Page 71 of All Inn Thyme
“He’s over there playing with his trucks.” I point to the edge of the gardens.
“Are you ready to eat? I brought dinner,” he says as he waves at Kase.
“Ty!” Kase calls, running his little legs in his boots, struggling to get through the dirt with Nova following closely behind him.
“Yes, so hungry. It’s been a long day.”
He grabs Kase and swings him up on top of his shoulders and turns his hat around front-facing. “It’s looking good out here, Mel. What are these?” he asks, pointing to rows I’m adding more dirt on top of.
“Potatoes. I have to add more dirt and then just let them keep growing.”
“That’s incredible. Let’s eat, and then you can give me an updated tour. Things are really taking off so fast.”
We walk hand in hand to the picnic table with Kase on Ty’s shoulders, and if you looked at this from the outside, you might see a normal happy family. Even if this is new, I want this. I look up at him and he smiles back down at me.
“What are you thinking?” he asks.
“I like this. I like us.”
“Yeah, me too,” he says as he swings Kase off of his shoulders and onto the picnic table, ruffling his hair. “Being good for your mom, Kase?”
“Yeah,” he says as I help Kase clean his hands off with wipes and sanitizer.
“What do you need help with out here?” he asks me.
“Nothing, just your company,” I say as I slide onto the picnic table and motion for him to join me. He slides in next to me and sets out our sandwiches and salads.
My face feels warm and I smile, taking a bite of my salad. It feels good to have a man encourage me and help me. A night and day change from our old life. I look over at Kase happily eating and swinging his feet. His life is so much better now, and that’s what matters to me. He deserves this. I deserve this. And this moment is when I decide I won’t let anyone or anything take this life away from us. If Bradley wants to come for us, he better be ready for a war.
We wrap up dinner and walk through the gardens hand in hand. Ty pulls me in and kisses me, holding me tight to him.
“I don’t want to work tonight,” he admits, his hand wrapping under my bottom as he pulls me in possessively.
“We’ll be around in the morning and have breakfast ready for you if you want. Several of the hens have started laying and we have a few farm-fresh eggs,” I offer.
“I’d like that. Alright, I have to head out. See you in the morning.” He kisses me, my arms wrapping around his neck and kissing him back, not wanting to stop. I pull back and look at him, and he says, “We need a date night. Can you get a sitter for Kase so we can go out, just us? I want some time with you.” His eyes smolder.
“Yes.” I’m still breathless from the kiss. “That sounds good. Maybe he can do a sleepover one night with Caleb.”
“Even better,” he says, and I know what he’s thinking by the way he’s already eye-fucking me.
“Come here, Kase, Nova!” he calls out to them. I love how he says goodbye and gives Kase a hug every time he leaves. Watching Kase get more and more comfortable with Ty is worth it. And maybe Allie was onto something: maybe Ty needs us just as much as we need him.
* * *
The next day, I bring Sasha a few overflowing baskets of produce. Guests are raving about the delicious meals she’s been making with it. Her meals are already a major hit, but now that she has farm-fresh produce and is starting to get more eggs in, it’s really kicking up a notch. Pete added seven more chickens, and watching the coop come together has been great.
The community garden is a smashing success, and we have volunteers working daily to keep it going, along with the main inn garden and our lavender garden that I keep up with. Every time I come through and smell everything, it feels instantly calming. This is a peaceful place that leaves me feeling grateful every single day. I fall into bed every night feeling fulfilled and exhausted, but in the best possible way.
I go to Allie’s bakery to grab a cup of coffee and check in with everyone. It’s busy and bustling with customers sitting on laptops, people having coffee, and chatting. It smells like fresh coffee and buttery baked goods. Two of my favorite things. My top favorite place is my garden, but this is becoming a close second. Allie waves me over as I walk in.
“Hey, Mellie. What can I get you?” She smiles proudly behind the counter.
“Just a coffee with cream,” I say, pulling out my wallet.
“Your money is no good here.” She laughs as she puts a lid on a coffee and slides it over to me. “Come hang with me a minute. We just hit a lull, and I need a break.” We sit side by side on a navy-blue, velvet couch. “So, I have a funny prank I want to pull on the guys for Beth’s gender reveal dinner at the inn on Saturday,” she tells me.
“What are you thinking?”
