Page 51 of Fools in Love

He groaned. “Okay, yeah. Maybe we can watch a movie and eat junk food?”

She thought about her tight diet and then realized that she no longer had to be on the crazy regimen she’d been on before. Yes, she wanted to watch her weight, but at this point, even Dr. Stevens was pleased with the pounds she’d gained.

“That sounds wonderful,” she agreed.

Chapter Seventeen

That entire weekend, Tom’s phone rang. Every time the unknown caller ID flashed on his screen, he’d block the number, but a few moments later, it would start ringing again.

Since he was on shift, he locked his personal cell in his locker, turned it off, and only took his emergency work phone with him.

He’d left Kate working in his yard, knowing full well that she was enjoying herself. When he and Nick had stopped by for lunch the first day, Suzie was there delivering more dirt and potted flowers.

They ate a picnic lunch out on his back deck and talked about possibly adding some flower boxes on the railings.

When he arrived home later that night, she’d had her father deliver some flower boxes from the hardware store and had already installed them and filled them with colorful wildflowers. He had to admit, they really added to the view.

The entire yard was completed by Sunday afternoon when he returned home. In those few hours, she had transformed the outside of his home from dull and boring to extraordinary and vibrant.

She had cut flower beds along the entire length of his front walkway and filled them with white and blue flowers. The nautical theme now started outside the home and then continued inside.

There were large white flowers just outside the front windows and little yellow ones in the flower boxes she’d hung off each of the windowsills.

On the sides of the house were large flower boxes that she’d filled with a plethora of tiny colorful flowers that should have appeared wild and crowded but ended up looking natural. He could sit and stare at them for hours. Which was good because those were the flower beds near his grassy yard and the area he deemed his hangout spot.

She had even trimmed the bushes in the front and near his garage, which somehow made his home look more… picturesque.

“You’re amazing at this.” He gave her a hug as they stood in the front yard. “The place is transformed.”

She smiled up at him. “I had fun. I may have to dip in every now and then and help Suzie out again, just to get my fix. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy gardening.”

“Well, there’s always your parents’ place. I noticed your mother’s roses were growing crazy.”

“My mother is like you, no green thumb. Dad does all the yard work.” She smiled. “I suppose I could see if they’re game. But something tells me that, after Monday, I’m going to have my hands full. Already today, I took more than a dozen calls from people signing up for classes. Both of my Monday morning yoga classes are full,” she added with a smile.

“That’s great.” He kissed her forehead.

“Of course, I’m pretty sure that all my family and friends signed up to support me. Who knows how many will stick beyond the first week.” He felt her shoulders slump a little.

“Hey, take it one day at a time.” He took her hand. “How about we head out to the Golden Oar for dinner? I’m in the mood to have someone else serve me food and maybe have a glass of wine since I have tomorrow off.”

“You can enjoy the wine. I have yoga first thing in the morning. But I could go for my favorite chicken salad. I swear, in New York, there was nothing close to it.” She kissed him again.

“I know you’ve just spent the last two days working outside”—he touched the tip of her nose with his fingertip and noticed that her once pale skin had a nice glow to it—“but how do you feel about walking?”

“I love the idea.” She took his hand in hers.

They strolled the couple blocks hand in hand and talked about opening day for her the next day.

Her sign wouldn’t be installed until Wednesday, but she seemed happy to be opening her doors. She filled him in on who had signed up for yoga and who had signed up for dance classes.

“I had a lot of questions about adult dance classes,” she said as they were seated in the dining room. “I’m thinking of maybe adding one class a week for older dancers.”

“Professional dancers?” he asked.

“No.” She shook her head. “Women like my mother. She says that her book club has been wanting to do a pop dance class. They read a book where a group of friends met at a dance class.” She smiled and leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. “My aunt has talked to me about wanting to learn tap. And Brook wants to learn ballet.” She smiled.

“Don’t you have to start as a kid to learn it?”