Page 104 of Between Desire and Denial

My relationship with Dimitri was all jumbled too.

I stared at the dresser which hid the leatherbound book. How would I tell him about the syndicate? I got up to stare at the people outside my window. How would I explain that I didn’t think Lucille was a danger and that Jameson only wanted what was best for his daughter?

Did I even believe that?

I squinted when I saw a truck with a trailer packed with a lawn mower and gardening tools parked out front. It must have been the lawn service Dimitri hired. I didn’t know why my stomach turned at the thought of them here now. Like I couldn’ttake care of my home myself.Mine.In my community. The one I should be learning about and taking care of and helping to flourish.

I touched the necklace and thought of my mother’s words. They were getting to me. Or maybe Lucille’s words were… and maybe Dimitri was too. The idea that I needed to do this, to take care of the lawn myself, suddenly burned in my gut before I stomped over to the closet and threw on some shorts and a sports bra. It was going to be a hot day, but I was going to do this myself either way.

I hurried down the stairs and whipped open the doors. “You all can stop working on the lawn.”

Two men looked up and the other didn’t even hesitate to walk the mower back over to his truck. “Do as the lady says,” he told his colleagues.

“I’ll make sure to reimburse you for—”

“We’ve been paid through the year.”

“Oh, right. Well, how about you come once a month to clean up anything I have missed?”

“Okay?” He dragged out the word and rubbed at a bit of dirt on his chin. “You own this home?”

“Yes, with my boyfriend, Dimitri Hardy. He’ll confirm. Anyway, would you like some lemonade before you head out?”

“Sure.” He smiled big.

But his friend nudged him and grumbled, “Dude, Dimitri ain’t going for this.”

“I got plans with my girl tonight. I’m leaving if she lets us,” he responded back.

Of course I was listening to the whole conversation as they followed me inside. “You should pick her some flowers before you see her,” I offered.

“Good idea.” He smiled and it lit up the room as I gave them some sparkling lemonade that we’d stocked from our last grocery visit.

“I appreciate you all coming by,” I told them before they left with no argument. I pushed the flower behind my ear in a bit further and smiled to myself, excited to get a workout, smell a fresh-cut lawn, and quiet the thoughts in my mind with the loud mower.

Except we didn’t have a lawn mower when I looked in the garage because… why would we? We were going to move.

I shoved that thought down and waved to Lucille across the street as she sat out on her porch. “You have a mower I can borrow?”

She smirked. “You even know how to turn one on?” she quipped before opening her garage. She then yelled to Jameson. “Olive’s going to mow the lawn.”

He was out on his porch as well, looking at a newspaper in a rocking chair. Making eye contact with him was a bit difficult after what I’d done last night, but when he frowned at me, my embarrassment turned to determination. “What? You don’t think I can, Jameson?”

He rolled his eyes and rocked away. “I’m going to enjoy watching this.”

“Jameson!” I frowned at him, not sure if he was making a comment about last night.

“I’m being honest.” He shrugged, sipping his morning coffee.

“Don’t you ever work?”

“On sabbatical.” He smiled like he might never go back to work just to irritate me. “Had to fire Franny’s last nanny so I figured some time with her would be great. Plus, I had to figure out some things here anyway.”

My eyes narrowed. “How’s that figuring out coming?”

“Why don’t you just mow the lawn?”

“You’re really going to watch me mow the lawn?”