We did a few of my favorite poses. Back to back. Standing side to side, unsmiling. Me sitting on one of the wire stands with Rowan next to me. We even did a shot like that one of Leanne and Juniper—Rowan behind me with his arms around my waist and his head on my shoulder. I leaned into him, trying to calm my racing heart from being so close. He smelled like...well, a bit like dirt, a bit like the bleach they used in the greenhouse, and a lot like flowers. He smelled like Rowan.
He leaned into my neck for a second and whispered, “I have a surprise for you when we’re done.”
I smiled. Whatever it was, I couldn’t imagine it being better than Rowan Johnston wrapped around me, but I was excited anyway.
After Cameron finished taking pictures, we headed outside. I took a couple more photos outside the greenhouse, but honestly, they weren’t as good as the inside pictures.
“You want me to take some of you alone?” Rowan asked.
“No, it’s fine.” There were more than enough pictures of me on my Instagram. I’d post the ones of us together, but this photo shoot wasn’t about me. “You sure you’re okay with me posting you on feed?” I asked.
“Of course. I knew what I was getting into.”
“Excellent.” I grinned. “Now I want to see my surprise.”
“All right, then. C’mon. We’ll need to drive there, but it’s here at Wynter’s.”
We jumped in his car, and he drove around to the back of the greenhouse. I had no idea this place kept going so far back. It mostly looked like unused space, but after driving a bit, we came to a field that was like a regular farmer’s field, though instead of crops, there were flowers. Not as colorful as the ones in the greenhouse, and wispier, with lots of leaves, but in the outdoor sun, the blooms looked pretty amazing.
“Wow,” I said.
“This is all pretty new. Wynter’s didn’t do outdoor flower farming until recently. They had all this land back here with nothing to do with it. These plants are grown for cut flowers that we sell at local markets, instead of the greenhouse plants we sell to garden centers and landscapers.” He pulled over on the side of the road. “Sometimes we also open this all to the public—like, have tours and let people throw parties here and stuff. But it’s a pain because of—”
“Influencers, right?” I joked.
He chuckled, nodding. “Exactly.Hundredsof them. They swarm like ravens in the fields.”
I laughed as we got out of the car. “Anyway,” he said, “there’s one field over there that will be open next week. But I thought you’d like to see it before the crowds invade.”
He popped his trunk, pulled out the tote bag he’d been carrying earlier, and guided me to a path.
I finally saw the field, and it literally took my breath away. Sunflowers. A big field with nothing but sunflowers. There were some tall ones (these must have been the mythical ones with seven-foot stems) and some shorter ones. Some had blooms as big as dinner plates, and others were smaller. They were all in varying shades of golden yellow, with green leaves glowing against the bright-blue sky. I’d never seen anything like it. I wanted to take a picture. I resisted the urge to take out my camera so I could just enjoy this moment.
“You brought me to a sunflower field?” I said to Rowan.
He smiled, looking kinda unsure. Rowan Johnston was a lot of things, sometimes crabby, sometimes cheerful, sometimes intense, and always confident. But this? Nervous and apprehensive? This was new.
“What’s in the bag?” I asked.
“Sandwiches, drinks, and tarts from Hyacinth’s.”
I blinked. He’d brought me a picnic in a sunflower field. Just us. Alone in this enchanting place.
“There’s a clearing in the middle there,” he said. “I brought a blanket.”
We followed a narrow path to the clearing.
“They don’t plant here in the middle so people can take pictures with flowers on three sides,” he said as he laid out the blanket. “It’s going to be completely overrun next week, but now we can chill here alone.”
I stood watching him, speechless.
He noticed I had pretty much frozen in place. “You okay, Tahira? We don’t have to stay here. We can go if you want?”
I shook my head quickly. “No, no. I want...” I tilted my head. “You brought me a picnic in the middle of a flower field.”
“Oh, your allergies, but I thought the new antihis—”
I waved my hand. “No, no, my allergies are fine. Your mom’s pills work great.” I didn’t know what to say, so I channeled Juniper and wentwith honest and earnest. “Honestly, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I’m just...this is so kind. Thank you, Rowan.”
