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He pays attention. He listens and absorbs the things that matter.
Yes, he made me a princess and I have a gorgeous ring ladened with gemstones and diamonds. But I don’t wear it every day. I simply can’t wear that thing while I garden.
And he hasn’t given me any other jewels. Or gowns. Or expensive art.
He’s given me a farm.
Two, if I count Shreveport, which I definitely do.
And now, instead of buying me lavender oil or even lavender flowers, he planted me an entire field of it.
I feel a tear slip down my cheek.
I walk down the center aisle of the building. Everywhere I look are tiny lavender seedlings. They’re all still green. Short. Not the tall bushes with gorgeous aromatic purple flowers they will eventually be. But they’re so beautiful to me even like this because I know what they will be. This is just a start. Just the beginning of what they can be.
They’re like Torin and me.
My breath catches. But the comparison is fair.
No one has ever invested in my needs and wants and dreams like this. Not since my parents helped me build my first greenhouse. And even then, they didn’t plant things for me or study the science or ask me a million questions or read any of my papers about it the way Torin has.
I stop and turn a full circle, taking in what he did here.
And then my heart squeezes.
Lavender plants are beautiful, and healing, and they come back year after year—a delightful constant.
Once they bloom. But it can take one to two years for them to get to their first bloom cycle.
It’s very possible I won’t be here to see this lavender bloom.
I press my hand to my chest as that gives me an actual pain.
A couple of months ago, a year seemed like a long time. Plenty of time to get everything done that I wanted to.
Now it doesn’t feel like nearly enough.
Chapter 34
Torin
Ifeel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out surreptitiously and swipe my thumb over the screen to unlock it. God, please let Jonah read my body language and get me out of this meeting.
For three days I’ve been in meetings that my grandfather has insisted are important. I’d optimistically told myself I could use the meetings or at least the down time during breaks to talk to some of the palace’s most important advisors and contacts about the new farming initiative.
I’d been wrong about that. So I’ve been gritting my teeth for three days.
The text isn’t from Jonah with some made-up excuse to get me out of here.
It’s even better. This text is from my wife.
My heart gives an extra kick just seeing her name. We’ve been texting. We’ve spoken every night I’ve been away. Hell, I’d insisted she get Charming, her favorite vibrator, out last night and I’d talked her through a sweet, hot orgasm.
But I’ve missed her like crazy and being away from her for even three days and nights has been hell on my mood.
Her text simply reads Look what I found when I went on a walk today.
Attached is a photo of her standing barefoot amongst some green plants about five inches tall.
