Page 39 of Spring Showers

“I’m very keen on moving forward, but I’ll wait for your full report. And Grant, don’t let this woman—the activities director you said—blind you with her charisma and beauty.” Davis coughed away from the receiver and cleared his throat. “I’ll be in touch.”

The line went dead, and Grant shook his head at the awkward goodbye. He hadn’t mentioned Thandie’s beauty, or her charisma, yet Davis had. Was Grant’s crush on her so obvious that even a person thousands of miles away could tell how smitten he was, or was Davis more informed about The Foundry and its staff than he had first let on?

Checking the time, Grant slipped on his hiking boots and tucked the red laces inside the tongue. He was in a hurry to catch up to the woman who had captured his attention. Though there wasn’t much catching up to do. Thandie had stopped twenty paces down the path and was bent over picking up the numerous scissors and pruning shears that lay scattered on the ground. The tub lay nearby and was turned onto one side where she must have dropped it.

“Thandie!” he called out. “Thandie.”

She removed an earbud from one ear and looked over her shoulder at him. A smile lit her face as their eyes met. He knew he was smiling too. He couldn’t help himself. Slowing, the damp gravel shifted beneath his feet as he met up with her.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Goldie?” she said. Her smile had betrayed her at first, but was replaced with a soft and distant look in her eyes.

“Mr. Goldie, huh? Okay? Can I help you out here?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m nearly finished. Have you eaten today?” she asked. “Brunch is being served in the barn. God, that sounds so terrible.In the barn,” she said with an affected country accent.

“You don’t likethe barn?” he said and chuckled at the way he had mimicked her country voice.

“I’ve been trying to come up with different names for it. The clubhouse. The main house. The hall. Nothing sounds right. But the barn sounds too basic.”

“It is what it is. If you tell someone to go to the barn, they’ll know exactly where to head to.”

“True,” she admitted as she rocked her head back and forth. “It doesn’t leave any room for misinterpretation.”

She seemed distracted by something, constantly looking over his shoulder and around at anything other than him. “Is everything all right?” Grant asked.

Thandie laughed her answer. “Of course. Why would you think anything is wrong?”

“We said no pretending, right?”

She shrugged and laughed out her response again. “I’m not pretending. I’m totally fine. Everything is fine. You?”

There was no use in fighting her on the detail at the moment. He knew she was bothered by something, and most likely by the something they had shared while in the spa last night. He suspected she was self-conscious about having let her guard down with him. He wasn’t embarrassed by it at all. He had felt freedom in her honesty. He had felt something natural and real for the first time in a long time. And the cracks in the wall protecting his heart were deepening with each additional moment he spent near her.

“I’ll let you get back to it,” he said. “The nature walk is soon?”

“Yes. I’ll see you there?”

He nodded and turned back towards the cabin. That freedom he had felt with her was so much more than just a conversation with a beautiful woman. The part he focused on was that he hadfelt. All the years of taking on every job he could to get away from dealing with the realities of his life, he had been hurting, too. That feeling of wanting to settle down, of wanting to have a life with someone again, meant he was healing. It meant that his feelings for Thandie weren’t just about her. His feelings meant that he was ready to move on. It meant that things were about to change in his life.

And change for the better.

CHAPTER19

From where she stood at the old shoreline, Thandie looked over the heads of the guests about a thousand times to see if Grant was going to join them for the nature walk. After brunch was cleaned up, they had all gathered in the barn to walk down together, but Grant didn’t show.

Perhaps he’ll run me over again, she thought with a giggle.

Thandie had been looking forward to this activity since she first conceived of it all of five days ago. Botany was her passion, and she finally had a chance to use her skills properly. Squatting down to the ground, she moved some long grass away from a tuft of small purple flowers that hugged the rich soil. “Come look at these,” she said to the group.

“What are we looking at here?” Daisy asked in a spry tone, and crouched beside Thandie. “These are the prettiest little flowers, aren’t they Brent?” Brent grunted in agreement.

“These are called Vinca, or Common Periwinkles. It’s an invasive species in North America, but aren’t they pretty? They bloom here for most of the year, and they even have medicinal uses,” Thandie said and picked a small bloom. She tucked the flower behind Daisy’s ear and winked. “Just don’t eat it. Unlike other flowers that are edible, this one will make you sick.”

Daisy stood and showed off her pretty prize. “Like it?” Brent nodded and gave her a quick kiss on one cheek.

“How do you know about all this stuff?” Anne asked and picked a periwinkle for her own hair.

“I’m a botanist.” No further explanation was needed.

---