AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It’s the next day and I’m still kicking myself for forgetting about Jasper’s father’s funeral. I forgot that his dad even lived in town anymore since I never see him around.
I finish arranging the last of the flower pots outside and step back to survey the area. Sydney came by and helped show me the best way to arrange some of the merch and tables so that it looked more organized and pretty.
My back and shoulders hurt from carrying plants and pots around all day but I can’t seem to mind the pain when it means that I’m one step closer to achieving my dream.
The sun is starting to set and I know that I should get home and grab something to eat. I finish cleaning up at The Garden Goddess and hop in my truck to head home. Instead of turning right out of the lot though, I turn left.
I find myself headed across town to the Mackelroy’s old house. The sun is starting to set and casts a gloomy look over the street. Or maybe that’s just how this place looks.
It’s on the rougher side of town and I never had much need to come out this way. I pull up behind some car outside of the Mackelroy’s house and I’m surprised when I see Jasper head down the steps and toward the car in front of me.
He stops when he spots me and I wave awkwardly as I climb out of my truck,
“Hey,” he says joining me in between our cars.
“Hey, how are you doing?” I ask as he leans against the trunk of his car.
His arm is in a sling today and I wonder how he hurt it.
“Good. What are you doing here?” he asks as I shift from foot to foot.
“I just wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday. I didn’t really know your dad but it was still a crappy thing to say when you were grieving.”
“It’s really okay. Gray and I weren’t sad to see him gone. We haven’t had anything to do with the guy for years.”
He doesn’t seem too broken up about his dad’s funeral and truth be told, if I learned that my father had died, I don’t think that I would feel anything either. At least I have my mom still though. Jasper and Gray never really had that either.
“I can see what you mean about needing a landscaper,” I say, changing the subject as I turn to study the old house.
“I think I might need more than that actually.”
“For the porch and roof?” I ask, noting the way they sag.
“Yeah, and the rest of the place. I had an inspection done today and I was hoping that I would just have to patch some holes and fix this or that but the whole place has to go. I’m going to have to tear it down and rebuild it or just sell the land.”
“Should you be doing all of that remodeling with your arm?” I ask, my eyes straying to the sling.
Jasper laughs, the sound low and husky. It sounds rusty and I wonder when the last time that he laughed was.
“Probably not. My doctor just told me to take it easy until my next checkup and scan, so it looks like I’ll need to hire someone to do all of this.”
“Well, if you need any help…” I offer and he looks at me with one eyebrow raised.
“Do you know a lot about tearing down houses or building them?”
“Nope, not a thing, actually,” I say with a laugh and he chuckles.
“I bet you’d be great at it.”
I blush, not used to being praised like that.
“So that means that you’ll be in town for longer then, huh?”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?” he jokes but there’s a certain light in his eyes that makes me wonder if he’s really joking.
“No,” I say softly and he grins down at me, his teeth white and standing out against the border of his beard.
“Good.”
