Page 78 of Sunflower Persona
“I don’t think I have a favorite plant. They are just plants,” I tell her as I lead her toward the visitors center.
“We can pick out a favorite together, then. I don’t know much about plants, if I’m being honest. My mom tried to start a garden once, but that experiment only lasted for a few weeks before she got bored and moved on to something else. Scrapbooking, I think, or it might have been macramé. You are going to have to teach me everything you know.”
“I’m no expert—” I start to tell her, but I’m interrupted by a familiar voice calling my name.
“I haven’t seen you since the summer. I thought you had moved without telling me,” Miss Dorthey, my favorite of the staff here, chastises as she hobbles over from her spot behind the small podium that serves as a front desk.
“Never,” I tell her, and I don’t fight it as she pulls me into a hug. “Things have been crazy these past few weeks. My car was out of commission, and I’ve been busy.”
Her eyes move to Kori as I mention being busy, and her face softens with a knowing smile. “I can see that. Are you going to introduce me to your friend, or are you going to leave an old woman to make assumptions? You know I can come up with some quite creative ideas.”
“No assumptions needed. Miss Dorthey, this is my girlfriend, Kori.” I wrap my arm around Kori’s waist and tuck her into my side. “Kor, this is Miss Dorthey. She helps take care of the visitors center.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kori says in a shy tone and ducks her head toward the ground.
“Oh no. The pleasure is all mine. You know Gage has never brought a woman here before, except for that wild hellion friend of his. What’s her name again…” She snaps her fingers as she tries to remember.
“Karis?” Kori supplies.
“Yes, that’s the one. At first, I thought they were together, but she about bit my head off when I suggested it. I’m glad he brought you by. I’ve been worried about him being alone for so long. Loneliness is nothing but trouble for the soul. There are times I can see the dark cloud follow him in here. He needs a good woman to help chase that darkness away and bring a smile back to his face.”
I swallow back a groan. This is the exact sort of thing that doesn’t fit in the whole romantic fantasy date.
“I’ll do everything I can to make him happy,” Kori declares. The conviction in her voice surprises me and makes my heart ache in my chest.
Miss Dorthey nods along with the same seriousness before turning her attention back to me.
“What are you kids up to today?”
I don’t comment on the fact I stopped being a kid a decade ago.
“We’re on a date,” I tell her.
“That much is obvious,” she says, rolling her eyes, “but don’t let me hold you up. You go have fun, but bring her back one day when you have time to chat.”
“Yes, Miss Dorthey. It was nice seeing you.”
She gives me another quick hug and does the same to Kori before shooing us both into the conservatory. I drop the change into the donations box before we get too far. It’s not a lot, but I like to contribute where I can.
“She was so…” Kori says as we get out of earshot.
“Pushy?”
“I was going to say sweet. It’s clear she cares about you.”
I shrug, but her words make my gut turn uncomfortably.
“Do you want to explore the garden first or get your surprise?” I ask to change the subject. I want to focus on us, not on people who care about me when they shouldn’t.
“Surprise?” Her whole face lights up with the question.
“Mhm, or we could go walk around for a bit—”
“I want the surprise.”
I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm, but the curl of my lips brings Miss Dorthey’s words back to the forefront of my mind, and my face hardens into stone. She might make me smile more than I have in years, but I won’t place the burden of my happiness on her.
“Gage? Are you okay?” Her voice cuts through the looming storm like a beam of sunlight.
