4. Trevor
Chapter four
Trevor
S weat trickled down my back as I hammered the last stake into the ground, securing the dog run that would hopefully contain Hero's destructive impulses. The little guy had not only demolished Amelia's garden but had also developed a worrying fascination with chewing holes in water hoses. Some support dog he was turning out to be.
I straightened up, wiping my brow as the delivery truck pulled up with supplies for Amelia's garden. My muscles ached pleasantly, reminding me of long days of PT in the military. At least this time, the pain was for a good cause.
Amelia bounced outside, her floral-print dress fluttering in the breeze. Her hair was tied back with a bandana, giving her a look that was equal parts adorable and capable. I forced my thoughts away from that dangerous path. This was about making amends, not whatever my traitorous mind was cooking up.
She greeted the delivery driver with her usual upbeat demeanor, but I noticed more tension than usual in her shoulders as she carefully unloaded trays of vibrant flowers.
"These are perfect!" Amelia exclaimed, closing her eyes to inhale their scent. "I can already picture them in a beautiful arrangement."
Her enthusiasm was infectious, but guilt gnawed at me. Those flowers wouldn't be necessary if I'd been more careful with Hero.
Amelia glanced over at me, her lips pressed in a firm line as she directed the driver where to put the flowers and bags of soil. She pointedly avoided my gaze, her slender frame rigid with tension.
I cleared my throat. "Amelia, I'm sorry about what happened to your garden. I shouldn't have been so careless with Hero."
She waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine. It wasn't your fault." But her clipped tone said otherwise.
"Well, I'm here to help," I offered, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt. "Just tell me what to do. I used to work with my mom in her garden sometimes."
Amelia hesitated before nodding. "You can start by opening those bags while I lay out these flowers."
I nodded, pulling out my pocket knife to slice open the thick plastic. As I worked, I couldn't help but watch Amelia meticulously arrange the flowers. Her focus was intense, almost endearing.
"You worked in your mom's garden?" Amelia asked, curiosity creeping into her voice. "You don't strike me as a... flower kind of guy."
I shrugged, dumping soil into the newly dug holes. "Yeah, it was kind of our thing when I was younger. I used to help her plant sunflowers every spring until my junior year. Then I..." I trailed off, not wanting to dive into my rebellious phase.
"Sunflowers," Amelia mused. "Like the ones that took over Rivermint Cove the summer my family moved here?"
I laughed sheepishly, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah, that was my doing. Mom always said sunflowers were the happiest flowers. I guess I wanted the whole town to feel that happiness."
Amelia's laugh was genuine, her eyes sparkling. "Well, you certainly achieved that. Our whole street was decorated with sunflowers for months."
We continued working, falling into a comfortable rhythm. I found myself stealing glances at Amelia, noticing how her cheeks flushed pink as she laughed, her whole face lighting up. It was strange seeing her like this—vibrant, passionate, and definitely not just my little sister's friend anymore.
"Are you okay?" Amelia asked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.
I cleared my throat, caught off guard. "Yeah, just... admiring your expertise with those flowers. You've done a great job with this place."
"Well, don't think your compliments make me any less upset about you and Hero messing up my garden or disrupting my beauty sleep," she retorted, her tone playful but firm.
I grinned. "Beauty sleep? I thought night owls like you thrived on moonlight and creativity."
Her laughter danced through the air. "Even night owls need their beauty sleep, Trevor. We can't all thrive on firefighter heroics and adrenaline rushes."
Her words sobered me, reminding me of the weight of my responsibilities and past mistakes. I took a deep breath, knowing this was my chance to make things right.
"Amelia, I need to apologize for what happened back in high school," I said, my voice wavering slightly. "Kissing you and then ignoring you was immature and hurtful. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you."
Amelia's eyes widened in surprise. She seemed at a loss for words, her guard lowering slightly.
"Trevor, I–" She paused, her brow furrowing. "I didn't even know if you remembered. It was hurtful, and honestly, you moving in brought some of that back. I guess I can accept your apology. We were both young, and I've learned a lot about myself since then. As you have probably noticed, I'm not the same na?ve girl I was in high school."
