Say You Will(36)

Ben cleared his throat as he lifted the chard away and set a different pot in front of her. “Your enthusiasm is nice though.”

The new plant in front of her looked exactly the same as the last, but instead of pointing that out she just smiled sweetly.

He patted her shoulder and got up. She watched him walk over to where some teenagers were supposed to be raking and cajole them into getting back to work.

He was so good with kids. She poked at the plant in front of her, trying to picture him next to her as they brought their first child home. He held them in his strong arms, cuddled on their couch, smiling in wonder at what they’d created. She’d turn her head and look up into his face—

Only the face she saw was Joe’s, and he looked at her and the baby adoringly. He also sat there bare-chested, and it was nice.

She shook her head, trying to change the channel in her mind to get back on track, but she couldn’t get her mind to imagine Ben sitting next to her where he belonged.

A shadow fell over her, and she sighed as she grabbed the lettuce by the bottom of the stalk where it disappeared into the dirt. “I’ve got it this time.”

“You’ve more than got it.” Joe crouched in front of her. He wore jeans and a soft-looking sweater under his coat. “Fancy meeting you here.”

She denied the zap of excitement that hit her right in the chest by frowning. “Are you following me?”

“Perhaps.” He smiled winningly. “But it’s charming as opposed to creepy, because you like me.”

She couldn’t stop the hint of a smile from curving her lips. “Do I?”

“Definitely. Come to lunch with me, and I’ll prove to you how much you like me.”

“I have lettuce,” she said, wilting as she looked at all the plants waiting to be repotted.

“Carpe diem, darling. There will always be lettuce.”

“Em.” Ben towered over them, hands in his pocket as he frowned at Joe. “Is everything all right?”

“Why wouldn’t everything be all right?” Why was he looking at her with disapproval? She had the right plant this time—he’d made sure of it.

Then he transferred his glare to Joe.

Was he jealous?

She mentally snorted. Couldn’t be. More likely he was annoyed that Joe had interrupted her work. She yanked the plant out of the dirt, wincing because she swore she heard it screech, like how she always wanted to when she got her eyebrows waxed.

The real question: What should she do? Send Joe away?

She really didn’t want to, and that thought surprised her more than anything.

“Em?” Ben asked, his frown deepening.

She smiled brightly. “Joe’s just—”

“A friend,” Joe said, standing up. “Trying to convince Em that she needs to eat.”

“Are you hungry, Em?” Ben asked, as though confused by the possibility.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“She’s always hungry”—Joe winked at her, his tone overly suggestive—”and I appreciate her appetite.”

She gave him a look that clearly told him to shut it.

He just smiled at her unrepentantly and then faced Ben. “Knowing Em, she’s your most valuable worker, but tell her she can come have lunch with me.”

Ben’s frown increased in displeasure. “Do you want to, Em?”

She wanted him to ask her to eat with him, but apparently that wasn’t a logical conclusion to draw. Annoyed, she stuck the plant in the new pot and tossed the spade down. “Yes, I do.”

She felt vindicated when his face clouded over. She gave him an icy smile as she took off the gloves and handed them to him. “Perhaps you can have the boys finish this.”

“Yes,” Ben said faintly, as if perplexed by the turn of events.

She faced Joe and gave him a look of retribution. “Shall we?”

“By all means.” He held his hand out, motioning her ahead of him.

Like she was the queen, she held her head high and marched out of the greenhouse into the café. She glanced back at him. “Give me a moment to wash up?”

“Of course.”

She didn’t have second thoughts until she rejoined Joe. He leaned against a wall, hands in his pockets, waiting for her. His face lit with a smile when he saw her, and her belly quivered in response.

That was not good. Neither was the fact that he looked temptingly sexy and available. She should tell him that she couldn’t go, that she needed to return home to work on her collage.

Only then he took her elbow. He smelled so good, and he looked at her like she was his sun. How could she resist him?

“Ready?” he asked.

Not at all. She tried to smile, hoping if she looked hungry he’d mistake it for food and not for him.