Page 88 of Fish out of Water
He glanced up at me, eyes moving slowly over my body. “They had errands to run.” His dark gaze stalled out at the knee socks I’d put on with my sneakers. “Do you usually wear those?”
“I wear them when I know I’m going to be crawling through the gardens. They protect my shins from getting all scratched up.”
His nostrils barely flared. “Those are on the same list as that damn dress.”
I looked down at the striped socks that matched the color of the rest of my uniform.
I’m not sure I liked these being on the same list as the dress.
Grant grabbed his keys. “We need to go before you have to call in sick.”
“I can’t call in sick.” I followed him out into the garage. “We’re spraying all the trees today and it takes two of us all day to finish.”
Grant looked at me over the roof of his car. “All day?”
“Yeah. We’ll probably have to work through lunch to get it all done.” I dropped into the passenger’s seat and buckled up while Grant climbed in and started the car. “Are you sure your mother wants me to come tonight?” Maybe he misunderstood her intentions. Surely she wanted to spend some time with Grant since she just came into town.
Maybe wanted to come up with a plan to find Vito.
“I’m positive she wants you to come.” Grant backed down the driveway. “Do you not want to go?”
I actually wasn’t completely opposed to the idea. “I just don’t want to be in the way.”
“You won’t be in the way.” Grant pulled out onto the main road leading into downtown. “I can promise you that.”
“Okay.” I was more than a little interested in his mother. In the power she clearly held. “Hopefully no one tries to stab you again.”
“They won’t if you’re there.” Grant tipped his head my way as we waited at a light. “I’m sure my mother isn’t the only one who has a reputation at The Sweet Side now.”
I tried not to smile.
But being a woman with a reputation was a life goal I didn’t expect to achieve so soon.
Grant drove me right up to the main entrance and stopped in front of the glass wall of the gift shop. “Have fun spraying trees.” He leaned in close, one hand coming to my face as he brushed his lips over mine. “I’ll see you after work.”
“Okay.” Everything about this morning was surreal.
Strange in a way I hadn’t quite been able to wrap my head around.
Probably because it was still grappling with everything else that was going on.
Grant didn’t pull away until I was all the way inside and the automatic doors slid closed behind me.
“Was that him dropping you off?” Collette was at the edge of the glass wall that made up the front of the gift shop, peeking out through an open shelf stacked with t-shirts. “Holy hell, Jules. That man is hot as shit.” She turned my way. “Definite big dick energy.”
“You should meet his mom.” I walked toward the back of the shop, shooting her a wave as I headed out for the day.
And the day was everything I expected it to be. Andrew and I didn’t stop as we went from display to display, checking foliage and bark, making sure everyone was healthy and treated. Between mold and bugs and fungus, there was always something trying to get a foothold here, and if that happened it could be catastrophic.
At noon Collette showed up with a smoothie from one of the places nearby. She gave me a wink that scrunched up her whole face as she passed me the banana blend.
I pulled off the paper wrapper capped on the top of the straw. “Why are you doing that with your face?”
“Because this was just hand delivered for you.” She wiggled her brows. “Someone must have known you were working through lunch and wanted to make sure you had your strength up for tonight.” Collette stuck her lower lip out. “But I’m not jealous.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m maybe a little jealous.”
She might not be as jealous if she knew I had to stab a guy in the eyeball with a stiletto to get this smoothie.
Collette climbed back onto the golf cart she used to get around the large property. “Get back to work.” She grinned at me as she drove away.
