Page 42 of Flowers Near Me

Hades let out a small laugh. The rise of his cheeks softened his sharp features.He looks so much younger when he smiles.But he had never been young. Not in the same way that Persephone or her sister had been. What would he have looked like if he’d been a child? She’d never know.Unless you had his child.The unexpected thought scared her so much that she missed whatever he had said to her.

“Everything okay?”

She shook off those amorous notions, chiding herself for her lapse in judgement. What was she doing? “Yes, sorry. Go on.”

He smiled. “Let’s have you give it a go without a ball. This way you can get a feel for the club.”

Persephone mirrored Hades’ stance.

“Grip it like this.” Hades interlocked his pinky with his other hand’s pointer finger and wrapped his hands around the rubber grip.

“This feels weird.” She tried not to squirm from the strange pressure in between her interlocked fingers. “Really? This is how to grip it?”

“It’s one of several ways but it’s the best one. Now, slowly bring your arms back.” He twisted to demonstrate.

She did her best to turn her shoulders and twist her back while still keeping an eye on his form.

“Hit your peak, keep your grip, and bring your swing all the way through. Keep your eyes down where the ball would be. Don’t fight your feet. Let your back foot twist as it needs to.”

With a half-hearted effort, she swung the club and promptly smacked the head into the ground. A chunk of grass covered dirt flew a few feet away.

“Oh shit,” Persephone’s voice dropped with concern before she chuckled. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

Hades put his hands on the sides of her arms, his voice hurried and strained. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. Why’d I miss?”

“It’s not your fault. I should’ve had you check your distance from the tee to your club. I’m sorry about that.” His pain-etched face made her pause. If she didn’t get control of her racing feelings soon, she’d start believing that he truly cared for her.

“That’s alright. I’m sure you’ve trained others who were more capable.”

Had he trained others?The question tightened around her throat, and she tapped the divot with her shoe. It shouldn’t bother her because it wasn’t her business.

“I can assure you, I haven’t. Let’s try again but with the right positioning this time.”

Hades stood next to Persephone and held out his club angled to the ground. She did the same, and he asked, “May I?” before guiding her hands to a different spot.

This time when Persephone swung, the club whooshed through the swing and ended with her wide grin. After several practice swings, she tried hitting a ball off the tee with moderate success. A few times the tee flew and the ball rolled, but Hades lined up the next ball each time, occasionally sneaking a wink at her.

Golfing was proving to be much more enjoyable than she’d thought. “I might put in a driving range on the estate when I go home. I’d have to figure out a way to gather the balls from the field, though.” Persephone followed the ball as it landed near a few others from earlier shots. When she looked at Hades, he was staring off down the range with a fisted hand pressed his mouth.

“What if you didn’t have to gather them?” Hades asked. He turned his eyes to hers, the weight of his attention causing her legs to waver.

“What do you mean?” Persephone asked.

A hint of slyness peeked through his features. “What if the balls disintegrated in the rain? If they were made of dirt or fertilizer, then you’d never have to gather them.”

Envisioning little brown nuggets scattered across one of her mom’s gardens or fields. “What if you put seeds in them?”

Hades’ brows quirked. “Brilliant.”

“I’m certain they already exist. How could they not?”

Hades shrugged. “Doesn’t mean we couldn’t make our own.”

They emptied a bucket of balls but for every one Hades hit, Persephone hit at least five. There were a few moments where she caught him watching her. Once, when she flicked her head to knock flyaway strands of hair away. After she hit her longest shot, he’d complimented her effort. The shadow of a grin across his mouth made her blush. She needed to rein in her emotions. It didn’t matter how kind he was being or how much fun she was having, this wasHades. It was all a game to him. Her feelings meant nothing to a god who had everything.

When they left the range and opted to try a few holes, Hades pulled out whichever club was best for each shot.

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