CHAPTER NINETEEN
“I’m impressed, Jennifer,” Ronnie said. She stood with hands on narrow hips, gazing around the half-done garden with approval.
Maybe third-done.
“It’s taking a little longer than I expected,” Jenny said.
Ronnie’s weathered face creased into a smile. “It takes the time it takes. I know you’re putting the work in. It can take until Christmas for all the committee cares. They’re not planning their big fanfare opening until a Spring Fair. Festival? Some such nonsense. I stopped listening soon as I heard the word clowns.” They both shuddered. “I like the sign.” She nodded at Lila’s sign, which Jenny had okayed with Barbara to leave standing at the back entrance. “Although, I have some suggestions.”
“Want your name bigger?” Jenny asked.
“How did you guess?”
Ronnie’s name and that of the garden center was a fraction of the size of Jenny’s. A person would have to be crouching, and possibly using a magnifying glass, to read it. “It was a present from my friend Lila.”
“I like it. Like the branding. Order another one—equal sizes for the names, please—and I’ll set it up at the garden center. I’m already getting inquiries from people wanting to book you.”
“You are?”
“When you’re done here, we’ll have another couple of jobs lined up. Your days of working the till and watering the hanging baskets are over.”
Jenny beamed.
Ronnie gave her a critical once-over. “You should think about getting serious about the sunscreen.”
“I use sunscreen.”
“Switch your brand. I can see my reflection in your nose, it’s so shiny.”
“Gross.” Jenny grabbed the baseball cap she had in her backpack and jammed it on her head. She’d live with hat hair.
Ronnie’s gaze tracked up. She contemplated the cap. “My name’s not even on that one, is it?”
The cap was another branded gift from Lila. “There isn’t any room.”
“Fine. Then how about you get me one with my name on it.” She clapped Jenny on the shoulder.
“I’ll tell Lila when I put the order in for the new sign.” Jenny hesitated. “I want to say thanks, Ronnie. For making this happen.”
Ronnie shrugged. “I’m at a place in my life where I can take the risk. You’re talented. You’re young. I get that you were too scared to rock the boat. Starting anything new is a risk, even more so when you’ve only just stopped taking on water.”
“I wasn’t scared,” Jenny protested. “That wasn’t why I didn’t set up the business on my own.”
“You’d be a fool not to be a little scared. More of a fool if you let it keep you frozen in place, though. I’m always happy to give someone a shove when they need it.”
About to protest again, Jenny snapped her mouth shut.
“Give me a tour,” Ronnie invited, eyes twinkling. “We can see if it’s worth rounding up those volunteers the community center was talking about.”
Jenny felt proprietary toward the garden at this point. She’d done most of the back-breaking work of clearing already.
You know, the part where help would have come in useful.
“I don’t need volunteers. I’m managing on my own. I like doing it myself.”
Ronnie sniffed. “We’ll see.”
Jenny walked her boss—partner—around the site, pointing out where she’d prepared the ground for the raised beds, and where the children’s playset was going to go.
Even more impressed, Ronnie strode off with a spring in her step and plans to update the garden center’s website with a dedicated section for Jenny’s designs, along with lots of in-progress photos.
Jenny had turned back to work but hadn’t had the time to get started when someone called her name.
Dean came toward her over the stretch of lawn that she’d carved out and mowed in multiple sessions until it had a velvety nap that felt glorious to any hot and sweaty gardeners who decided to take a break and lie face down on it for ten refreshing minutes.
“Hey,” Jenny said, surprised to see him again so soon. She took in the tight line of his shoulders and the expensive sunglasses hiding his eyes.
The hair at the back of her neck prickled.
Dean rubbed his smooth jaw, then snatched his sunglasses off. He’d stopped a little too close to her, his loafers mere inches from her work boots.
Refusing to give ground, Jenny tipped her head back.
“I’ve been thinking,” Dean said.
Never a good opener.
“About Kate,” he said.
Worse. “Okay.”
Dean’s expression was an odd mix of irritation and reluctance. He shoved his hands in his pockets and paced a short distance away, then back. “I’ve heard rumors.”
