Page 63 of Forget-Me-Nots and Apricots

"Morning," he replied, voice gruff with sleep or perhaps just his natural state. "Flowers are arriving at noon. I'll be heading out around eleven to pick them up."

"Thank you," I said, genuinely appreciative. "For going to get them, I mean. I know you probably have more important things to do."

Dakota took a long sip of his coffee before meeting my eyes. "Keeping you working is important. Keeps your mind occupied." His bluntness was refreshing in its own way—no sugar-coating, just practical concern.

"That obvious, huh?" I asked, running my finger along the rim of my mug.

"Your scent changes when you're anxious,” Dakota said matter-of-factly, reaching past me for the sugar bowl. "Gets sharper, like those flowers after a frost."

I blinked, surprised by his accurate assessment. Most people couldn't detect such subtle scent changes, especially in someone they'd only known for a few days. "That's... unusually perceptive."

Dakota shrugged, stirring sugar into his coffee with more care than seemed necessary, “Cop….enough said.” He then took a long drink of his coffee, making me look over to Theo.

Theo gave a small nod. "Scent detection is part of our training. Dakota has the most sensitive nose among us."

Dakota shot Theo a look that clearly said he hadn't wanted that information shared, but didn't contradict him. Instead, he leaned against the counter, assessing me with those dark, penetrating eyes.

"You should eat something," he said after a moment. "Greenhouse is all set up. Gabriel made sure everything was ready last night."

"He did?" I asked, surprised by this detail. "When?"

"After you went to bed," Theo supplied, returning to his tablet. "He spent approximately two hours arranging the workbenches and organizing supplies according to the diagram I provided."

I felt a flush of warmth at the thought of Gabriel meticulously preparing the greenhouse for me while I slept.

“He didn’t have to do that,” I murmured, not really sure who I was saying it to—myself, maybe. My thumb rubbed the side of my mug, the ceramic warm beneath my fingers, but it didn’t reach the chill sitting beneath my skin.

“He chose to,” Theo said without looking up, his tone even. “It was practical. Easier to prep last night while things were quiet.” He tapped something on his tablet screen, the soft clicking of his stylus punctuating the silence. Whatever he was working on looked like a spreadsheet crossed with a murder board—efficient and mildly threatening.

“Efficiency,” I echoed, mostly to fill the space. “Right.”

“Gabriel prefers structure,” Theo added, eyes still scanning his screen. “It minimizes variables.”

Dakota gave a short, noncommittal grunt that might’ve meant agreement. He was leaning against the far counter, arms folded, gaze flicking between us. If he had thoughts about Gabriel’s late-night greenhouse setup, he kept them to himself.

I opened my mouth to say something—what, I wasn’t sure—but the sound of quiet footsteps approaching down the hall cut me off. Measured. Steady. I recognized them instantly.

Gabriel entered the kitchen, looking freshly showered. His blonde hair was still damp, curling faintly near his temples, and he wore a charcoal long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, exposing the tendons in his forearms. He moved with quiet, deliberate efficiency, like everything around him was something he might have to restrain or disarm at a moment’s notice.

His eyes passed over the room, a brief sweep. “Morning,” he said evenly.

“Morning,” Theo replied without glancing up. Dakota gave a grunt that passed for a greeting.

“Morning,” I echoed, trying not to sound like I was still stuck inside my own head.

Gabriel crossed to the coffee pot, filled a mug with the kind of focus some people reserved for surgery, and took a sip—black, no sugar, no hesitation.Of course.

“You heading to the greenhouse?” he asked after a beat, setting the mug down on the counter.

“Yeah,” I said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Figured I’d get a head start before the delivery. Make sure everything’s in working order.”

"Theo mentioned you set everything up last night," I said, watching Gabriel's expression. "You didn't have to do that."

Gabriel took another sip of coffee, his blue eyes meeting mine over the rim of his mug. "I wanted to make sure you had what you needed." Something in his tone made it clear this wasn't just about flowers and arranging supplies.

I nodded, understanding the unspoken message. "Well... thank you."

"The Sullivan wedding is important to you," he said simply. "Therefore, it's important to us."

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