Page 37 of Forget me Knot
“You two are like kids in a mud pit,” he says, stepping forward. “Need some help cleaning up?”
“Actually,” Lily manages between laughs, “we could use an extra hand now.”
Sam grabs another broom from the corner and starts sweeping up the mess we’ve made. The three of us work together, the atmosphere light and carefree despite the chaos around us.
“Any particular reason you two decided to redecorate with compost?” Sam asks.
“It was an accident,” I say defensively. “One minute, we were talking about magic soil, and the next... well...”
“Jack knocked it over,” Lily finishes for me with a teasing smirk.
“Traitor,” I mutter, but I’m grinning like an idiot.
“Magic soil, huh?” Sam says, raising an eyebrow. “Sounds like something out of a fairy tale.”
“It’s special stuff for Lily’s flowers,” I explain. “Supposed to make them bloom like crazy.”
Sam nods appreciatively. “Well, I guess we’ll see if it works.”
We finish tidying up the last remnants of our impromptu soil fight, and I notice the camaraderie between the three of us. It feels natural, like we’ve been doing this all our lives. A sense of ease settles over me that startles me. Looking between Lily and Sam, I see the smile they share and it’s like things just click into place.
Fuck. She is the one.
Lily claps her hands together, a satisfied smile on her face. “Right then, with our farmyard antics finished, anyone fancy a cuppa?”
“Water for me,” I say, clearing my throat and wiping my hands on my jeans.
“Same here,” Sam adds, placing the broom back in its corner. “But don’t think you’re off the hook for hitting me in the face with dirt. You owe me a shower.”
The air between them zings with electricity as their gazes meet, and neither one seems able to tear it away.
“Uhm,” Lily mumbles and moves quickly towards the back of the shop. We follow, keeping our distance. It’s clear to both of us that Lily’s scent has deepened, and it’s affecting us both in a similar way.
Watching her, I’m struck by how effortlessly she moves; even grabbing bottles of water, she looks graceful when she does it.
“So,” Sam says, “how’s Emily?”
“About as well as can be expected,” she replies.
She hands us both our bottles, and I take a long gulp, trying to focus on anything other than the sweet, alluring scent that seems to be growing stronger by the second.
Sam clears his throat. “So, magic soil aside, what’s next on the agenda?”
Lily frowns at him.
I glare at him, and he picks up on it and shifts his not-so-innocent gaze to me. “Why do you want to know?” I snap.
“Thought I’d stay the night,” he says, almost daring me to challenge him.
“Like fuck you are,” I growl.
“Try to stop me,” he growls back.
“Stop it!” Lily exclaims over us. “What are you doing?”
We both turn to look at her, caught off guard by the assertiveness in her voice. She’s got her hands on her hips, and the sharpness in her eyes tells me we’ve crossed a line.
“Just having a chat,” Sam says nonchalantly, but there’s tension in his voice.
