Page 90 of Jay Bird

“Uh-huh.”

“His yard is depressing. It has no color.”

Riley grinned. “I’m just saying, first you move into his house. Then you’re using his last name. Now you’re landscaping his property.”

“The last name is temporary.”

Lily held up her watering can. “Flowers!”

Willow pointed toward her daughter. “See? Lily wants flowers.”

Riley nodded solemnly. “Clearly Lily is also marking her territory.”

Willow shook her head and kept walking. She couldn’t stop smiling.

By the time Willow dropped Riley off and headed home, Lily was fading fast in the back seat.

The back of Willow’s SUV was packed with enough plants that Riley had asked if she needed to alert the Department of Agriculture before Willow crossed county lines.

Willow had a plan. Jay Bird wasn’t due home from training until the following day, which gave her plenty of time to plant everything and surprise him.

She turned into the neighborhood, hit the button for the gate, and smiled when Lily immediately perked up.

“Home?”

“Almost.”

Willow turned into the driveway. Then she hit the brakes when she spotted Jay Bird’s SUV parked near the house.

Her heart immediately jumped. “No way.”

Lily leaned forward as far as her car seat allowed. “Jay?”

Willow couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. “Looks like it.”

“Jay home!”

“Yes, baby. Jay’s home.”

Apparently Lily’s excitement was contagious because Willow suddenly couldn’t get parked fast enough.

She climbed out and had barely opened Lily’s door when the front door swung open, and Jay Bird stepped outside.

God, she had missed him.

He wore jeans and a dark T-shirt, his wild hair still damp, as if he had just showered.

Lily started kicking. “Down! Momma, down!”

Willow laughed as she unbuckled her.

The second Lily’s feet hit the driveway, she took off. “Jay!”

Jay Bird crouched. “There’s my peanut.”

Lily slammed into him. He scooped her up and stood, laughing when she immediately wrapped herself around him.

“Did you miss me?”