Page 77 of Out on a Limb
“Sometimes it’s on the key.” I stepped out from behind the treeline. “Come on.” I snagged her hand and pulled her toward the building that served as home base for Julia and me. I let out a little of the air caught in my lungs as soon as we stepped inside.
I went to the sink and switched on the water. Collette stuck the key in the stream and scrubbed at the dirt caked on it with her thumbs. As the layer of debris washed away, a faint line came into view.
She held it up. “Sweet Side Federal.”
The door opened and we both jumped.
“Holy shit on a shingle.” Julia came straight in and dropped her bags on the table. “Grant’s freaking the fuck out.”
Collette slipped the key into her pocket. “Why?”
Julia’s eyes snapped up a little too fast. “Just because of the break in.”
Her words were rushed and close together.
She was hiding something.
“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Collette’s attention went to the greenhouse at the back of the building. “It was probably just some kids.”
“You think kids are who broke in?” Julia’s head tipped to one side. “Seriously?”
“Who do you think it was?” Collette wove her way around the table at the center of the room.
“Uhh.” Julia turned, keeping her eyes on Collette as she passed. “The guys from behind us?” She lifted her brows. “We dropped a whole shitload of chickens into their trailer, remember?”
“They probably haven’t found them yet.” Collette disappeared into the greenhouse.
Julia’s eyes came my way, looking me up and down. “Who do you think it was?”
“Kids.” I echoed Collette’s theory. It was as likely as any other.
Especially considering it was no one at all.
I followed Collette into the greenhouse and found her looking at the rows of plants I’d started from all varieties of clippings.
“What do you do with all these?” She pointed as she went down the rows.
“I usually try to find a place to plant them in the gardens. If I can’t, then I take them home and plant them at my house.”
“But there’s got to be at least a hundred here.” She turned to me. “And the gardens are full.”
She’d managed to figure out the reason the greenhouse was also full in about thirty seconds. “Guess you’ll have to build a room of your own so I can put them there.”
“Be careful. Don’t go being too sweet to me right now.” Collette’s pointing finger came my way as she gave me a teasing smile. “If you think I won’t try to jump you here then you are about to be very surprised.”
Part of me wanted to push my luck.
See if she’d make good on her promise.
But most of me wanted to make sure nothing happened between us until I was ready for something to happen between us.
And it wasn’t time.
Yet.
“No jumping at work.”
She didn’t miss a beat. “Does that mean I can do it at home?”
