Chapter 5
You Catch More Flies With Honey
Lawson knew he was closing in on his destination when he spotted what Fox would call a doodad hanging from a tree. The metallic oval artwork showcased wildflowers and bees. It was whimsical and matched his image of Dani.
Bright, airy, delicate. This art piece wasn’t full of nerves, though. Still, he was sure Dani had placed it there. Maybe she’d even crafted it.
Despite making a mess of things, his senses had been alert. The faint scent of heated metal had wafted out when she’d opened the garage door. Instead of working on cars, maybe she was a metal artist.
They’d have things in common then. That should help him when he stumbled around for conversation. He hadn’t thought to ask his siblings what Dani did to support herself. Or if she had a partner to share the load.
He would focus on how to make things better after making such a mess of their first conversation. No one on the farm had met the woman more than a few times. They said she’d been friendly, but quiet. He figured she and Amber might be kindred spirits.
Lawson sent the metal oval swaying in the breeze with a gentle touch and moved forward, eyes alert for more.
Instead, he found a large pot filled with wildflowers. More of Dani’s work?
Why would she set flowers in the shade of the woods? There were still apple trees here, but they were mixed in with more of Vermont’s regular foliage. Birch, beech, fir, and pine. Maples, too. This area was going to be stunning in the fall.
He passed more pots and another hanging piece of whimsy. It all had to be Dani, although Lawson hadn’t asked anyone about other neighbors yet. For someone great at gathering intel in the army, he’d been woefully inadequate the previous day.
He could probably blame that on being sucker-punched by Dani. Gorgeous, sure, but it was more than that.
She had shadows and secrets in her eyes. Pain and sadness, too.
Everything about her was alluring, even how she’d shut down his request for the truck with a simple no and a door in the face.
He was grinning when the trees thinned, and he spotted some bright cubes set on a skid. He’d seen a few around the clearing the previous day, but hadn’t paid them any attention.
He suspected they were more of Dani’s work. Ways to cheer up her space. But he was more interested in finding the woman than in checking out her art.
The trees opened, and Lawson stopped at the edge of the clearing to stare.
The woman and dog relaxed together in the back of the truck, making as pretty a picture as he’d ever seen.
They rested in a huddle on a colorful quilt surrounded by mismatched pillows. The dog’s massive head lay on Dani’s lap, her hand on its head. A soft smile played on Dani’s face, and her eyes were closed.
Peaceful. Lovely.
He wanted to be part of that picture and the accompanying peace more than he’d ever wanted anything.
He drew in a slow breath and another, grounding himself. This wasn’t his property. She wasn’t his woman. Bibi wasn’t his dog.
But his heart yearned for them, anyway.
He was being ridiculous. The way he’d messed everything up the previous day must be shifting him off-kilter, because his imagination was doing weird shit.
Still, he watched the two and imagined how it would feel to be part of the scene.
The clouds shifted to cover the sun. Even at the edge of the trees, he saw Dani’s lips pout. He grinned at the desire that rushed through him. He wanted to kiss that sexy little pout and find out how she tasted.
He hadn’t moved a muscle, but the massive dog stirred and locked her eyes on Lawson. Her tongue lolled out, and her tail wagged, but she didn’t make a noise.
Still, Dani’s hand moved to ruffle her fur, and her eyes opened. Then locked on him as well.
Her pout disappeared into a dreamy smile that had everything inside Lawson standing at attention.
They stood like that for several seconds. Then Bibi raised her head and broke the spell with a soft woof. Lawson moved forward with a wave.
Dani shook her head slightly, as if clearing it from her nap. She sat straighter but kept her hand in Bibi’s fur.
He knew it was up to him to make this meeting less awkward and more friendly. No acting on the lust roaring through his system. “Hi Dani. My family filled me in on your name. I’m here with peace offerings for coming across like an idiot yesterday.”
Her eyebrows shot up, and her lips twitched. Good, she had a sense of humor and didn’t appear to hold a grudge.
Lawson shrugged off his backpack as he approached. Bibi lurched to her feet, tail wagging hard enough to thump off the truck’s back window and Dani.
She grinned and shifted slightly, whispering something to the dog.
Lawson set the pack on the ground at his feet and leaned on the tailgate. “Hi.” Shit, he’d already said that.
Instead of laughing or sneering at him, her smile widened. “Hi.”
