Page 22

And she had to hide her pleasure at his praise.

“Thanks,” she said. “And thank you for coming,” she said. After all, it may be as difficult for him to let go of some of their rocky…maybe bumpy was more like it…past as it was for her.

“I’m not trying to be stubborn or the B word,” she began, “but I like to do things my own way.”

“Not a news flash, Jay.”

“My independence and desire to do everything my own way has nothing to do with you and everything to do with me and what I want.”

“We breakin’ up again, Jay?” he deadpanned.

Shock at his audacity quickly turned to annoyance. She was trying to be nice. Explain.

“We were never really together to break up,” she reminded him coolly. “I am going to start a niche nursery up here. And I’d like to start rehabbing the garden. My schedule’s been pushed up a bit,” she admitted in a massive understatement, “as my sisters and I are going to throw a garden bridal shower for Chloe and Rustin in May…”

“May?” he said incredulously.

Her annoyance began to veer to panic as he likely had a better idea of the scope of work she was taking on, but she was smart. Determined. Hardworking.

She sucked in a calming breath—at least she hoped so. It wasn’t Storm’s fault her family was trying to bail her out as well as Storm. If he was recently moved back home, he was likely trying to drum up business for his own future. He had to eat and might need money to help his grandparents. Her heart pinched in sympathy, but she had to harden it. Her dream was too important, and she’d already gone against her own wishes in college and her career to please her parents.

“Storm.” She shook her head and then shrugged. “Storm still seems to suit even though we’re all grown up. I really need to do this on my own. I do.” She held up a hand as he shifted in his chair to look out on the massive overgrowth and decay. “I studied economics and business in school to please my father,” she admitted. “Took my CPA exam. I was good at numbers, and it pleased Daddy, but it didn’t please me. Now I have a shot at following my dream.”

“I don’t begrudge you your dream, Jay.”

“Good.” She smiled. They had matured. They understood each other.

“So why you so intent on begrudging me mine?”

“How is this about you?” she demanded, standing up and sloshing her latte a little. Making a sound of annoyance she marched back into the kitchen for a tea towel. She didn’t even know he’d moved until she felt the brush of of his arm, as he reached it first.

“I…we could never work together.”

“How do you know if you won’t give it a chance?”

He was close enough for her to see the long curl of his sooty lashes that every girl, including her, had envied.

“I…I don’t have the money to pay you,” she admitted and pushed forward so that he was forced to step back.

“Your sisters and grandmother…”

“I know. I know.” She stood at the window of the glassed-in porch and forced herself to look at the whole scope of the work, not just the pieces she mentally had divided it into. “I know it’s a lot of work, and I know it will take a lot of time. And time is money, and I can’t let my sisters and grandmother take on such a huge burden for me.”

That was an insurmountable obstacle even for Storm, who had been called Mr. Can Do in high school for his ability to pull almost every game into the win column for his teams as well as fix anything that broke for the teachers during class time.

He was quiet. Too quiet. But she could practically hear the whir of his brain. He stood beside her.

“It’s not just for you.”

She pressed her lips together. “You’d try to take over,” she accused.

He rocked back on his feet, crossed his arms and smiled. “And you’d let me, Jay, like you always did in high school.”

“I never let you.” She was stung. “I know how to fight for what I want.”

His smile was so smug she would have slapped him if she’d been that kind of woman, which she most definitely was not.

“Exactly.” He picked up his latte and handed her hers. “So why worry?”