Page 9 of Spring Fling

I wonder what kind of grooming a mountain man like him goes through any day.

Wade stops suddenly. “We’re here.”

I’m so distracted, I nearly trip over my own feet. But his hand shoots out to catch my by the arm before I can keel over.

Thank God. I don’t need to moon my date. At least not by mistake.

Smoothing down my skirt, I glance up and my breath catches. There, tucked between two large brick buildings, is a small one made of glass. A sign hangs in the front, with “Conservatory” etched into the bronze.

“Oh.” I glance up to him. “It’s a greenhouse.”

“I like to think of it as a little slice of the mountain here in town.” He scratches the back of his neck, looking suddenly nervous. “After the winter we had, and how much you like spring, I thought we might as well get our fill of spring.”

My heart hitches. He really is something. “I like the sound of that.”

He visibly relaxes. “Want to get a look at it too?”

“Absolutely.”

He opens the door and motions for me to step inside first. We’re met by a wave of humidity, and the scent of lilac and lavender and something like fresh cut grass.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the warmth and the botanical essence. It feels as if it’s spreading through my body, radiating sunshine. I feel joy. I feel alive.

I feel completely at peace and present in this moment.

When I open my eyes, I find Wade watching me closely with a hint of a smile on his lips. I wonder how they’d feel pressed against mine.

I swallow hard. “How do you know about this place?”

“My grandparents helped build it.”

I gape at him in astonishment. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He gives a little shrug, but the tips of his ears turn dark pink. This guy is so cute, he’s dangerous. “My dad and I still help take care of it.”

The surprises never seem to stop with this man.

“It’s beautiful,” I say, my throat thick with emotion. “You’ve really created an incredible space.”

“Well… we try.” There he goes blushing again, and threatening to work his way into my heart. “It’s one of my favorite places. I’m glad you like it too.”

“I love it,” I say, staring deeply into his eyes.

“I’m glad.” He takes a deep breath. “I’ve spent a lot of time here since my divorce.”

Divorce.

The single word slices through me, leaving a burst of cold rushing through my veins.

“You’re divorced.”

“Yeah. Is that a problem?” He tilts his head to the side. “It was on my profile.”

“Of course it was.” I flash him an overly bright smile. “I just… forgot for a moment.”

“I wish I could forget.” His shoulders slump. “I’ve never felt like such a failure.”

He moves closer to a small koi pond, water ripping under the surface as the fish swim through the water. “It was… grounding. It reminded me that things keep growing, even when everything feels so… empty.”

---