Chapter Eleven
Remi
“Are you excited?” I asked Bowen. He was dressed in a long-sleeve burgundy sweater and dark-wash jeans that looked amazing on him.
That morning, while we were having coffee and danishes, I caught him looking at me more than once.
His cheeks blushed so beautifully, I wanted nothing to do with the festival and instead desired to throw him over my shoulder and carry him upstairs.
“I am. It sounds like a wonderful day trip. I was just thinking…I don’t know much about you. I wish they had given us a stats sheet.”
“Stats sheet?”
He laughed. “I want to ask you all kinds of things to get to know you better. I would ask you about your job but I don’t even know what you do.”
He had a point. “I own a nursery. A plant nursery.”
I steeled myself for the disappointment but instead, he lit up. “A nursery? That sounds like so much fun. You’re not just going to have fun today, you’re going to geek out, right?”
My turn to laugh. “Probably so. I hope you don’t mind. What do you do?”
“I don’t mind at all, Remi. I think it will be fun. And I’m a park ranger.”
I was driving but glancing over at his face, I watched his features fall from smiling to almost a frown. “What’s that look for? You don’t enjoy being a park ranger?”
Bowen let out a long sigh. “I do. It’s not my job that’s the problem. There have been some new government cuts to national parks and, in turn, our jobs are now at risk. There are rangers who have been there over two decades.”
“Last in, first out?” I asked.
“There are some newer than me. Which should be fine because seniority and fairness, but I don’t know what that means for me or what my future holds. There might be some favoritism in play.”
I couldn’t help the way my thoughts immediately went to him coming to live with me and working in the nursery or maybe in one of the surrounding parks. The parks in my area were fully funded by the state, not the national government. He could work there. Or not. Or be with me all day.
Relief flooded my system. He enjoyed his job as a park ranger. Outdoors.
One hurdle down.
“We’re here.” I parked under a post with some flowers on top. They were fake, but I would remember. “Stay put, please.”
Bowen bunched his eyebrows but, when I opened his door for him, he reddened again. I hoped I was always able to elicit a blush from my omega. He got out of the car and we stood there for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes.
“Should we go?”
I nodded. “We should. I think any more standing here and we’ll get other ideas besides the festival.” My chest tightened. There. I’d been brave.
“I already have those ideas but yeah, let’s go.”
Franklin had excellent insight. I was sure he’d been to this festival before, but telling us not to eat much was the right thing to do. Booths boasted all kinds of homemade and home-grown items. If I didn’t have to travel by plane back, I would’ve picked up a ton of it.
“This is incredible,” Bowen said, leaning down to smell some tulips. All tulips smelled like spring to me. Citrusy and bright. A thread of fresh grass and sunshine.
“It really is.”
“Hey, what’s this?” We came upon an A-frame poster that said something about VIP tours. Skipping the lines and the crowds and having a local person show us around. Lunch was included.
Sounded like a good time to me, but Bowen might not have a good time. I started to walk past it when he reached out and caught the elbow of my shirt. “Remi, this is your thing, right? A private tour of the gardens? Lunch at a farm-to-table restaurant?”
“It is, but I don’t want you to be bored. We’re here…on a date of sorts. It has to be fun for us both.”
He took my hand in his. “Let’s take the tour There’s more than just plant talk and even if there isn’t, I’m happy just to spend time with you.”
And there it was. Confirmation. Understanding. Acceptance.
“Okay. If you insist.”
We were led through the town by a woman in a costume similar to the clothing worn by the immigrants who founded this place. It was wonderful to experience the history and culture of the area along with the private tour of their gardens and luxury greenhouses.
Bowen’s hand never left mine and, once or twice, he rubbed his thumb along the outside of my palm.
No matter how many flowers there were around me, his scent had my panther’s full attention.
The wolf omega wanted me just as much as I wanted him. Maybe not just as much but close.
The woman asked if we wanted to go to the bulb storage area. She said there were some for sale.
I looked to Bowen, making sure he was still down for this not-wild-at-all day with me.
“It’s fine. Let’s go get you some more plants.”
“Are you sure?” I asked.
He nodded. “Sweetheart, if it makes you smile like that, then absolutely yes.”
Sweetheart? The omega called me sweetheart.
“You know what else makes me smile?” I asked.
“What?” The blush was back in full force. It felt like a small win.
“You. You are so beautiful and every time I look at you, I want to smile.”