Page 18 of Not Until I Found You

I turn around and set my mug on the island in front of her.

“Honestly? He’s solid and knows his stuff. Probably one of the hardest workers I’ve ever known.”

She tilts her head, like she’s trying to decide if I’m only saying that to be polite or if it’s the truth.

It’s both.

“But…” I add, smirking, “he’s also got this habit of treating me like I’m twelve. Half of the time, I expect him to tell me to sit up straight or eat my vegetables.”

Her mouth curves into a grin. “Yeah, that tracks. He’s been the bossy older brother my whole life.”

“It’s good to know I’m not the only one getting the full brunt of it,” I chuckle.

That earns me a real laugh. It’s soft at first then fuller, bubbling out of her loudly. The sound does dangerous things to my heart.

“We’re glad to have him around. Ashton and I might butt heads from time to time, but he’s an amazing coworker and friend.”

She gives me a bright smile that radiates pride for her brother, and it’s nice to see her like this, instead of how I saw her only a few minutes ago, with tears shining against her tanned skin. A vision that still doesn’t quite sit right with me.

“You and Ash seem pretty close,” I add, taking a sip.

“Yeah,” she replies, eyes glinting as she swirls her coffee. “We used to fight like cats and dogs growing up, but we’ve always been close. What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

I nod, setting my mug down with a soft clink. “I do. An older brother as well. Ryland is actually our boss. He’s a good one and only yells at us when we deserve it.”

Her brow lifts, amusement dancing in her chocolate eyes. “Sounds like your days are full of big-brother energy.”

I snort lightly. “You have no idea.”

A quiet settles between us. Instead of rushing to fill it, she lets her gaze wander around the cabin.

“Oh no!” she exclaims, and I follow her gaze, which has landed on the small potted plant I keep next to my couch. Its leaves are drooping slightly, and its color isn’t as vibrant as it was when I first bought it months ago.

“How long has your plant been like this?” She tilts her head to get a better look.

I glance over and groan quietly. “For a few weeks now. I’ve tried everything. Watering it, repotting it, even downloading one of those apps that tells you what’s wrong by scanning it. Nothing seems to help.”

She leaves her spot from the kitchen island to crouch down next to it. “Hi, little friend. Let’s check you out. Hmm… I think I see the problem.” Her fingers brush over the leaves gently, inspecting them with practiced care, before she touches the soil. “You’re desperate for more sunlight, aren’t you, little fella? And your soil’s a little too dry at the roots. You must be so thirsty.”

I blink, caught off guard by both her confidence and the way she’s talking to the plant. It’s absolutely adorable. “Seriously? That’s all it is?”

She grins, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. “Once you learn how plants communicate, they’re actually pretty easy to understand.”

I lean against the counter, arms crossed, trying not to watch too closely as she adjusts the plant, moving it to a sunnier spot by the large windows next to my front door.

“There you go.” She smiles proudly.

“So, you clearly have a green thumb.”

“Yeah, you can say that.”

“As you can see, mine are more of a…murky, questionable brownish-green color. Kind of like algae. I promise I don’t intentionally mean to host plant funerals.”

She laughs as I make my way toward the sink and pour water into a cup. I hand it to her, trying my best to ignore the zing of energy that travels up my arm as our fingers brush together. She makes her way back over toward the plant, and no I do not notice the way her hips sway as she walks, before her chin lowers toward the rescued plant.

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing you have a plant nurse next door for the summer.”

“Yeah, that’s a blessing, for sure. Because if it were left up to me, that thing would’ve been on life support by Friday.”