Chapter Five
I arrived back at Gran’s house pre-dawn after a morning run.
Nic was there, sitting on the steps. His eyes widened when he saw me.
‘You’re earlier than the rising of the sun on the horizon, Mr. Walker,’ I commented.
He inhaled deeply. ‘Well … I couldn’t sleep … I never pictured you as a runner type person. Are you crazy?’
‘Are you?’ I retorted.
Nic narrowed his eyes at me.
‘Tea or coffee?’ I asked.
‘Either is fine, thank-you,’ he replied.
‘Are you coming inside or what?’ I asked when he remained sitting on the steps.
He looked down for a moment in thought. ‘What … I want to see the sun kiss the flowers.’
‘I never pictured you as a romantic!’ I said with humor.
He looked down and smiled.
‘Tea for two on its way,’ I said, and left him to watch the sun rise.
When I returned he was standing with his hands behind his head, defining his body of perfection. I averted my eyes from him, scared of my orange rose heart of fascination that had grown into a larger bloom. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced my orange rose heart to change into a yellow rose heart of friendship.
‘You’re blocking my view, Nic ... move over!’ I said in jest after transforming my heart flower.
He twisted toward me and smiled as he took a cup of tea from my hand. I went and sat on the steps. Nic followed and sat beside me.
I looked straight ahead. ‘I added sugar to yours to sweeten you up,’ I commented to instigate a reaction. He seemed distant.
He nodded his head once and held a coy smile on his face.
I jigged my leg up and down and looked at him.
He turned his head toward me and raised an eyebrow. ‘What?’
‘Are you okay?’
‘Sure—couldn’t be better,’ he answered. I didn’t believe him.
‘It’s a good day for spaghetti,’ I said, and walked off to collect the garden tools.
When I returned. Nic was on his cell phone and looking at his watch. He stopped talking and held his phone to his chest. ‘Will we be finished by 5pm?’ he called to me.
I frowned at him. ‘I’m not your girlfriend, you dork, and even if I were—yes, you can go out with your friends!’
Nic moved towards me once he had finished his conversation, ‘Thanks.’
‘You don’t need to be here, Nic. I am more than capable of doing this by myself,’ I commented while I gestured over the garden with my hand.
He looked down to the ground.
‘Oh—brownie points—I forgot!’ I gave him a gentle push. ‘Thanks. I do love you being here and helping. My big toe is appreciative.’ I waited for a reaction from him. But, he just nodded his head. His moodiness was unsettling.
I walked away from him and started shoveling the organic soil into the wheelbarrow. The sooner we finished the garden the better.
I looked over at him. He was on his phone again, running his hand through his hair. He paced back and forth a little before he walked over to me and started shoveling the soil.
‘Is everything okay?’
‘Yep—all sorted.’
‘So, I’m still stuck with you?’ I asked. I raised my eyebrows at him.
‘Yep!’ he said, looking at me, his eyes dancing with humor while he scanned my face.
‘What?’ I narrowed my eyes at him and focused on where his eyes returned to on my face the most—my right cheek. I reached up. A blob of dirt had plastered itself there. I wiped it off and shook it free of my hand, and gave Nic a push before I walked away from him.
We worked alongside each other for the next couple of hours in silence. He was being aloof. Had I done something wrong? Did he really not want to be here, but felt obliged to be? I placed my tools on the ground and walked over to him. I needed to know we were okay. Whatever “we” was.
‘Nic ... what is that on your face?’ I asked, looking at his cheek, even though there was nothing there.
He looked at me before he felt the side of his face.
‘No, show me. Oh … here,’ I said, and wiped a long smudge of dirt down his cheek. ‘That’s better—yep!’ I said, using his word from earlier. I smiled at him, waiting to see what he would do.
He looked down, smiled and shook his head, and I ran. He was like the calm before the storm. Without warning, he chased after me and wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. He held my head and wiped his muddy cheek along my forehead.
‘That’s better!’ he said. He released me and beamed me his glorious smile. My orange rose heart skipped a beat.
I raised my eyebrows at him. ‘Better—huh?’ I said as I planned my retaliation.
Katie’s Gate squeaked. Nic turned his head towards the gate and his eyes widened. ‘Now that is impressive!’ he said under his breath.
I followed his line of sight and saw a man in clothes as dark as the night. He was armed with a gun strapped to his thigh and the side of his chest. He wore a communication device connected to his ear, and he walked in a direct line towards me. My heart accelerated with the unknown.
I frowned. ‘Ben?’ I questioned. I had never seen him in his work clothes. I knew he worked in intelligence, but I thought it was a desk job.
He reached out to me. Our fingers touched and a tingle flowed through my veins. He pulled me towards him, spun me around away from Nic and lowered his lips to mine, lingering in deliciousness. My lavender rose heart turned to its sun and released a harmonious symphony of floral and fruit notes into my life force.
‘I couldn’t wait to see you. Who is your friend?’ he said in a low voice and kissed me again, scattering my thoughts.
‘Nic—his name is Nic,’ I said, trying to catch my breath.
Ben walked over to Nic and removed his sunglasses. He was slightly taller. He lifted his hand to introduce himself. ‘Hi, Nic—Ben. Nice to meet you.’
‘Same,’ replied Nic. He shook Ben’s hand and made eye contact.
‘You should put your shirt on in case of a solar flare,’ Ben insisted, scanning his eyes over Nic’s torso.
Nic rested his hands on top of the shovel handle and raised his eyebrows before he smiled at Ben. But he did not make any effort to clothe himself.
Ben returned to me. ‘I’m on my way to headquarters, then I’ll be back. Can’t wait to get muddy with you, Cate.’ He lowered his lips to mine again before he disappeared out Katie’s Gate to the waiting black car. I touched my lips where they burned from our kiss and turned to Nic, who was staring at me.
‘That … is a seriously, scary boyfriend,’ he said.
I raised my eyebrows at him. ‘I always had the impression he sat at a desk with papers and a computer, analyzing and planning …’
‘It depends on where the desk is,’ Nic said.
I nodded at him and bit my bottom lip, then dug into the garden soil.
For the next two hours I worked in silence alongside Nic, not even casting a sideways glance at him. Could my situation get any more awkward?