Page 95 of Resorting to Romance

“You’re worried, huh?” I shoot Bodhi a look over Ben’s shoulder.

He pinches his lips into a thin line.

“She’s been getting busier.”

That much is true.

“And we’ve had more lessons with the season picking up.”

Also true.

“But you two are new,” Ben says, his brow furrowing with concern. “You need time together. You can’t neglect her, Kai.”

Ben looks at me with an incredibly sincere expression on his face. “You see, Kai. Women are like gardens.”

Bodhi huffs out a laugh.

“Hey!” Ben scolds him. “I’m being serious here.”

“Okay. Okay!” Bodhi holds up his hands, but you can still see the vestiges of a suppressed laugh in his eyes.

“Anyway, as I was saying.” Ben turns his attention back to me. “Women are like gardens. And you need to water the garden. Fertilize the garden. Weed the garden.”

Bodhi starts cracking up. His laughter turns into full-blown cackling within seconds. I can’t help it. My laugh bubbles up from inside me. I try. I really do. I’m trying not to laugh. But it’s just impossible. Then, Bodhi and I make eye contact which only makes us both laugh harder.

“Fertilize! …” Bodhi shouts out. “Kai! Fertilize the garden!”

I lose it all over again.

Ben crosses his arms like a dejected child who isn’t getting his way.

“Sorry,” I say between laughs. “Sorry, Ben.”

“Fine, you two. See if I give you my relationship advice. Ask Summer. I make her happy. My wife is a movie star and she’shappy—with me. I make her happy. I thought I’d give you some trade secrets. But now? Now you’re on your own.”

“Secrets like, ‘Fertilize the garden’?” Bodhi asks, bursting into more laughter.

“It was an analogy, you doof. I was going to expound.”

“Water. Weed. Fertilize,” Bodhi repeats. “I think we got the gist, man.”

I’m wiping tears from beneath my eyes.

“Just come out with us on a four-way date this weekend, Kai. We’re getting together with this guy.” He waves a hand in Bodhi’s direction. “I’m not sure why right now, except your sister finds him attractive. Cam and Riley are coming out too. You and Mila should join us.”

“Sounds good,” I say, still laughing softly and trying not to let my laughter escalate. “Let me talk to Mila.”

“Good.”

“Yeah. I’ll bring the hoe,” Bodhi says.

And we both crack up again while Ben walks out the back door of the shack throwing up a peace sign over his shoulder and saying, “Peace out.”

“And the weed whacker!” Bodhi shouts after him. “Plus! Fertilizer! Can’t forget the fertilizer!”

We laugh for a solid minute after Ben leaves the room. Trying to regain our composure a few times and failing every time either one of us says, “Fertilize the garden,” or when Bodhi attempts to make a dead serious face and says, “Women are like gardens, Kai.” We lose it all over again.

“He’s not mad,” Bodhi assures me, knowing I’ll flip to caretaker mode in an instant as soon as my laughter runs out. “He’s fine.”

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