Hearts In Bloom. Mae Nunn

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СКАЧАТЬ judgment must have shown on her face. His smile disappeared, stealing with it the slight dimple in his left cheek. But the intense look in his eyes never changed. He glanced from her face down to the cane and back again.

      “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He leaned from the waist and offered her his hand.

      She took it and they shook briefly. When she tried to release his strong grip, he held fast, an offer to support her weight if she wanted to stand. She considered staying where she was, but decided the disadvantage of her present position was worse than accepting help.

      He maintained their grip as she reached for the cane. He squatted, taking a firm hold on her right elbow with his left hand. Fixing her eyes upon his, she nodded, a signal to stand. With him as the anchor she rose to her full height, taking care to lean on her right leg gently until the aluminum support was planted firmly at her side.

      Drew took in every nuance of the effort, along with the rest of her, as well as he could without appearing to be completely without manners for the second time that hour.

      She was much taller than he’d expected, with a full figure, although it was difficult to tell much about her shape under her rumpled, ill-fitting clothes. Beneath the smudges of red clay she had clear, fair skin. She was pink from the sun or the exertion or possibly embarrassment.

      Her makeup-free eyes held a familiar glare. He couldn’t quite make out what she was telling him with it. He knew only they were the most enchanting shade of emerald he’d ever seen. He was tempted to remove the sprig of hedge perched in the bangs that were many shades of blond.

      She snatched her hand free.

      Defiance. That was the look. He’d seen it so many times in the eyes of new recruits that he should have recognized it immediately.

      “Jessica, honey, I believe these purple delphiniums are gonna be even more spectacular than last year. If that’s possible,” Valentine observed.

      “I think you may be right. But it’s probably because they’ve had so much more attention this season.” As she spoke to Valentine, Drew noticed that Jessica rubbed her hand on a stained pant leg, cleaning off any traces of his touch.

      “Are you the groundskeeper here?” he inquired.

      “I suppose that’s what I am now.” She glanced at her dirty nails and back again.

      “You must have help.” He could tell from the way her eyes narrowed she’d taken the comment as an insult. “I mean, it’s such a large campus, so much variety. It would be hard for anybody to tend all this alone.”

      Her chin jutted forward at the observation.

      “I’m stronger than I look right now,” she insisted, “but I always manage to find some willing hands for the heavy stuff. A service details the lawn, but it’s all under my direction. I’ve intentionally put in lots of perennials, and the rock garden takes care of itself.”

      “Sugar, don’t you dare downplay the miracles you’ve done with this place.” Valentine stepped close and looped her arm through Jessica’s, linking spotless linen with grimy fleece.

      “Why, you should have seen it before she took over a few years back. The hedges were full of bag-worms and there wasn’t a flower in sight. What you see now is this sweet child’s magic touch.”

      Lush green fescue grounds were studded with terra-cotta containers filled with myriad colorful springtime blossoms. With a soft sound, dripping water fell from a Japanese-style bamboo fountain into a small shallow pond. Freestanding island beds gave the illusion of space even in the angular corner of the property. She’d carved out kaleidoscopes edged in rough stone and large boulders.

      Nodding his approval, Drew appreciated the extraordinary breadth of knowledge along with the eye for design and balance it must have taken to produce such an inviting place.

      “My mother would have been jealous,” he said. “She didn’t have the touch herself and could never find hired help capable of producing anything quite like this.”

      Jessica bristled at the compliment. He wondered for the millionth time in his life why it was so hard to find the right thing to say to a woman.

      “Thank you,” Jessica muttered. “I think.”

      Drew admired the creeping ivy on the rock wall, pretending to miss the annoyance in her voice. He turned to face her, smiling once again, and extended his hand.

      “It was nice meeting you.”

      “My pleasure. And welcome to Sacred Arms,” Jessica replied without warmth. She looked as if she hoped his credit was bad.

      “I’m so glad we ran into you, dahhhlin’,” Valentine interjected. “You’re getting around beautifully. It’s obvious that your little physical therapist is doing you a world of good.”

      Before Jessica could respond, a yapping ball of white hair came racing down the incline, a bright blue leash flying behind it like a superhero’s cape. Suddenly the animal sat back on his haunches and threw out all fours as it slammed to a halt against Drew’s ankles.

      He bent to give full attention to the pup as it quickly recovered, eagerly pawing dirty front feet at recently laundered khakis.

      “Hey, buddy, you live around here?” With one hand Drew ruffled short ears covered with long silky hair. With the other he casually but firmly removed the dog’s paws from his knees. Too late. The damage was already done. Signs of the animal’s afternoon frolic in the spring grass would be on those slacks through numerous launderings.

      Jessica half hid a smile behind her hand.

      “Oh, I’m sorry. He’s mine. Frasier, heel.” She spoke the command and pointed to the ground by her left foot. The dog stopped his happy sniffing only long enough to give her a curious glance. Again she snapped her fingers and pointed.

      “Frasier! Heel!”

      Even though the dog showed no inclination to follow instructions, Drew released the pup’s paws so he could obey. Frasier made several quick and surprisingly high jumps, leaving even more stains on the front of Drew’s starched khakis.

      “Frasier, heel.” The male voice was low and calm, but left no doubt who was in control. The little dog responded immediately, made a quick turn and stood at attention by Drew’s left heel. “Good boy.” The two beamed approval at one another as if they’d practiced the trick a hundred times.

      “It figures,” Jessica said, annoyed. “I’ve been working with him for weeks and all he does is run around me in circles. But for a complete stranger, the little traitor behaves like he’s just come from the kennel club.”

      Valentine spoke up. “That little cutie is Jessica’s new physical therapist. She’s moving around so much better since he came to live with her.”

      “You mean since he showed up on my doorstep and refused to leave, don’t you?”

      Her tone implied aggravation, but the look she gave the hairy pup said otherwise.

      She gestured toward Drew’s slacks. “I’m really sorry about your pants,” she said, struggling to contain a smirk.

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