Page 61 of A Lesson for Laurel

Reese lifted his eyebrow at his wife, then turned to Easton. “I should have figured. Abe already told me you’d be here to talk and get the guys going.”

His cousin had been in contact with all the clients and explained what was going on. “Yeah, I just want to walk the property with you and let you know what is going to be happening and see if you have any questions or concerns.”

“Let me talk to him first,” Poppy said, shoving her husband out of the way. “If I try to walk the property I won’t make it and you’ll have to carry me back. You might break your back.”

“Hardly that,” Reese said, snorting.

“Daddy,” he heard and saw a little girl push her way between Reese’s legs. “Take me.”

Reese squatted down and picked his daughter up. The spitting image of Poppy, but she had her daddy’s eyes.

“You can go with me if Mommy puts your jacket and boots on. The grass is wet and muddy in spots.”

“Holly, go get the boots and jacket you want,” Poppy said. “Mommy will put them on you. Out of the way, Reese. Pregnant woman needs to ask questions, then I’ll go lie down.”

“My wife has spoken,” Reese said.

“Laurel told me you’d want to talk to me,” Easton said.

“I do,” Poppy said. “I don’t know her as well as my other staff, but I like her.”

“The same,” he said, smirking.

“She said you’re an attorney.”

“I am,” he said.

Laurel had told him about the conversation she had had with one of her bosses. He found it funny. Even more so when Laurel was embarrassed and worried he’d be mad that maybe she was talking about her relationship at work. She had never been that open before but said the women she worked with were mostly easy to talk to.

“Seems you two are getting along well.”

He squinted one eye and Reese nudged her out of the way. “Don’t be nosy, Poppy.”

“I don’t want to lose her. That is all I’m saying.”

“Don’t know why that would have anything to do with me,” he said. “She lives here.”

“But you don’t.”

“I’m sure she told you it’s been a few weeks and that I work remotely,” he said.

“So you could relocate here,” Poppy said cheerfully. “Perfect.”

Poppy turned and finished getting her daughter ready. “Ignore my wife.”

He planned on it. Moving back here wasn’t anything he was thinking of. Not after a few weeks. That would be getting way ahead of anything in his brain.

He was going to take things as they came.

That was how he always operated and he had no intention of changing.

But two hours later he was back home and the crew was getting to work. He picked up his phone and called Abe. “Everything is set at the McGills’,” he said. “Reese said he’d reach out to me if there is an issue or he’ll talk to you. The guys know where the new shrubs are going, along with the plants and flowers.”

If he thought it was odd that Poppy wasn’t using her own flowers or staff to plant things, or doing it herself, he kept that to himself. Not everyone liked working on their properties, even if they knew how.

“Good to know,” Abe said. “Speaking of flowers. What is going on with that sexy neighbor of mine?”

“Why would you say that?” he asked.

---