Page 45 of Pages of Amber

Noah stepped forward to greet her. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Dottie.” His voice held a charming lilt to it that surprised Amber. The tiniest smile edged the corner of his lips as Dottie took his extended hand and pulled him in for a hug.

“Just Dottie, please. I haven’t been a missus in years.” Her smile relaxed her features as she continued, “Besides, you’re helping my Amber. There’s no need to be formal. You’re our guest.”

“Thank you. Amber should have mentioned you sooner. I would have invited myself over earlier if I knew I would meet you.”

Amber had an imaginary spit take. Who was this charmer and what had he done with Noah, the grumpy jerk who would rather be locked in the library for hours than have social interactions?

She yanked on his shirt and Noah moved back to her side. “We had to change our meet up location so we’ll be using the study for a bit.” Amber paused. “Actually, we might stop by the greenhouse first.”

The surprise on Dottie’s face threatened to darken Amber’s cheeks. She looked away, hoping Dottie wouldn’t ask any questions. At least not in front of Noah and not when she had no idea what she was doing either. The older woman stared at Amber for a minute then simply nodded. “Sure. I was just about to cut up some fruits for a snack. I could bring them over for you kids.”

“Thanks, Dottie.”

“The greenhouse?” Noah asked as they walked down the corridor. She nodded, pulling her bag off her shoulder. “Don’t we have to finish your assignment?”

“We don’t have to start immediately. Besides, I think you’ll like this.” And she thought it might help take his mind off the argument she’d overheard at his house.

A tilt of his head was the only response she got but Amber knew she had captured his curiosity. Following the familiar corridor she could walk through even with her eyes closed, Amber pulled open the door to the greenhouse. The huge breath she took in sent a feeling of bliss and comfort through every bit of her at the welcoming scents. She dropped her bag to the floor and looked over the flowers closest to her. When she heard nothing for several seconds, she turned to face Noah in time to see the splash of expressions that painted his face.

Confusion. Disbelief. Curiosity. Was that last one really amazement or was she dreaming it up?

“Well, what do you think?”

His eyes hadn’t once left the greenery. Amber tried to see the room through his eyes. Flowers covered every inch of the space. The white jasmines were closest to the door because of their heavenly scent. The indoor garden was situated towards the back of her home. It was a small greenhouse with a glass dome ceiling, large windows for ventilation, and stocked with flowers and equipment she wanted. All around them were pinks, blues, yellows, whites, reds that decorated the petals. It was an explosion of color. Her mother hadn’t wanted to include a garden with this home but Amber had cried and pleaded for hours on end, until she’d given in. But she’d never stepped foot in it. Amber didn’t hold it against her. She was just grateful to have this one space she could call hers.

It was her organized chaos, her safe room and for some absurd reason she wouldn’t be acknowledging anytime soon, she wanted Noah to feel safe here too.

She glanced back at him when he moved to a trough. Noah lightly grazed the peonies in front of him. Then he uttered one word.

“Beautiful.”

The word rushed out of him in a low, awed whisper that slammed into her and left her bent sideways. Her heart paused, skipped and restarted all in the span of seconds and Amber wondered if she needed to find the nearest doctor. Her fingers trembled by her sides at the warm feeling that bloomed suddenly and unexpectedly behind her sternum.

Noah’s gaze drifted back to her and lingered. Did he somehow know he had stolen her breath with a single word?

“It’s amazing, Amber.” He was admiring the peonies, his fingers stroking the pink petals as though he couldn’t believe the softness.

Amber couldn’t suppress her proud smile for the life of her. “That one was a pain to plant. It took weeks to set the soil just right for them and a lot of them didn’t pass seedlings. Although seeing them now makes it worth it.”

Amber would have taken offense at the way his eyes widened to large saucers if she wasn’t more amused by it.

“You… Did you do all this?”

“I’d be offended, but I’m a little too busy soaking in the satisfaction at your surprise instead. Yes, I did it all myself.”

He stuttered again and Amber laughed at the look on his face. Guess she had really thrown him for a loop.

“I didn’t mean that. Not like that, no. Actually–” He took a heavy breath. “I’m a little dumbfounded. This is wonderful, Amber. How? When? Why?”

She rolled her eyes, despite the smile tugging at her lips. Amber grasped her watering can and stepped up beside Noah. She tipped the can and water trickled out the spout, feeding the flowers. “Careful, Noah. You keep complimenting me and I might start thinking you like me.”

Noah coughed, his eyes darting away from her as he cleared his throat.

She tilted her head as she said, “I started out gardening when I was little. I loved watching the flowers grow and there was something so beautiful about their scents, their delicacy. I wanted to learn about them. I planted my first seed when I was five. It barely sprouted. By the time I was seven, I knew the names of flowers and the meanings behind them.” Amber pointed at the irises a few feet away. “Those are purple irises. They are associated with wisdom and respect. It’s a huge compliment for someone to give them to you. Forget-me-nots symbolize true love and respect. The carnations bloomed recently. The red ones specifically symbolize love and affection. They come in different colors and each one has a different meaning.”

Amber realized she had been blabbing botanical facts for a little too long when she glanced over at Noah. He was staring, the smallest smile nestled on his lips. She looked away, determined to ignore the fluttering in her stomach.

“What?”

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