Picture Of Happiness
Wyatt grinned as they packed his Ioniq with the essentials and extras Gomez would need. Kimi kept pet supplies in her storeroom, and they even had a harness to keep him safe in the vehicle.
After a few weeks with Garrett and Kimi, Gomez had filled out and was quicker to trust. He jumped right into the seat and didn’t flinch when Wyatt hooked him to the safety strap. The fact that the mutt wasn’t afraid of him made Wyatt want to puff out his chest and strut.
Much the same way he felt about Esme.
She’d been burned multiple times before. It was a miracle she let herself trust at all.
An addict mom who’d dropped her off without warning in the middle of the night. Thankfully, she’d had safe and happy years with Nans before cancer had taken her.
In her career, she’d dealt with users, sycophants, and paparazzi. Then she’d been attacked in an attempt to disfigure her permanently and destroy her career, while someone made money from the photos.
On the drive back home, Esme swivelled around in her seat to keep an eye on Gomez.
Love slammed into him again—love and family. Sure, Gomez wasn’t a human, but he was now part of their family. His family.
Wyatt reached over to squeeze Esme’s hand briefly. He swallowed the words he wanted to say. First off, it was too soon. Secondly, he wasn’t telling the woman he loved her when they were in a car.
He’d tell her when he could show her exactly how he felt about her in great, naked detail.
She smiled up at him. “Gomez is doing okay. He doesn’t appear to be stressed, leaving the others behind.”
Wyatt grinned. “I was just thinking how amazing he is. Trusting us after what he’s been through.”
Esme turned back to the dog. “You’re going to have a great life, Gomez. You’ve already met the other dogs at the farm. They’ll be excited to have you join us. There’s plenty of space to run and play. We’ll keep you safe.”
Wyatt’s heart lurched again. They would. He would keep Esme safe, too. Downey would be released soon, but everyone would be on the lookout for him. If the asshole thought he would be welcome to stick around Phail and take photos of Esme, he’d be in for a surprise.
Small-town gossip moved at the speed of text.
They now knew Downey wouldn’t be welcome at Phail’s B it was time to turn her attention to something fun and useful.
When she stood from the farmhouse’s kitchen table, Gomez bounced up from his bed in the corner.
“Come on, Gomez. Let’s go see Wyatt’s delivery and find out how to help.”
By the time she changed into her boots and leashed up Gomez, a huge truck was backing down the farm road.
Wyatt grinned at her and walked over to kiss her lightly. “Did you get any planning done?”
She shrugged. “Some. My mind kept wandering, but I made progress.”
He tilted his head. “Want to talk about it?”
Such a good man. His initial delivery of plants was arriving, but he would put that aside if she wanted to talk.
“Later. I’m letting some ideas simmer, but I’d like your input once things settle.”
“Any time.”
She tugged him into a walk. Gray sat in the truck’s passenger seat, guiding the driver through the orchard. Knox and Ford walked ahead of the truck, providing the driver with input as well.
They’d extended the road to the greenhouse so the truck was able to park close by. When the truck’s back door rolled up, she couldn’t keep in the gasp at the sheer volume of stuff.
Wyatt laughed. “I can’t believe I ordered all that.”
Gray slapped him on the back. “You’ll have so much fun. Let’s get it unloaded.”
Esme tied Gomez’s leash to the cabin where he could watch the fun, but not get hurt. Hemsworth joined him, and she got them a water bowl from the cabin before helping the men unload.
Huge bags of potting soil and fertilizer, plant pots, seed packets, trays of seedlings in tiny pots, and boxes of equipment.
Esme had never had a garden. Nans might have enjoyed it, but her energy had been poured into battling cancer and raising Esme. She would love watching the greenhouse go from an empty space to a place full of potential.
She wondered what Wyatt saw as the work tables and shelves filled. Did he imagine how things would look in a month? A year?
She couldn’t imagine the greenhouse clearly, but she could imagine that future with him.
When they were almost finished unloading, Esme grabbed the items they’d stocked in the cabin’s small fridge the day before. Meats, cheese, homemade crackers, and rolls. Apples, fruit, cookies, and brownies, along with thermoses of cider.
She filled the picnic table while the men finished the final load. Wyatt invited the driver, Karim, to join them for a break before he left.
The driver grinned. “Thank you. This might be my favorite delivery ever. Quite the place you’ve got here. My wife loves gardening. Do you mind if I take a few pictures of the greenhouse to show her?”
Panic zipped through Esme at the request, but Wyatt squeezed her hand. “Sure. It’s a great space. Go ahead, we’ll be right back.”
Wyatt tugged Esme to the far side of the cabin, where they couldn’t see the others.
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her.
She looked into his eyes. “Do you think someone paid him to take pictures of me? Of us?”
Wyatt shrugged. “It’s doubtful, but why take chances? Besides, this gives me a chance to sneak in a kiss.”
Laughing, Esme kissed him back. Better safe than sorry.