His Old Lady - Debra Kayn Page 0,9

in the side mirror stalk toward her.

His broad body filled the window. He braced his hand on the door and bent down. She gazed into his dark, brown eyes. Over the years, she'd had one person who remained a constant in her life. Curley was always there. He never forgot her birthday or Christmas, and he'd stood beside her at the prison and when Grandma June died.

Even though he hated her now for her part in having sex with him, she was glad he'd claimed her. Their relationship status meant he would never leave her unless he got killed. And, she'd take him, even if he never allowed himself to love her.

He was better than her mom, who'd abandoned her before her addiction took her life. He was better than her Uncle Walker, who'd promised to take care of her but ended up in prison. He was better than Grandma June, who'd died on her—life was unfair that way.

When he continued to stand there looking at her and not saying a word, she said, "What?"

He reached behind him and pulled a stack of money out of his pocket, tossing it into the backseat of her car.

Heaviness settled on her. "I don't want..."

He walked back to his motorcycle. Her gaze went to the mirror. Why wouldn't he ever admit that he liked when they had sex or that before she'd slept with him, he cared about her? That's all she wanted from him.

Putting her foot on the brake, she shifted the car into drive and pulled back on the road. Punching the accelerator, she roared away from him.

Curley could go back to his life, pretending he was a single biker. There were probably a hundred women who were standing around, waiting for their chance with him.

She exhaled loudly, letting the wind cool her off. Meanwhile, she would go back to Superior. To a house that belonged to her. To plants that needed watered and cared for. To her life alone.

Chapter 3

Faye

The water system, plumbed through the greenhouse, sent a fine mist through the air. Faye brushed the hair off her forehead with the back of her dirty hand. The warmer temperature inside the building dried what water landed on her.

Grabbing the handles of the wheelbarrow, she pushed a load of old potting soil to the end of the greenhouse and dumped the contents in the compost barrel. She picked up the hose and sprayed the mixture down, then gave two turns to the handle.

"Faye, are you out here?"

She shut off the water and looked toward the front opening, spotting Jenna. Happy to see her friend, she waved her in and met her halfway down the center aisle.

"I thought you were going to get your haircut today," she said.

"I'm on my way there now." Jeanna clasped her hands together. "I came to beg a favor from you."

"You know I'll help in any way I can. What do you need?"

"My sister came into town for her baby shower and is staying with my parents—"

"I remember you telling me that," she said.

"Well, guess who forgot to order the flowers?" Jeanna scrunched her nose.

Faye laughed. "Good thing you have a friend who owns a nursery, huh?"

Jeanna exhaled in relief. "You're the best."

"Come on, let's pick out something beautiful." She tugged Jeanna with her to the front, where she forced the plants to bloom out of season, so her customers had access to them all year long. "Are you looking for cut flowers? Because I'm no florist. But I'm sure together we can whip up something presentable."

"I was thinking something in a pot about this big..." Jenna held her hands up as if holding a basketball. "Something that is blooming, and she can plant in the ground when she gets home to remember her baby shower year after year."

"You'll want perennials." She turned and walked to the left. "Start here while I go grab a pot. We can mix and match any of these together, and then she can plant them in the ground, and they'll bloom each summer."

Finding a white plastic pot with a lace pattern around the rim, Faye returned to find Jenna holding a Blue Lobelia. "Is she having a boy?"

"She doesn't know, but I love this plant."

How about mixing a pink plant with a blue one?" She gazed over the ground cover pots and reached for the Snow in Winter plant. "This will add some tiny white blooms with the dusty greenage, softening the two other colors since they're so vibrant. We