Page 96 of Forget me Knot
“Okay then,” I say, clapping my hands together. “Where do we start, boss?”
Lily’s eyes twinkle with amusement at the title. “Well, we need to dig the holes first. They need to be about twice the width of the root ball and just as deep as the root ball is tall.”
Max and I exchange a glance. “She knows her stuff,” Max comments.
“She does. She’s a natural green thumb.”
She beams, and I ruffle her hair before I pick up a shovel.
“I’ll mark out where each tree should go,” Lily continues, “and you two can start digging. Sam should be here soon to help out, too.”
We get to work, Max and I competing to see who can dig the fastest while still maintaining the proper dimensions. It’s hot work, and soon, we’re both shirtless and sweating.
I catch Lily watching us appreciatively. “See something you like, princess?” I tease.
She laughs, not even bothering to deny it. “Always. But just making sure you’re doing a good job,” she says with a wink.
As we work, I reflect on how much has changed in such a short time. Just a few weeks ago, I was living a life of longing and what I assumed was unrequited love, focused on my work and my pack brothers. Now, here I am, planting an orchard with the love of my life and my best friends. It’s surreal in the best possible way.
“Hey, Jack,” Max calls out, interrupting my thoughts. “Bet I can dig three holes before you finish two.”
I grin, always up for a friendly competition. “You’re on, mate.”
We dive into our work with renewed exuberance, dirt flying as we race to outdo each other. Lily watches from the sidelines,shaking her head in amusement as soil cascades down over her, covering her hair.
“Hey, watch it!” she exclaims, shaking her hair out with a laugh.
About halfway through, Sam arrives, back from his shift. “Sorry I’m late,” he calls out. “Got held up at the station.”
“Never apologise for being a hero,” Lily says. “You’re just in time for the fun part.”
Sam looks sceptically at the holes we’ve dug and the remaining trees. “This is the fun part?”
Max chuckles. “Trust me. It’s more fun than it looks.”
As Sam strips off his shirt to join us, I feel a surge of pride. This is my pack. My family, and we’re building something so special together, quite literally.
We fall into a rhythm, digging and planting, with Lily supervising and offering guidance. It’s hard work, but there’s laughter and easy banter flowing between us.
“So, Sam,” I say as we work on planting one of the larger trees. “Any exciting rescues today?”
Sam grins. “Well, I did have to rescue Mrs Harris’ cat from a tree again. That thing’s got a death wish, I swear.”
We all laugh, picturing the scene. Mrs Harris’ cat is notorious in Keeley for its tree-climbing escapades, but we all know that she encourages him just so she can have Sam go around. It’s sweet, and I love it.
“Speaking of elderly ladies, Mrs Higgins came by the shop today. Wanted to make sure I was being properly taken care of by my ‘handsome and manly’ alpha,” Lily snickers with a look at me.
“Handsome and manly, eh?” I say, puffing out my chest. “I can live with that.”
“Yeah, real handsome and manly,” Max grouses and loses his footing, stumbling and nearly falling into one of the freshly dugholes. Sam and I grab him just in time, all three of us ending up in a tangled heap on the ground.
Lily’s laughter rings out across the field. “My brave, graceful alphas,” she teases, helping us up one by one.
As we dust ourselves off, we laugh. It feels good to be silly, to let loose after the stress of the last few weeks.
Surveying our newly planted orchard, I feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me. We did this. Together.
Lily stands back, surveying our work with pride. “It’s perfect,” she says softly. “Thank you all so much.”
