Page 59 of Out on a Limb
“This is a baby from that plant.” I picked off a dead leaf and tucked it into my pocket. “I had to trim it back a few years ago and I managed to get a few babies to grow from the clippings. We didn’t have room for this one and I didn’t have the heart to throw it away.”
Collette continued to stroke along the leaves. “This is the same plant?”
I tipped my head in a nod.
Her lips lifted in a soft smile. “My grandmother would love this.”
“She did.” I couldn’t pull my eyes from Collette. “She’s the one who told me I could take it home. I used to show her pictures of how much it had grown.”
It was the first of many plants I’d grown from broken stems and snapped branches since starting at the garden, and Collette’s grandmother loved hearing about all of them. She shared my love for growing something from nothing. For creating life from what most people would throw away.
It was how I’d managed to keep the flower beds filled in the year she’d been gone.
When Ruby died the budget was slashed immediately. Cut to less than nothing.
But you’d never know it by looking at the displays, and that was all due to her encouragement of my little obsession.
Collette’s gaze moved my way. “Do you have more of her plants?”
There was an edge to her voice I recognized immediately.
Hope.
“All the plants I have are from the garden.”
Collette’s eyes seemed to shine a little more in the glow of the lights strung around the courtyard leading to my front door. They held mine for a second before snapping down to the phone in her hand.
The phone I’d all but forgotten.
One hand went over her mouth.
“What’s he doing?” I moved in close at her side, trying to get a look at the screen. There was a small movement at the edge of the picture.
“He’s out of the car.”
“What’s he doing?” I squinted, trying to make out as much as I could.
“He must know I have a security system.” Her eyes lifted to mine. “He’s staying out of range.”
“Why not just go up to your door?” If he thought Collette really was responsible for going through his desk wouldn’t he want to confront her about it?
“He probably wants to find out what I know.” She yawned wide and long as she watched the man we just witnessed screwing a prostitute staking out her house.
The woman had to be tired as hell.
“Let’s go inside.” I gently gripped her elbow and led her toward the door.
“But I want to see all your plants.” She yawned again.
“We don’t have enough time to see all my plants.” I unlocked the door and pushed it open, using my hold on her arm to urge her in first. “You can see them tomorrow.” I followed her in, flipping on the lights so she didn’t trip.
I locked the door behind us and turned to find her walking down the hall leading to the back of the house I’d renovated myself. Stripped to the studs and rebuilt with my own two hands.
“Holy shit, Andrew.” Collette peeked into the front room that most people would use as a formal living room. I’d turned it into an office, complete with a set of French doors and bookcases that stretched from floor to ceiling. My large desk sat in the center, stacked with all the gaming equipment I’d collected over the years.
She turned to look me up and down before moving deeper into the home I’d worked on in any bit of free time I had.
A single step led from the entry into the back portion of the place, which was the area I was most proud of.
