Page 69 of Forget-Me-Nots and Apricots

"Need any help?" I offered, though I suspected she might prefer to work alone now that the actual flowers had arrived.

She glanced up, a small smile playing at her lips. "Actually, yes. Could you fill those green buckets with fresh water? About halfway." She nodded toward a stack of containers near the sink. "I need to condition these stems before I start arranging."

"Condition?" I asked, moving toward the sink.

"Cut them at an angle, remove excess foliage, give them a fresh drink before they go into arrangements," she explained, already selecting stems from one of the buckets. "Helps them last longer."

"Makes sense," I said, filling the containers as instructed. I watched her hands move with practiced efficiency, stripping leaves from rose stems with a small knife. "You really love this, don't you?"

Vivian glanced up, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "Is it that obvious?"

"It's written all over you," I replied honestly. "The way you touch them, how your whole body relaxes when you're working. Like you found your place in the universe."

A faint blush colored her cheeks as she returned to her work. "I don't know about the universe, but I've always felt at home with flowers. They're honest in a way people rarely are."

Dakota returned with the final bucket, setting it down with careful precision next to the others.

"Thanks," Vivian said, glancing up at Dakota with a grateful smile. "These are perfect."

Dakota nodded, his expression softening slightly as he surveyed the colorful array of flowers. "Need anything else?"

"I'm good for now," she replied, already returning her attention to the blooms. "But thank you both for your help."

I caught Dakota's eye, a silent question passing between us. He gave an almost imperceptible nod—he'd stay nearby, keeping watch while giving her space to work. Our protective instincts were in overdrive, but we were learning to balance them against her need for independence.

"I'll be in the house if you need me," I told her, reluctantly moving toward the door. "Just shout if you need more ribbon expertise."

Vivian laughed, the sound bright and unguarded. "I'll keep that in mind. Your bow-making skills have improved remarkably fast."

I gave her a mock bow, enjoying the way her eyes crinkled at the corners when she smiled. "I'm a man of many talents."

"So I've heard," she replied with a hint of dry humor that made Dakota snort behind me.

As I stepped out of the greenhouse, the cooler air hit my skin, a stark contrast to the humid warmth inside. I paused for a moment, watching through the glass as Vivian returned to her work, her entire being focused on the flowers before her. Dakota shut the greenhouse doors, before standing off to the side, leaning against the wall, posture relaxed. Guarding without hovering.

“Keeping guard?” I asked with a smile on my face.

Dakota gave me a look, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Someone has to."

"Not arguing that," I said, keeping my voice low. "Just figured you'd want to be back at the boards, working the case."

"Theo's got the research covered," Dakota replied, shifting his weight and crossing his arms. "Gabriel's on calls with the lab about those trace samples. Besides..." He glanced back through the glass at Vivian, who was now humming softly to herself as she trimmed stems. "She's more relaxed when she thinks we're not all hovering."

I nodded, understanding the unspoken sentiment. "But still protected."

"Exactly." The word was clipped, efficient, pure Dakota.

I studied him for a moment, noting the softening around his eyes whenever they landed on Vivian. "She really is something…and I have a feeling we are all going to fall for her before the end of this case.”

Dakota's jaw tightened, but he didn't deny it. "We need to stay focused on the case."

"I am focused," I countered, glancing back at Vivian through the glass. She was now carefully arranging stems in graduated heights, her hands moving with the precision of a surgeon. "But I'm not blind either."

Dakota exhaled slowly, a sound halfway between resignation and frustration. "It's complicated."

"When isn't it?" I asked with a wry smile. "Four Alphas, one Omega, a murderer on the loose... I'd say 'complicated' is putting it mildly."

Dakota's dark eyes met mine, serious beneath his perpetual scowl. "She's not like the others we've protected. There's something about her—"

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