Page 51 of A Brambleberry Summer

The father in question drew nearer and she felt tension and awareness stretch between them. He gave her a wary smile, as if he didn’t quite know how to act this evening, either. Seeing his unease helped her relax a little.

Yes, they had shared an intense, emotional kiss. That didn’t mean things had to be awkward between them.

“Can I pick flowers?” Logan asked Wyatt. “Rosa said it’s okay.”

“We are taking away the dead and dying flowers to make room for new growth,” she told him.

“I want to help, too,” Logan said.

“Fine with me. As long as you do what Rosa says.”

“Not a bad philosophy for life in general,” Jen said, which made Rosa roll her eyes. She wasn’t handling her own life so perfectly right now. Not when she was in danger of making a fool of herself over Wyatt.

“Is there something I can do to help?” Wyatt asked. “Were you trying to hang this bird feeder?”

She followed his gaze to the feeder she had left near the sidewalk.

“Yes. It fell down during the wind we had the other night. I was going to get the ladder and hang it back up.”

“That would be a good job for Logan and me. Let me put our groceries away and I’ll be right back out to do that for you.”

“I’m sure you have enough to do at your house. You don’t need to help me with my chores.”

“Hanging a birdhouse is the least I can do after you pinch-hit for me last night with Logan.”

To Rosa’s dismay, she felt her face heat again. Oh, she was grateful her blushes were not very noticeable. She felt as red as those roses.

She couldn’t seem to help it, especially when all she could think about was being in his arms the night before, his mouth on hers, and the way he had clung to her.

Something seemed to have shifted between them, as if they had crossed some sort of emotional line.

She, Jen and the children continued clearing out the flower garden and moved to another one outside the bay window of Logan’s room.

A few moments later, Wyatt came out of the house. He had changed out of his work slacks, jacket and tie into jeans and a T-shirt that seemed to highlight his strong chest and broad shoulders.

“Is the ladder in the shed?” he asked.

“Yes. It should be open.”

“Come help me, Logan. You, too, Addie. This might be a job for three of us.”

She watched them go to the shed and a moment later Wyatt emerged carrying the ladder mostly by himself, with each of the children holding tightly to it as if they were actually bearing some of the weight, which she knew they were not.

“He’s really great with kids,” Jen murmured.

Maybe so. That didn’t make him great forRosa.

It did not take him long to rehang the birdhouse in the tree she pointed out. While she would have liked to hang it higher up on the tree, on a more stable branch, she knew she would not be able to refill the feeder easily without pulling out a ladder each time.

After Wyatt and his little crew returned the ladder to the shed, they came back out and she set them to work helping her clear out the rest of the weeds and dead blossoms in the garden.

Her back was beginning to ache from the repetitive motion, but Rosa would not have traded this moment for anything. There was something so peaceful in working together on a summer evening with the air sweet from the scent of flowers and the sun beginning to slide into the ocean.

“So how did you two meet?” Wyatt asked them.

“College,” Jen replied promptly. “We were assigned as roommates our very first day and became best friends after that.”

Both of them had been apprehensive first-year college students. Rosa had been quite certain she was in over her head. She had only been speaking English for three years. She hadn’t known how she would make it through college classes. But Jen had instantly taken her under her wing with kindness and support.

---