Page 59 of A Touch of Spring Magic

“It’s perfect.” Stormstepped back and surveyed the rusted trellis she had purchased at a yard sale she’d seen as she’d driven her mother to the library. “Almost spookily thematic.”

“I know, right?” Jessica grinned at him. “I had it hanging out of the hatchback with a red tea towel Mrs. Benson loaned me. My mother was so outraged she couldn’t speak.” Jessica’s voice burbled with barely suppressed laughter. What would Ransom Lindley III think of that? “Who knew Mr. Benson had so many finds in his shop. You and I are going back there with your truck and trailer tomorrow morning because he has more garden art in his barn out on Hill Road in Mount Holly. His granddaughter said we’re welcome to prowl through.”

She realized she was being high-handed, arranging his schedule without asking.

“You don’t mind do you?” It occurred to her she should have asked rather than assumed and arranged, but she was excited by the possibilities that she’d seen in the barn. She couldn’t have found a more appropriate piece if she’d designed it herself.

“You’re the boss,” Storm said easily.

Something inappropriate from a Nicole Kidman movie popped in her head, flushing her cheeks.

“Whatever are you thinking?” he asked. “I’m intrigued.”

She had to tear her gaze away from his appealing masculinity and instead focus on the trellis.

“It’s exactly what I wanted. Exactly how I envisioned it.” She looked back at the trellis and touched the metal. “When the trees are planted and have a chance to fill out, it will be like a pathway to Tuscany. It was worth it to spend the extra money to buy the more mature trees.”

“They are still pretty puny,” Storm noted, looking at the two long rows of trees she’d lined up. “But let’s get these babies in the ground. I had Grey use the earth digger to dig the holes following the design so that we could get the trees in today and spread mulch before spreading the pea gravel tomorrow and we will have this section done.”

Jessica tried not to be relieved about not having to dig any more large holes today. They only had a couple hours of sunlight remaining.

“How was lunch with your mom?”

“Discovering the trellis was the only redeeming moment in the lunch,” Jessica said tartly, knowing she wasn’t being fair, but still feeling a little raw.

“That bad?”

“Always gotta push.” She tried to keep her voice light and followed her words with her palms playfully on his abs, but the total cut firmness under her hands stole her breath. “Push, push, push,” she chanted trying to break the spell while at the same time allowing herself to savor all that masculine strength and warmth.

Why had she been so stupid as to push him away senior year when he…

No. It wouldn’t have worked. She was too driven. Too convinced of her own mythology. Too sure she had so many great things ahead of her.

“Sorry I was a thoughtless twit of an idiot in high school.”

“We’re way beyond that. Water under the bridge,” his voice graveled.

The way the sunlight, slipping behind the trees illuminated the waves in his hair and high planes of his cheekbones, hollowing out cheeks that could have been the perfect magazine cover for any cologne—she would have bought it.

“Storm,” she began softly.

“Speaking of bridges…” He tucked his hands in his back pockets, and did she imagine a new distance? “I’ve been giving the water feature some more thought. The fountain is a beautiful focal point, and if we do go ahead and create a ‘stream’ that leads to the pond near the gazebo, we can build in a set of miniature falls visitors can follow down to the pond we’ll seed with water plants, koi and a have a few benches and a wall of bamboo for texture and intimacy.”

Intimacy.

The word heated her all over.

“It’s not that I don’t love the idea, Storm. It’s just that it sounds expensive, and water features need cleaning and maintenance and pumps that break down, and I won’t have time for everything on my own.”

“Who says you have to do everything on your own, Jessica Maye?”

“I’ve always felt on my own even when I’m not.”

“We need to work on that.” He traced her cheekbone. “After we plant an olive grove in Tuscany.”

Chapter Eleven

“Ready for themagic?” Storm asked several hours later, when they had the first circle of olive trees planted, and the light was truly fading into night.

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