Page 27 of Wild Scottish Rose

“What’s wrong with a rose?” I asked as Shona threw her hands up in the air. The wind picked up a bit, pushing the flames of the fire higher, and I leaned over to stoke the wood.

“It’s just … I guess it’s a boring flower. I’m a gardener. I should pick something exotic like a bird-of-paradise. But no. My heart belongs to roses.”

“I like roses. Particularly when in full bloom. It’s like a woman lifting her skirt.”

“Owen!” Shona threw her head back and laughed, and I made a note to try and drag more laughs from her when I could. When she laughed like that, with her head thrown back, she revealed the lovely expanse of her pretty neck. I wanted to kiss her just there and see if she shivered under my touch.

“What? Am I wrong?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

“No, I suppose not.” Shona smiled into her glass of wine. “Now I’ll have to call my roses hussies every time they bloom.”

“I’m sure they’ll love that.”

“Depends. They can be moody. The red ones will likely love it.” Shona smiled when I shot her an incredulous look. “Oh yes, they all have their personalities. Which is another thing I love about them. You can’t just treat each rose bush the same. You have to tend to them differently, depending on their needs.”

“And you like moody, demanding flowers?”

“Something like that,” Shona said, finishing her wine. “I just love the allure of a rose opening to bloom. The softness of their petals hides the strength of their stems. Their thorns remind you to treat them with care, that the beauty they choose to give you comes at a price and must be protected.”

Would it be weird to buy a gardener flowers? Because right now, I wanted to go out and buy her dozens of roses.

“I think that’s a perfect explanation, and you certainly don’t have to justify why you love a flower. In fact, you can love all the flowers equally. I won’t tell. Can I fill you up?”

Shona blinked at me, her mouth roundinginto a perfect O, and then a guilty look flashed across her face when I brandished the wine bottle I’d brought out with me. It took everything in my power not to laugh when I realized where her thoughts had gone.

Ahhh, that was interesting. Not entirely unaffected by me.

The thought crossed my mind, briefly, that the more I seduced her, the more likely she’d be to reveal the secrets of Loren Brae. But the minute I thought it, my stomach twisted, and distaste filled my mouth. Even though I was a bulldog about discovering the truth, I didn’t like to do so through despicable means. I’d rather create honest connections than weasel a story out of an unwitting participant in my research.And didn’t that make me just like the women who hit on me?

Which meant I should probably be clear with Shona about what my intentions were in Loren Brae. It annoyed me, but if I sought the truth, I had to model it myself, didn’t I?

“Thanks,” Shona said, passing me her cup and I filled it. “Anyways, I’m pretty convinced I’m stopping the wedding business.”

“What’s holding you up on making that choice?” I asked, standing and grabbing more wood to toss on the fire. Sparks drifted into the air, and the flames began to devour the new offerings.

“Money,” Shona admitted. “The wedding business is a big one for a reason. It’s scary to turn my back on a viable source of income because I don’t want to answer a few emails.”

“Are the gardens doing well otherwise?” I asked as I satand steepled my fingers, thinking through Shona’s problem.

“They are. Too much, so. I’ve hired a few assistants who can work when I’m selling at markets or run deliveries for me. They’ve been super helpful during wedding season as well. I could see more growth in that area if I built another greenhouse. I’d have to plan for the cost of a build, as well as justify the expense by expanding with new accounts. I’m nervous about it,” Shona admitted.

“What happens if you don’t grow? Can you afford to live?”

“I can, yes. If I’m careful with my money. My needs are simple. I just … I never really saw myself running my own business. I didn’t go to university?—”

“Really?” I cut in, surprised. In my world, it was virtually unheard of not to attend college, even if I’d taken the less traditional route by attending film school. It was never a question ofifsomeone wanted to go to school, it was where.

“Aye, really.” Shona’s face closed up, and I realized that I might have offended her. “Not all of us are meant for school, something I learned when I was growing up and barely able to read.”

“You can’t read?” Again, another look from Shona, and I realized I was bungling this. I held up my hand. “No judgment, Shona. I’m just trying to get to know you. I’m well aware that we all learn in different ways. I directed an entire documentary film on an indigenous tribe that teaches only through spoken word and stories, with very few written documents being passed between generations. I’m interested in your past and what makes you who you are, but please know I’m not judging.”

“Thank you,” Shona said, tipping her glass at me in a small salute, the tension around her eyes easing. “No, I can read. It’s just not how I learn, I guess? I prefer watching movies, listening to audio books, music, that kind of thing. Or physical learning. Digging in the dirt, putting bundles of flowers together, coaxing tomatoes from finicky plants. Those are where my strengths lie. Reading and responding to emails is an excruciating task for me, which is why I’m so eager to offload it.”

“So, you’re a hands-on and auditory learner. That makes sense.” I nodded and held my hands up as though to frame a shot of the fire. “It’s how I see things in my mind as well. Concepts played out as visual stories. I do like to read, but I’m really a movie buff. It’s in my blood. It’s what drew me to making films.”

“I’m certain I’ll have a million questions about your career, but I’ll start with this one. Favorite movie?” Shona asked me and I shook my head, a smile playing at my lips.

“That’s impossible. I have too many. I’m a mood watcher. Sometimes I want scary and sometimes I want to be swept away on passion.”

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