Page 89 of Forget me Knot
Max nods in agreement. “It’s amazing what we can accomplish when we work together.”
I feel a surge of pride looking at what we’ve created. “Let’s hope it’s enough to make her feel at home here, but one last thing…”
I go back to the truck and haul the monster cactus off, narrowly avoiding pricking myself in the face with it.
“Fuck, yeah!” Sam whoops, his fist in the air. “Prickles is here!”
“You named it?”
“Why the fuck not? He’s like a member of the pack.”
He takes it from me and moves into pride of place near the door.
“Shit!” I exclaim suddenly.
“What?” Max asks with a frown, looking around. “What did we miss?”
“I didn’t leave a sign saying the shop had moved here!”
“You dick,” Sam groans. “Right, I’ll go back. I’m not on shift until tomorrow night, so who needs sleep?”
“Thanks, man,” I say, punching him on the shoulder as he passes.
“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters. “Do not let Lily see any of this until I’m back. You hear me, arseholes. I will bury you in that garden.”
“We absolutely promise,” I swear, holding my hand up.
Staring after his car, I wonder how Lily will react when she wakes up. Will she be happy with what we’ve done? Or will she feel like we’ve taken away her independence?
The doubts cloud my mind, but I have to believe she will see we’re trying to do what’s right for her. If those alphas hadn’t turned up last night, things would be different. But they did, and she was terrified.
“I need to grab a couple of hours of sleep,” I tell Max as we head back inside. “I’ve got work piling up around my ears.”
“Yeah, get to bed for a bit and keep Lily there for as long as you can. I want to do a bit more fussing for her. Make sure it’s absolutely perfect.”
We share a tired smile, but I leave Max to it. He is free from work so he can also sleep later. Creeping into my bedroom, I undress quickly and grab a towel. My shower is the quickest in recorded history, but I’m clean and not looking and smelling like I’ve dug up a garden and replanted it overnight. Crawling into bed with Lily, she turns into me, and I wrap my arms around her. I’m asleep in seconds, surrounded by her gorgeous scent.
Chapter 45
Max
Looking around the barn shop, I feel a sense of pride in what we have accomplished here. It’s rustic, which is putting it on nice terms, but it suits Lily, and I really hope she will love it. Pottering around, I make a few final adjustments - straightening a vase here, fluffing some flowers there. The morning sunlight streams through the windows, casting a warm glow over everything as I leave the barn and cross over to the shed close by. Rooting around, I finally find something that would be great for a sign. I take a couple of the slate tiles, leftover from when we had to get the roof fixed a couple of years ago, along with some paint and brushes and carry it back to the barn. Laying them out on the picnic table outside that has been here since we moved in. It’s a little worn and weathered, but it adds to the charm. Popping open the paint, I give it a quick stir with a stick, and I carefully start painting ‘Forget Me Knot’ on the slate in flowing script. My handwriting isn’t the neatest. Mum always jokes I should’ve been a doctor, but I’m pleased with how it’s turning out. As I work, I smile, imagining Lily’s reaction when she sees everything we’ve done.
Just as I’m finishing up the admittedly very basic flower sketch in the corner, I hear the crunch of gravel under tyres. Looking up, I see Sam pulling in.
“Nice timing,” I call out as he parks and hops out. “I’ve just finished the new shop sign. You can help me hang it.”
Sam jogs over, eyeing my handiwork. “Not bad, Max. Didn’t know you had it in you to be artsy.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Knightley.”
He chuckles, clapping me on the back. “Well, come on then. Let’s get this sign up before our Sleeping Beauty wakes.”
Together, we hang the slate signs above the barn door.
Sam and I step back to admire the newly hung sign. It’s not professional by any means, but there’s a certain charm to its handmade quality that I think suits Lily perfectly.
“Not bad,” Sam nods approvingly. “Though I think we should get her a proper sign made up eventually. Something more permanent.”
