do you want the latest delivery?”
Waving back, Janie jogged toward her, stopping to speak with a customer before closing the distance between them. At fifty, the always upbeat owner of Maas Nursery looked and acted as if she were twenty.
“What do we have?” Janie took the packing slip from Kat’s outstretched hand, scanning the list of perennial flowers in the current shipment. “Are we missing anything ordered?” She handed the list back to Kat, bending to scrutinize the plants.
“One flat of Echinacea and two flats of Campanula.” Coneflowers and Bellflowers were two of their most popular plants. “They’ll get them to us in the next delivery.”
Straightening, Janie glanced at the dozens of new flats. “Did you have the cost deleted from today’s shipment?”
“Always,” Katrina smirked. “They burned me once. It won’t happen again.” The phone in her pocket vibrated, signaling a customer had been sent to her. Shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun, Katrina tensed, spotting a man walking toward them.
Following her gaze, Janie put a hand on her shoulder. “Relax. It’s that nice boy you introduced me to at Robbie’s.” She mentioned the bar and restaurant owned by the Eternal Brethren.
At least once a month, Janie, her niece, Val, plus Teri, Kat, and other friends met there for dinner…and to enjoy the male eye candy. The men showed up around six, not long after the group of women arrived.
Katrina knew the nice boy she referred to was Gunner, a member of Eternal Brethren. A virile, sexy man she’d crushed on since meeting him not long after arriving in town with her mother and brother.
They’d thought living with family in Omaha would keep them safe from her father. After almost four years, they’d begun to relax. The letter arrived on the fifth anniversary of escaping Vegas.
Teri knew right away it wasn’t from her ex-husband. Other than allowing the divorce to go through less than a year before, Steve had never corresponded with the family he’d left behind.
She didn’t know who had sent it. No return address and a cancellation stamp from Chicago. Teri guessed it was from one of his associates wanting them to believe they’d been found. The letter had triggered their search for a new place.
A great deal of discussion ensued, this time including Brady, who’d celebrated his twelfth birthday the day the letter arrived. They’d narrowed their choices down to three possible locations, settling on Liberty Lake, where Teri had a friend from high school. A woman who knew what Kat, Brady, and Teri had been through.
Janie walked to meet him. “Hi, Gunner. What brings you in here today?”
His gaze landed on Kat. “Time to do a little outdoor work around my place.” He flashed a smile guaranteed to get anything he wanted. “I’m thinking bushes that bloom and lots of flowers.” Gunner used his hands to illustrate as he spoke, causing Katrina to hide a grin. “I don’t know what colors, but bold enough I can see them from the porch.”
Katrina had heard he’d built a beautiful home not far from Ghost and Rock, moving in a year ago.
“You’ve come to the right place.” Janie motioned toward Kat. “She’s great with preparing layouts and selecting the perfect plants for our customers. If you’d like to get started, I believe she has some time right now.” She raised a brow at Kat.
“Uh…yes. If this works for you, Gunner.”
“Now would be great.” He looked around. “Where should we go?”
“There’s a small office on the other side of this greenhouse.” Katrina began walking, nervous energy eating up the distance between the unloading area and what she and Janie generously called their working office.
Opening the door, she stepped in ahead of him, feeling the space shrink when Gunner joined her. “I usually start by visiting your property and taking pictures.”
A slow smile curved his mouth. “That can be arranged.”
“Whenever it’s convenient for you. Daylight is the best. I mean, well…of course daylight is best.” She winced, feeling her face flush. Gunner chuckled, eyes glistening with humor.
“How about late afternoon? I’ll show you around, let you take all the pictures you want, then you can stay for dinner. Nothing fancy, but I can grill up something.”
“Dinner isn’t necessary.”
Reaching out his hand, he tucked a strand of wavy auburn hair behind her ear. Something he’d wanted to do for a long time. “Maybe not necessary.” He shrugged, his grin widening. “I’d like time to get to know you, Kat. Unless you’re seeing someone.” Tilting his head to the side, he lifted