Bibi took one step and crossed the truck bed to shove her face into his. He laughed when she licked his nose, and he ruffled her fur. “You’re a really great dog, Bibi. Are you and your mistress enjoying the sun?”
Bibi wiggled in delight as he rubbed down all of her he could reach. She lifted her front paws and placed them on his shoulders.
Dani’s voice was full of amusement. “Sit, Bibi. No squashing our neighbors.”
With a full-body shiver, Bibi sat but didn’t move back. Instead, she rested her head on Lawson’s shoulder.
He grinned at Dani. “She’s really sweet.”
Dani smiled. “She is. Unless she senses a threat.”
Well, that was good news. Not only to keep Dani safe, but Bibi had known instinctively he wasn’t a bad guy. “I’m glad you’ve got a protective friend.”
She nodded, lips clamped together, and he wanted to kick the ass of whoever had made her afraid. And he was glad it wasn’t him. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday.”
“It’s fine. I overreacted.”
He shook his head at her soft words. “I don’t think you did.
It’s always smart to be wary when a stranger knocks on your door.
I arrived at the farm late the night before.
In the morning, the others were off doing their things, and I figured playing with a drone would be a good way to get an overview of the property.
Four hundred acres is a mind-boggling amount of space, and I’m used to thinking in terms of city blocks. ”
“I prefer this to any city block. It’s a beautiful part of the world.”
At the mention of city life, her eyes had dimmed, but that light returned as her gaze tracked over the area.
Lawson followed her gaze and spotted more of the doodads hanging from the trees and more of the bright cubes. He laughed when he spotted a small fairy hanging from the truck’s rear-view mirror and more dangling from the side mirrors. These were smaller, even more delicate.
He ruffled the dog’s head, then stepped away to check out the one closest to him. “I spotted more of these in the woods on my walk over. They’re beautiful and fit right in with the forest vibe. Makes me believe a fairy might pop out of the woods and whisk me away to her realm. Are they your work?”
He looked up to find Dani staring at him. Skin flushed, mouth open, and eyes wide. With a quick headshake, she closed her mouth and scraped her lower lip with her teeth.
He wanted to tug that lip free and kiss it. He doubted she had a clue how sexy she was in another flowery dress that fit with the whimsical art she created. Dani Richards could be a fairy come to life.
And she could whisk him away to her realm any time she wanted.
Dani managed to keep her hands at her side instead of slapping them to her flaming cheeks. Lawson’s words filled her up.
In a simple sentence, he proved he could see her. Not an idealized vision of her, but her actual self. He’d identified exactly what she wanted to do with her art and how she wanted to bring beauty and smiles to the world.
She swallowed hard and managed the words, although her voice trembled. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. That’s exactly how I feel when I’m creating them. Like they may pop to life and make someone smile.”
His smile widened, and she wanted to kiss it, to find out if he tasted as good as she suspected he would.
After her research, she’d realized he was a good guy. A normal man who’d been trying to introduce himself to a neighbor. Exactly as he’d said.
Now she could see past her panic to the man himself. Not a tool her parents had sent to use her somehow. But a sexy and attractive man who appeared to have more than a bit of softness in his soul.
“I have to ask why you’re putting pots of pretty wildflowers in the forest, though. The pops of color sure brighten up the paths, but I figure most wildflowers like the sun.”
Her cheeks flushed deeper. From the outside, Lawson could appear intimidating. Tall and strong. Capable and sure of himself.
But he was proving to be far more than that. Not afraid of the soft side of life. She’d met more than a few men who wouldn’t have noticed her art or the flowers. And if they had, they would have rolled their eyes and scoffed at her.
She sensed nothing but sincere interest from Lawson.
“I’m trying to see if my bees will explore further from their hives.
I have enough pollinators in the meadow, but if I decide to expand, I’ll need more sources for them.
If they follow the flowers through the trees, they might find more plants that they enjoy.
I’m also curious whether different food sources will change the taste of the honey. ”
“Bees?”
The surprise evident on his face made her smile. Any wariness she’d felt yesterday had completely disappeared. This was a potent man with a big heart, and she suspected she could easily fall for him.
With her past, it shocked her that she would even consider falling in love. She imagined her parents would be confused, as she doubted they would know what to do with an emotion as strong as love. Or any feelings other than superiority and contempt.