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“They hate half-breeds.”

Kai growls and his playful smirk drops. “My family may have their…ideals, butIdon’t hate anybody. I don’t care if you’re half human or half yeti. It doesn’t matter to me either way. I’d still find you distractingly beautiful and completely intriguing.”

His words have my mouth gaping open like a dying fish. How am I supposed to respond to that? I have no idea. Most of the time I have no idea how to reply to others in conversation, now I’m completely lost.

“Did you already know?”

“I guessed as much when I first saw you. It doesn’t change anything.” His tone is truthful.

“Oh, well, okay then. I just thought you should know.”

“I don’t see why it matters, but thank you for telling me. May I continue escorting you back now?” he asks, extending his hand out once again.

He may be comfortable with me being a half-breed, but that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable waltzing into the greenhouse hand in hand with him.

“Sure.”

I cross my arms over my chest and tuck my hands in tight, clearly indicating I won’t be taking his offered hand. He lets it fall to his side, brushing off the denial easily and falling back into step at my side. This time a proper distance away.

“Do you have plans for the rest of the day?” he asks after a moment of silent walking.

“I have work to do in the nursery.” When I don’t elaborate, he raises an eyebrow at me. “I’m preparing bouquets and centerpieces for a wedding later this week.”

“Well, that sounds more entertaining than my plans. I’ll help.”

“What? No, that’s alright. I don’t need any help.”

“I’ll help anyways. I’m very good at observing and complimenting. I can just watch and offer my praise.”

That’s a strange thing to offer, and I don’t like being watched or complimented. Both make me nervous.

“No, no that’s okay—”

“Nonsense. I’m helping. Come on, it'll be fun.”

~

This is not fun. Having Kai watch me arrange the centerpieces has every hair on my body standing on end, and when he compliments my work, it only makes me second guess everything. Even so, I’ve managed to move on to the bouquets. I give Kai a pile of spare flowers I deem unworthy of a bridal bouquet and show him how to properly bind them together.

“How about this? Does this look okay?”

Kai holds up a small grouping of flowers that I wouldn’t normally put together, but somehow, he manages to make it look good.

“Yes, those look great.”

Kai picks up some floral tape and pulls off a generous portion, far too much for the small bundle he’s made. He tries wrapping the stems like I showed him, but the green papery tape gets stuck on itself and within seconds is a tangled mess. He’ll have to start over again.

“Here, let me help.”

I reach across the wooden work table we’re sitting at in the back of the greenhouse and pluck the sticky tangle from his fingers, extricating them one by one from the trap he’s captured them in.

“Thanks. I guess I’m not very good at this part,” he chuckles, letting his long fingers linger on mine a beat too long while grinning at me.

He’s been like that the entire time we’ve been here, sending me heated glances and easy smiles. Every time my ears heat up I have to turn away to hide my blush. He’s being extremely friendly, and I don’t why.

I can’t quite reach across the table to help him properly, so I walk around to his side, picking up the floral tape and pulling only an inch or two free.

“You have to start with a short amount and pull out more as you work it down the base, wrapping it as you go.”