"And I'm not the same guy," I said, holding her gaze. "I've grown, Amelia. The military helped me face my mistakes and become a better man."
Just then, a blur of brown and white fur bounded into the garden. Hero had escaped from the dog run and was prancing through the newly planted flowers, one of my socks clenched in his teeth.
"Hero, no!" I shouted, lunging for the little troublemaker. He darted away, sock flapping in the breeze like a victory flag.
Amelia's eyes widened, a mix of shock and amusement on her face. "Is that... your sock?"
I groaned, feeling my cheeks burn. "I put it in the dog run to give him something with my scent. It's supposed to be calming."
A snort of laughter escaped Amelia's lips, and soon we were both doubled over. The years melted away, and we were just two people enjoying a ridiculous moment.
I finally managed to scoop Hero up, the sock still dangling from his mouth. "You're lucky you're cute, buddy."
Amelia reached out to scratch behind Hero's ears, her fingers grazing mine. The touch sent a jolt through me, and I found myself holding my breath, acutely aware of her presence.
She was so close, her cheeks flushed, a smudge of dirt on her nose. I wanted to reach out, to lean in... but I hesitated. What if she didn't feel the same? What if I ruined this fragile moment?
Hero squirmed in my arms, breaking the spell. I set him down gently, my heart still pounding. Amelia tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes meeting mine briefly before darting away.
"Looks like someone is eager to keep playing," Amelia said softly.
"Or eager to undo all our hard work," I replied, securing Hero's leash to a fence post. "I'll fix the dog run later."
Just as we were about to resume gardening, a familiar voice called out.
"Well, well, well! What do we have here?"
I turned to see Susan grinning at us, a tray of lemonade and snacks in her hands. "It looks like you two have been getting quite comfortable in the dirt," she teased. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Amelia laughed, the sound a little too high-pitched. "No, no, we were just gardening. Trevor's been a big help."
Susan set the tray down on a nearby bench, a look of mischief in her eyes. "I'm sure he has. My brother's always been good with his hands."
I shot her a warning glare, but she merely smirked, handing us each a glass of lemonade. "Take a break, you two. You've earned it."
As we settled onto the bench, Susan launched into a story about our childhood, regaling Amelia with tales of my misadventures. I cringed inwardly as she recounted how I'd tried to impress a girl by jumping off the roof with a homemade parachute.
"And then," Susan giggled, "he landed right in the middle of Mom's prized rosebush, his pants torn to shreds!"
Amelia laughed, setting her glass down and holding her stomach. "Oh, my goodness! Trevor, you did not!"
I shrugged sheepishly. "I thought it was a good idea at the time."
Susan told a few more embarrassing stories before saying she needed to head back to the clinic.
As Susan left and we returned to the garden, I noticed a change in Amelia's demeanor. She seemed more relaxed, initiating conversations.
"So, why did you decide to join the military?" she asked, her hands deftly transplanting a seedling.
I considered my answer carefully. "I needed to find a purpose, you know? I was always being reckless, causing trouble. When I enlisted, I felt like I finally had a direction. Like I could turn all that energy into something productive."
"Like jumping off roofs?" she teased, her eyes twinkling.
I laughed a genuine, deep-throated chuckle. "Something like that."
As we finished up, stepping back to admire our handiwork, I felt a surge of hope. "We make a pretty good team," I said, grinning at Amelia.
She returned my smile, her eyes sparkling. "We do, don't we?"
Emboldened by the day's progress, I took a deep breath. "How about we celebrate our success with dinner? My treat."
My heart raced as I waited for her response. She opened her mouth to reply, but her phone rang, interrupting the moment.
As Amelia excused herself to take the call, I took Hero for a short walk, my mind racing. Would she have said yes? Should I ask again?
I headed up to my apartment to shower, knowing the ball was in Amelia's court now. All I could do was wait and see where this new chapter might lead us.