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Her fingers discovered a leather bracelet with Lily’s name on it. She brought his wrist closer to study it. “That’s beautiful.”
He turned silent, watching her. After a bit, he tilted his head. “Have you put any more thought into what you want to do with my momma’s rose garden?”
She’d been drawing blueprints and discarding them, though she’d come up with a few ideas that she wanted to keep. “I was thinking a greenhouse,” she said. “That way if I can’t come up with a flower that never dies, then at least I can keep them alive year round.”
“That’s brilliant, Angel.”
Warmth ran through her at the affection she sensed behind the compliment. “People have done greenhouses before,” she said with a smile.
“Yours will be more amazing.”
She laughed. “I appreciate your vote of confidence… I think.”
“It’ll be the most beautiful garden that she’s ever had,” he said firmly. “Remember. I’m helping you.”
Her lips quirked up. They did that a lot when he was around. “Is that how it will be so beautiful? With your help?”
“No, yours. You’ll be the prettiest thing in there, so you can’t leave. Sorry. You have to be a part of the Slade family garden now.”
She gently knocked his leg back. “You’re impossible. Do you flatter everyone like this?”
“Never, unless… they’re really good at throwing chocolate pies at my face, and then I have to be on my best behavior.”
“So you’re saying that you’d rather eat pie on a plate?”
“That depends.” He rose up on his elbow, angling his body towards her so that they could talk better. “Only if you’re part of the deal.”
Unbidden the thought of children playing in Lily’s garden sprang to her mind, not just the child she carried, but more. All of them beautiful, sharing both their features. Porter had just opened her eyes to the future and now it was impossible to stuff her imagination back to where it belonged. Lacy had done that to her too. She wasn’t sure that she trusted it, and yet, with Porter? Things felt so different.
Cautiously optimistic? Is that what people called this?
She trailed her hand through the water, loving the coolness nipping at her fingers. “I don’t know…” Her eyes drew to his. He hadn’t stopped watching her. Remembering what he’d said after they faced down the barrel racing queen, she started poking holes into their hazy future. “Our teenagers scare me.”
He guffawed. “Leave them to me. I’ll take them camping whenever they get out of hand. That’s what our old man did with us.”
Porter reached out and rested his palm against her ankle. His tan fingers against the darker shade of her skin made for a beautiful contrast, and she realized just how well they fit together when he rubbed his thumb against the delicate bones of her ankle, sending delicious sensations through her.
“Of course, that might not be the best example,” he said. “My daddidcreate little monsters.”
Cute ones! All these little monsters in the Slade family were horribly cute and they knew it. If by some miracle, she and Porter did work out, what would their kids be like? Honestly, she couldn’t imagine the adorability that would come from their family, if they were anything like Porter. The hope swelling inside her made her uneasy. She already had one child to think about, and yet… what would it be to have him complete the family that she’d always dreamed of?
What if?
What if?
She found herself speaking her mind, which she’d done only haltingly with Lacy, but Porter somehow made her thoughts tumble freely over her tongue. “Bringing a child into this world scares me,” she said, “but it’s also… it’s also a privilege. I mean…” She studied his thoughtful expression as he really took in what she was saying. “Look at this world. It’s amazing.”
“It really is.” She had the feeling that he was talking about her. His eyes didn’t leave hers to stare around them at their majestic surroundings. He only seemed fascinated with her. Her insides felt strangely like happy, quivering Jell-O. Ha! Maybe that was her baby. She laid her hand on her belly, inviting her child to share this moment with her.
“Not everything is bad,” she whispered. Lacy might have his grasp on this town, but had the deal really gone through? She should talk to Funches and warn him. Lacy’s hold that he claimed he had over his enemies could be just as weak as what he had over her.
She was never going to see him again. Cadence smiled at the thought. No, she never had to. She’d told Lacy that the baby wasn’t his, and who cares if he didn’t believe her? He’d already said that he didn’t want the child, and he couldn’t force a paternity test on her. She could disappear and never see him again.
Watching Porter now, it all seemed very doable. After all, wasn’t he the king of all pranks? He’d help her pull the disappearing trick of the century. She could start a whole new life. “Do you think people can change?” she asked.
His fingers found hers. “Yeah… for the good and the bad. Is this for the good?”
“Yes,” she breathed out. “I just don’t know how possible it is.”
