.
“That our paths cross as little as possible.” And from the way his heart had reacted to the sight of her standing in the greenhouse doorway that morning, respecting her wishes seemed like the smartest plan.
Hope folded her arms in front of her. “I thought we both agreed we were mature enough to put the past behind us while I’m here.” Then added, “For Daddy’s sake.”
She had a point. But then she hadn’t been forced to lock away her feelings for him. She didn’t have any. So this situation they found themselves in wasn’t anywhere near as hard for her as it was for him.
“Judging by that frown on your face, I’m guessing that you’re having second thoughts about offering to fill in here while Daddy’s down. I’ll understand if you wanna withdraw your offer.”
Doing so would probably be the wisest thing to do, but he’d made the offer to help out and intended to see it through. “Don’t read something into it that’s not there. I said I’d lend a hand and I’m gonna do just that.”
“Then you don’t have a problem with my helping you water the plants?” she asked. While the built-in, overhead sprinkler lines took care of most of the watering in the greenhouses, the various potted plants that lined the inner walls of the glass buildings needed to be hand-watered. “I mean it’s not like we’ve never worked together before.”
There had been a time he would have welcomed this opportunity to spend some time alone with Hope. But he was older and wiser, and he wasn’t about to let her get under his skin ever again. Because that was what a smart man would do.
Logan motioned to the hose he’d left lying on the ground. “You wanna water? Spray away. Like I told you, I’ve got other things I can be doing here.” Turning, he strode toward the open door.
A few steps away from making his exit, Logan felt the cold, wet spray of water hit him square in the back and travel downward. He froze, unable to believe that Hope had just squirted him with the garden hose. No, soaked him clean through was more like it.
Soft, feminine giggles behind him had him pivoting to face her. Raising an arm to shield his face from the water’s relentless spray, he said, “You’re playing with fire.”
Another giggle. “Then I reckon it’s a good thing I’ve got myself a mighty powerful garden hose to keep that fire from getting out of control.”
“Too late,” he said with a warning grin as he charged into the water’s cold, wet, arcing stream.
Hope gave a loud shriek as she spun around to flee, dragging the hose behind her.
Three long strides and Logan managed to step on the hose, easily jarring it loose from her grasp. Reeling it in, he took hold of the still-spraying nozzle and aimed it in the direction of Hope’s fleeing form. A stream of water went up and over the top of Hope’s head, raining down on her. It wasn’t a direct hit, one guaranteed to leave her as drenched as he was, but he made certain it was close enough to have her ducking.
“Logan!” she shrieked, arms folded over her head.
This time he was the one chuckling. “You ready to call a truce?” he asked as he shifted the hose’s aim to the plants on the table beside her.
“Yes,” she sputtered as she turned to face him. Water clung to the spiraling strands of her hair like a heavy morning dew. Coppery curls hung in sagging wet tendrils to frame her face.
A memory came rushing back from the past. One that had been very much like this moment. He and Hope in this very same greenhouse, both armed with hoses. Both soaked clean through by the end of their water play. Both falling in love. Or so he had thought.
I don’t love you.
Logan shut off the nozzle’s spray and tossed it onto the ground beside him. “You can take it from here. I’ve got work to do.” That said, he walked out of the greenhouse.
* * *
Hope stood staring at the empty doorway. What had just happened? Logan’s sour mood had turned playful and fun, both of them laughing over the unexpected water battle they’d found themselves engaged in, feeling at ease with each other for the first time in years. Then suddenly he was walking away, his parting demeanor a complete one-eighty from the playful side he’d shown her just moments before.
Pushing the damp curls from her face, she sighed. For the briefest of moments it had felt like old times. Comfortable. Fun. The two of them enjoying life. It had also been a reminder of what she’d given up. Of the forever kind of love she’d come so close to having.
If she were honest with herself, she knew why he’d walked away. And it was fortunate for her that Logan had come to his senses and put an end to things before they got any more carried away. She could never offer him the things he deserved, and the fewer reminders of what they’d once shared the better for them both.
While she’d surprised even herself with her actions, she didn’t regret what had happened. Not completely. Not when their playful respite had helped her to forget about the pain of the past and about the near-paralyzing fear she’d felt before learning that her father was going to be all right.
Hope made her way toward the abandoned hose with a deep sigh. Reaching for it, she turned its nozzle on and began working her way around the inner edges of the greenhouse, watering the vibrantly colored bougainvilleas and other assorted potted plants that lined the glass and metal walls.
Her thoughts turned to her daddy once again. He’d been asleep when she’d called the hospital that morning to check on him. The nurse on duty had assured her that he was still in stable condition, but that his blood pressure was still a little higher than they’d like to see it.
Fear of him having another stroke was always at the back of her mind. She couldn’t lose him. For the first time in years, she found herself wanting to pray. Wanting to ask the Lord to help heal her daddy. But praying hadn’t brought healing to her mother or to herself. All she could do was hope he was strong enough to get through this health crisis with the help of his very knowledgeable doctors.
When she was through with the watering, Hope gathered up the hose and returned it to the mount near the front wall. Then she stepped out from the protective shade of the greenhouse and into the morning sun. Closing her eyes, she tilted her face upward, welcoming the touch of its warming rays. The air around her smelled of pine and freshly turned soil with a hint of sweetness, no doubt from the flowers blooming inside the greenhouse behind her.
She inhaled deeply, feeling a calm come over her. A feeling of rightness. Because she was back at the nursery. A place that had been like an extension of her own home when she was growing up.
Just like Logan’s parents’ place had been. Even before she and Logan had begun dating she’d felt like she belonged there, like she was a part of their family. Mostly because their parents had been close friends and had spent a lot of time together at each others’ houses. At least they had until her momma had gotten sick and was taken from them. If not for her daddy’s love and Logan’s momma taking Hope under her comforting wing, she would have been a broken little girl.
If only Logan’s momma were here today. Because Hope was feeling very broken now. Like nothing in her life was right. The job she worked. The fast-paced city she had chosen to live in. Her discontented heart. Her abandonment of a faith she had once held so dear. But his momma wasn’t here and she was a grown woman who needed to find a way to live with the choices she’d made.
Opening her eyes, she searched the front nursery grounds, hoping Logan hadn’t witnessed her moment of self-reflection. Thankfully, he was nowhere to be seen. So she shored up her shoulders and made her way to the storefront, the building that housed the checkout counter, gardening goods for purchase and the office. As she’d told Logan, she needed to look over the calendar and the delivery sheets to see what orders were scheduled to be picked up that week and make certain he would be able to have them ready in time.
Exhaustion mixed with the steady thrum