“We’re amazing!” Janessa gave a huff as she waved her hand dismissively. “Everyone loves us.”

Lee chuckled at his sister, well aware that wasn’t exactly true. “If I do manage to convince her to join us, try not to overwhelm her. Okay?”

Charli held up her hand. “Promise.”

“I’ll be back in a few,” Lee said, then headed toward the garden.

Though a part of him—the practical part—hoped he couldn’t find her, there was a flutter of excitement in his stomach. He slipped his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts as he walked along the dirt path that led to the garden.

When he reached the entrance, he paused, glancing around as he tried to decide which direction to go in. The garden was multi-leveled and laid out with several paths that meandered through the large area, which contained sections of wildflowers as well as more landscaped sections of flowers.

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