Black Rose

handsome devil. I swear, my heart nearly shut right down when I handed him that lemonade and he flashed that grin at me. God almighty, he must have the girls at his feet, four layers deep.”
    “Never known him to have trouble finding one. Doesn’t seem to keep them long, though.”
    “He’s young yet.”

    IT WAS DARKwhen she got home. Dirty, a little achy, she poked her head in the library before heading upstairs. She’d seen Mitch’s car out front.
    “Working late?” she asked.
    “Yeah. You, too?”
    “I had an amazing day. Time of my life. I’m going to go up and scrape several inches of that day off me, then eat like a pig.”
    “Want company? I’ve got a couple of things to run by you.”
    “Sure, come on up.”
    “Been playing in the dirt?”
    “Most of the day. Gardening emergency.” She shot a grin over her shoulder as she started up the stairs. “A friend, an unexpected visit by in-laws, passive-aggressive tendencies, and a desire for one-upmanship. This resulted in a hell of a profit for my business and a terrific day for me.”
    She walked straight into her bathroom, stripped off her shirt. “Been a long time since I got seriously involved in the design and landscaping end of things. I’d nearly forgotten how much I love to get my hands into somebody’s dirt and create something.”
    She undressed while she talked, in a practical sort of way, dumping her clothes in the hamper, leaning in to start the shower and test the water temperature, while he stood in the doorway, listening.
    “A lot of the place was virgin ground—unrealized potential. I should feel guilty for charging her when it was such a good time for me—but I don’t. We earned it.”
    “We.”
    “Had to call in the troops.” She stepped into the shower. “Took Harper with me, then had Logan and Stella swing by as reserves later in the day. I put in the nicest four-season perennial garden. Looks sweet now, and in a few weeks the early daylillies will pop, and the wild indigo, then it’ll move right into the spirea and ladybells, the meadow sage and foxglove. Harper started this gorgeous purple clematis on a copper trellis and put in a trio of oakleaf hydrangeas. Then when Logan got there...”
    She trailed off, stuck her head out, hair dripping. “I’m boring you senseless.”
    “Not at all. I may not know what you’re talking about, but I’m not bored. You sound revved.”
    “I am. I’m going by tomorrow morning for some final touches and to present her with the final bill. She may faint, but she’s going to wow her in-laws.”
    “You never did give me an answer about that plant for my apartment. You know, feng shui.”
    “No, I didn’t.”
    He waited five seconds, heard nothing but water running. And laughed. “Guess that’s answer enough. You know, I’m fairly intelligent and responsible. I could be taught how to care for a plant.”
    “Possibly, but your track record’s ugly, Mitch. Just ugly. We may discuss a probationary period. I threatened to hurt Cissy if she didn’t maintain what I did over there. I heard her talking to Logan about hiring him to come in twice a month to deal with it. And that’s fine. We should all be self-aware enough to know our limitations.”
    “You water it. You put it in the sun. I can do that.”
    “As if that’s all there is to it. You want to hand me a towel?”
    She shut off the water, took the towel he handed her, and began to dry off. “We’ve been so busy at work I’ve barely been able to knock two thoughts together about anything else. Stella’s wedding’s right around the corner, too. And I know there are things that need my attention in this project.”
    He watched as she slathered on cream, as the scent of it mixed with the scent of her soap. “We’ll manage it all.”

    “Winters fly by now that I’ve got the business. A lot more to do over the winter than people might think. And here we are, into another spring. I can hardly believe it’s...”
    Her eyebrows drew together, with that faint vertical line between them. Falling silent, she carefully replaced the top on her cream.
    “Just hit you, didn’t it?” he asked.
    “What would that be?”
    “The two of us, right now.” He stayed where he was as she moved by him into the bedroom, as she opened a drawer for fresh clothes. “End of the workday, talking over the shower. It’s all very married, isn’t it?”
    She slipped on cropped gray sweats, tugged a T-shirt over her head. “How