“About Kate?”
Dean gave a scornful laugh. “No. About you.”
“I don’t—”
“And Derek Tate.”
Jenny’s lips tightened. “Rumors.”
“Yeah, rumors.”
“Where are you hearing these rumors?”
He twitched his shoulders. “Around.”
“Is that for real, Dean, or have you been stewing on what Kate said when you dropped around uninvited, unannounced, and unwanted at the weekend?”
“What does it matter? Either way, he’s in your life. Isn’t he?”
“I’m friends with Derek, yes. Which has absolutely nothing to do with you.”
“But it has something to do with Kate. If he’s in your life, he’s in her life, too.” Dean stopped in front of her again. “I heard he took her to her first day of school.”
“He gave us a ride. My car broke down. Where did you even hear that?”
“Megan’s.”
Jenny scanned his face. He was working himself up to something. Don’t, Dean. Please don’t.
He rubbed his jaw again, then firmed it and looked down at her from his greater height. “I was all right with you having full custody when it was you, on your own. If you’re going to date, I’m going to have to reconsider my position.”
Dread hollowed out Jenny’s stomach with a swift, efficient punch. Anger wasn’t far behind. “You’re kidding me.”
“No.”
“Is this jealousy, Dean? Because I can’t understand why out of nowhere you—”
“It’s not out of nowhere.”
“Nowhere! Kate’s seen you twice since you left us. And what is this ‘if you’re going to date’? What does me dating have to do with you?”
“If you’re bringing men into Kate’s life—”
“‘Bringing men’? It’s Derek! One man.”
“I guess I never expected you to…you know.” He made a frustrated noise.
“What?” Jenny demanded. “Move on?”
Dean started to shake his head, then changed it to an abrupt nod.
“You moved on, Dean.”
“I wasn’t any good for you, either of you. It was the right thing to do.”
Debatable. “You moved on. Kate and I moved on, too. We were supposed to move on. This is the way it’s supposed to be.”
“I get that. I don’t know how I feel about you moving on in a Derek Tate kind of direction, is all. I mean, Tate? He’s got a pierced eyebrow, Jenny.”
Jenny grinned. “That he has.”
Dean glared at her. “You’re smiling because you like it, right?”
“I’m not discussing Derek’s piercings with you, Dean. I don’t want to discuss anything with you right now. Go away.”
Dean made his frustrated noise again.
“I am allowing you access to Kate even though I have no legal or moral obligation to,” Jenny said. His eyes narrowed as she continued, “It doesn’t give you a right to tell me who I can have as a friend.”
“Maybe I need to look into my rights.”
“You signed them away, and then you walked away. You didn’t want the responsibility of a child, and you sure as shit didn’t have the money to support her. Now you should think about leaving while you’re ahead and before you really piss me off.” Jenny lifted her chin to gesture over his shoulder. “Unless you want to stick around and say hi to Lila.”
Dean whirled around.
Lila and Elle, who were meeting Jenny for lunch, had appeared at the other side of the building.
Lila stopped, an arm out and barring Elle’s way.
As they watched, she thrust the lattes she was carrying at Elle, never taking her eyes off Jenny and Dean.
“Hi, guys!” Jenny waved, then pointed at Dean. “Look who’s here!”
Lila bent a leg, caught her ankle in one hand and used the other to very slowly remove one of her stilettos.
“I think Lila’s excited to see you,” Jenny told Dean.
Lila dropped the shoe, then removed the other one. She’d lost four inches in height, but it didn’t put a dent in the waves of danger rolling off her as she shimmied her tight pencil skirt an inch or two above her knees.
Dean turned his back on Lila—brave man—to say to Jenny, “I’ll go. But we’re not done talking about this.”
“We’re done,” Jenny said. Then, “Uh-oh. Now she’s running.”
Without looking behind him, Dean strode off, sliding his sunglasses on and trying to look casual about it, but fooling no one.
As Lila attempted to streak past her, skirt rucked up to mid-thigh, Jenny put out a hand and dragged her to a halt.
“What the hell is that loser doing here?” Lila screeched.
“Leaving,” Jenny said firmly.