Page 34 of Almost True
“Maddie, hi. Sorry about that.” Aidan sounded out of breath.
“Hi. Sorry to interrupt.”
“No problem. What can I do for you?”
My heart sank a bit. That was a very familiar response. In fact, it was fairly unfriendly and much more businessy. I didn’t want Aidan my landscaper. I wanted Aidan my friend.
“I’m hoping it’s something I can do for you. I’d love it if you, and Luca would save me from a Saturday night alone and join me for dinner tomorrow night.” I rolled my eyes at myself. Why did I have to highlight thealonenessof it all?
“Uh, sure. Of course. Do you have a time in mind?”
We talked details, and right when we’d hang up and I could wallow in the questions running through my head about why I was so willing to throw myself under the bus with this guy, he kept the conversation going.
“Why would you be alone?”
I swallowed a little thrill of excitement that he’d kept it going and embarrassment that I’d made my loneliness so blatant. “Hmm? Oh, Juliet left on Wednesday. And Anthony is on vacation—much needed after the last few months.”
“Ah, I see. What about you? Will you get to take vacation?”
I paced the kitchen, adrenaline making me restless. “This time in Silvertonismy vacation.”
“Oh, right. Of course.”
“Well, I’m going to run and get some work done, but I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yes. See you tomorrow, Maddie.”
“Bye, Aidan.”
* * *
I arrived three minutes early. Dahlia waved me over and gave me instructions—how to space the plants, a quick review of how to actually plant something, and finally, where to find her after I finished. I hadn’t realized how big this would be, but it was a fairly large park with a central meeting area that had natural shade thanks to towering pines and aspens. She disappeared with a roll of her eyes when someone called her away. I was curious enough what made sweet, friendly Dahlia react that way that I tried to see who’d elicited that response from her but sadly missed it.
The bed I’d been tasked with planting was part of the edible section. Apparently, several local chefs had worked together to design this section that would later act as a community garden. I loved the idea and wanted to talk to Aidan about including something like this in my own yard—I didn’t cook much, but I could use basil, oregano, and chives without too much angst.
I couldn’t recall the last time I’d dug around in the dirt or planted something. Anytime I had one of these thoughts, it made me realize how little I’d been living. I loved nature and trees. My brother was an avid hiker, skier, outdoorsy type of guy in his own way, and I used to join him a few times a year. But in the last handful or more, those trips had dwindled, and my exposure to the natural beauty of this world, the feel of a bulb or roots in my hands, the tang of moisture-darkened soil, had been all but erased.
This realization gave my work a new level of pleasure as I layered in dirt around my current little plant and relished the heat and the give of the soil as I pressed it gently into place.
“Nice work here.”
The masculine voice startled me but sent a pleasing little thrill in its wake. Or maybe that was the scent of the lemongrass I’d been enjoying for the last hour as I lined the bed with it.
“Thank you. I can follow instructions with the best of them,” I said, glancing over my shoulder to give him a smile. The quick look showed me Aidan in utility pants, a T-shirt, same familiar hat, and opaque sunglasses staring down at me where I kneeled on a soft mat next to the dirt.
He dropped into a squat. “Let me help you wrap these up. We’re going to double our efforts to finish the front beds before lunch today. Some of the bushes will need some time to root, so I want those in first.”
He smelled like mint and dirt, and he was melting my brain by being so close. He was masculine and rugged in the way he’d been at my house, but this morning, after not seeing him for a few days, he turned my insides to mush. He was so muchmorethan simply a man in that moment. What a silly thought, but here he was being all sexy and capable and down to earth in a way I wasn’t sure I knew how to resist.What is happening to me?
Yet again, I had the thought that I hadn’t been this drawn to someone physically in… ever. But the same could be said for the man, not just his face and body, and I didn’t know where that left me except tripping over my, “Okay. Sure.”
He dug and I unpotted, pinched the roots like Dahlia had shown me, then set it in the hole. We both patted around and moved to the next one. A few minutes later, we had finished. He stood, then held out a gloved hand to me. I took it with my bare one, and he pulled me to standing.
“We’ve got to get you some gloves.”
I looked at my soil-stained fingers still resting in his glove. “They’ll wash.”
His brows jumped enough I could see them over his glasses. “Maybe. But they’ll wash easier if you wear gloves. Plus, we’ve got some roses going in later, and you don’t want to snag on a thorn.”
