CHAPTER SIXTEEN – LILY
Logan doesn’t share my issues with napping, falling asleep with an arm hooked around my waist and a faint smile on his face.
He looks so different with his guard down, the hard jaw and intense gaze replaced by a softer, younger version that reminds me of the boy who moved in next door.
It’s hard not to stare at him, and as I carefully trace the lines of his lily tattoo, I have to wonder if that warm spot in my chest is now a permanent thing.
Mate bonds don’t bend to the laws of physics, which means that no matter where we are or what we’re doing, I’ll always hold some small part of Logan in my heart.
And after all these years – after all the longing, hoping, and pining – that’s something I want to shout from the rooftops.
Instead, I grab my phone and slide out of bed, careful not to wake him as I pad into the bathroom to wash up.
When I’m done, I grab the robe off the back of the door, and once I’m dressed, sneak into Leo’s room.
It’s decorated a lot like the one next door, only the bed is a standard queen and Leo’s suitcase has exploded all across the floor.
I gather up his clean clothes and start folding them into piles as I dial Marion’s number and wait for her to answer. “Lily?”
“Hi, Marion. Sorry I didn’t call you earlier. Are you having any issues today?”
“Everything’s fine, although those newspeople are still hanging around.” She clicks her tongue in annoyance. “I went over and told them no one was home, but they just tossed all sorts of intrusive questions at me.”
I cringe at the thought of my very practical – and private – farm manager having to deal with that. “I’m sorry, Marion. That’s unacceptable.”
“I told them that, of course. It didn’t stop them from following me to the greenhouse, but that nice boy staying at Logan’s chased them off. He’s now sitting in the parking lot on a lawn chair and cleaning a rather impressive set of knives.”
“Knives?” I blink, before vaguely recalling that Clay, one of the guys from Logan’s unit, is keeping an eye on Bloomer and the chickens. “Okay, well if anyone bothers you again, call me immediately. Ellis’ security would probably leap at the chance to do something more exciting than fort building.”
“I think Logan’s friend has things under control,” she assures me. “But you might want to collect Bloomer. He’s pining something awful, and I’m worried he’ll take it out on the sunflowers.”
“They’ve been through enough,” I say grimly, picturing the poor, trampled flowers with their sweet faces ground into the dirt. “I’ll drop by tomorrow and collect him.”
“You might also want to give Mr. Della a call.” Her voice has a girlish lilt to it that I’m pretty sure I’ve never heard before. “He dropped off a lovely box of chocolates and told me all about the commercial they’re going to shoot here.”
“Wow, he moves fast,” I mutter, then shake off the brief pang of annoyance. “It’s going to bring in a lot of money, so I couldn’t turn it down. But I’ll make sure they don’t get in your way, Marion.”
“It will all work out for the best,” she hums, and we talk about the farm for a few more minutes until I end the call and dial Rosie’s number. Given some of the remote places she’s visited, it’s not always easy to catch her, but she answers on the second ring. “Well hello, my girl!”
I smile at the familiar greeting. “Hi, Rosie. Where are you right now?”
“Lake City, Colorado. We’re thinking about hiking the alpine loop in search of the blue columbines.”
“And is Doc still treating you like a queen?”
She gives a lusty sigh of happiness. “Absence might be good for the heart, but a small bed and a starry sky do wonders for the libido.”
I snort out a laugh. “Sounds like it really is a trip of a lifetime.”
“As long as his ticker holds up.” I can hear Doc mumble something in the background and a light slap that might or might not be on naked skin. “But what about you? Are you getting enough sleep? Is Leo still shooting up like a pole bean?”
“He’s good. And yes, he’s put on another inch since you left. But…” I flap a hand at my warm cheeks, even though she can’t see my flushed face. “Well, I have some news. Last night Logan and I bonded…”
I don’t get to elaborate, because I’m pretty sure they can hear her shriek in Denver. “About damn time, my girl! Oh, I’m so happy for you, Lily! We should pack up and come home so we can celebrate together.”
