"A brother. Silas." He could see the questions in her eyes, but the last thing he wanted to do was spoil their first morning together by talking about his brother. "Are you opening the shop today?"
"I have to. I have several orders I need to fulfill."
"Maybe you could close up early? We could have a picnic this afternoon."
"In the meadow?"
"Absolutely." He took her empty plate and set it on the nightstand. "And since all the workers will be gone, we could get more… comfortable."
"I think that could be arranged." She stretched, completely unconcerned about her nakedness, and his eyes followed the movement of her breasts. "And yes, I'd like that. A picnic."
They washed up together in his small bathroom, his cock at half-mast the entire time, but he resisted the urge to press her up against the shower wall. Mostly.
She dressed in her clothes from the night before, and he found himself admiring how the green dress looked even better on her this morning. Or maybe that was just his heart talking.
"I'll see you at the picnic," he said at the door, then remembered his manners. "Or I could walk you home first?"
"I'm fine." She smiled, standing on her toes to kiss him quickly. "But I like that you asked."
He watched her walk away, a spring in her step that hadn't been there before, and wondered how he'd gotten so lucky.
The morning passed in a haze of contentment. He checked in with his head gardener, reviewed the upcoming wine shipments, and even returned a few customer emails, all while feeling like he was floating several inches above the ground.
He was halfway through stacking cases of the new vintage when his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, hoping it was Marigold, but his smile vanished as soon as he saw the name on the text.
Silas: Coming to town. Business to discuss.
Fuck. Now what? He hadn't seen Silas in more than two years and he would have been just as happy to go another two.
When?
Of course there was no answer. Silas wouldn't deign to share his plans with anyone. Thallos was actually surprised that he even let him know he was coming.
His pleasure in the day disappearing, he decided it was time to wrap things up and get ready for his picnic. If anyone could help him forget about Silas, it was Marigold.
CHAPTER 18
Marigold finished her flower orders, then grabbed her wicker basket and headed out to gather supplies. The morning farmers' market had taken over the town square, stalls bright with summer produce and the cheerful chaos of a small town on a Saturday morning. The scent of fresh bread wafted from somewhere to her left. A trio of pixies were arguing loudly over the last jar of local honey while a patient brownie waited to ring up whoever won.
"Morning, Marigold!"
She turned to find Mrs. Allenby waving from behind a display of absolutely magnificent tomatoes. The tiny dragon perched on her shoulder puffed a small cloud of steam in greeting.
"Good morning, Mrs. Allenby. Those tomatoes look incredible."
"Best of the season." Mrs. Allenby’s eyes crinkled with knowing warmth. "Planning something special?"
"Just a picnic."
"Mmmhmm." The sound was loaded with implication. "With that handsome satyr of yours?"
"He's not—" Her whole face felt hot. "We're just?—"
"The whole town saw you dancing in the square last week, dear. The way that boy looked at you…" Mrs. Allenby fanned herself dramatically. "If my Reginald had ever looked at me like that, I might have forgiven him for the incident with the garden gnomes."
The dragon huffed an agreement.
She decided not to argue, purchased four perfect tomatoes, and fled before Mrs. Allenby could share any more details about Reginald and the gnomes.