“Don’t you dare!” They’ve barely started their vacation, and I know that once they get back, it will be a long time before Rosie can tear herself away from the farm again. “Enjoy your trip and we’ll have a bonding ceremony when you get home. Right now, things are a little crazy here, anyway.”
“Crazy how?” Her excitement quickly morphs into concern. “Is it busier than usual? Are you running yourself ragged? I hope you’ve hired those extra field hands, like I said.”
“Take a breath and I’ll explain everything.
” She settles down with a grumble but listens quietly as I recap the highlights since our last phone call.
She gasps a bit when I tell her about Ellis Castle being Leo’s father, but Rosie is too practical to be starstruck, and only wants to know if we’re safe at Willow Manor.
“We’re fine here. They have security on the property, and the guys have been really welcoming. ”
“Well, trust me to take a vacation when things get interesting for the first time in years,” she huffs. “Hold on, Doc wants to talk to you.”
It still amuses me to hear Rosie call her beau of thirty years by his professional name, but that’s what everyone in Knotty Falls calls him.
“Hello, Lily love,” he says in his slow, patient way.
“I don’t mean to eavesdrop, but if it all gets too much for you there, why don’t you come visit?
You could fly to Denver, and we’ll rent a little place in the mountains until it blows over.
There are some mighty nice things to look at around here. ”
I’m pretty sure he’s talking about the rosy view right in front of him, but my heart melts at the invitation. “Thanks, Doc, but I don’t want to derail your trip. We’ll be fine here for a few days.”
“Alright, but the offer stands. Wherever we are, you’re always welcome to join us.”
“She knows that,” Rosie clicks her tongue at him as she wrestles back the phone.
“But there is something else I want to talk to you about.” Rosie has her bossy voice on, so I settle back for one of her well-meaning but sometimes long-winded lectures.
“Now you're bonded, we should plan for some other changes. I think it’s important that you have more time with Logan, so you can properly enjoy mated life. Since he’s busy starting up his business, you might like to get yourselves an apartment in town near his gym.
Leo would be closer to his school, and you could stretch your wings a little.
Maybe think about going back to get that degree you used to talk about. ”
I blink, lost somewhere back where she suggested getting an apartment in town. “Wait up, I’m not following. Why would we need another place? If you and Doc want privacy, Leo and I could move into Logan’s farmhouse when you get back.”
Rosie clicks her tongue again, but it’s a soft sound, edged with something I can’t place.
“No, that’s not what I want at all. I’m saying that maybe you should think about what life you’d like to have outside of the farm.
The way things are going, it might be time to let someone else fill the vases and pies of Knotty Falls. ”
Can I be hearing her right? A sick, cramping feeling settles in the pit of my stomach. “You mean... sell Rosie’s Blooms?”
“It’s an option. You’ve got a new life ahead of you and it seems that Doc and I have caught the travel bug. We’re talking about extending our trip, maybe even going on a cruise somewhere, but there’s no point starting fresh if we’re all still tied to old places.”
I shake my head, bewilderment and panic building inside me. I knew this trip was important to her, but I never thought it would lead to this. “What are you talking about, Rosie? Are you saying you don’t want to come back?”
“No, sweetheart.” I press a hand to my racing heart, because it sounds like she’s trying to soothe a spooked animal.
“Knotty Falls will always be our home. But not because of the farm. At the end of the day, that’s just fields, fertilizer, and crops.
Wherever you and Leo and your pack are, that's home for me.”
This means so much to me – her endless, unconditional love - but I still can’t believe she’s talking about uprooting our lives. It’s always been me and Rosie, and the only home I’ve ever known is the one she gave me. “But you’ve worked so hard to make Rosie’s Blooms a success. You gave up so much…”
“To put food on the table and a roof over our heads,” Rosie says in her matter-of-fact way.
“We don’t owe the farm more than that. And just in case I haven’t been clear enough, you don’t owe me anything more than your love, my girl.
That’s what I cherish the most, and I won’t let the farm’s problems ruin that. ”