Page 100 of You Found Me
She demonstrated by holding her arms wide.
“Go for it.”
“Great, because they’ll look perfect in the living room. Oh, and they’ll totally match the curtains in the kitchen. It could use a little brightening after what I did to it this morning.” Della plucked at a nearby stalk. “Let’s start with this one.”
He dutifully cut the stem, then followed her up and down the rows, hunting for the perfect specimens.
It was easy to forget there were other people out here. The sunflowers spanned several acres, and they’d grown tall and thick. It was just the two of them walking through a field of yellow and green.
There was nothing to threaten them. Not today.
“Why does Rachel want you to sell your house so badly?” Della asked as she arranged the flowers in her arms.
He frowned, momentarily lost at the change of subject. Then his conversation with his ex came back. “She thinks she can turn back time.”
Della picked another flower for him to cut. “I don’t see how you selling your house helps her do that.”
“She doesn’t just want to sell it. She wants to buy it. She’s always loved that house.”
Della studied the flower he liberated. “The house? Or someone who lived there?”
He grunted. “She loved an idea.”
“Hmm.” Della sounded dubious. “So this idea she’s in love with is never going to become reality?”
“Meaning?”
“She won’t ever get you to change your mind about her…idea?”
“Hell no.”
Della looked extremely satisfied with his answer. “Good. Because Lucy promised your brother she’d burn the place down before we’d let her have it.”
He barked out a laugh. “How’d he take that?”
“Oh, he doesn’t want you to sell, either. I doubt anybody does except Rachel.” She pointed at a bloom so large it would cover her chest. “That one. Definitely.”
He reached in to cut the thicker stalk. “Not sure this will fit in the truck.”
“Did you know Mason mows the lawn and trims the bushes at the house every Saturday? He only stopped when we got here. He wasn’t sure you’d want him to come over.”
Surprise shot through Ward. “Thought Dad was paying a service, not Mason. Surprised he doesn’t want me to sell. It would be less work for him.”
“I’m not surprised at all. You should hear him talk about it. He loves that house.” She gave him a sly glance. “It’s yours.”
“It’s Mom’s house.”
“Not to him.”
They walked a little further down an extra-long row in silence.
Della paused at a clump of medium sized stalks. "Why are you holding on to it so tight? I mean, I know why I would. But why areyou? Oh, I love this one.” She tweaked the stalk toward her. The flower was more red than gold. "Look, it matches my hair.”
Her question made him uncomfortable, so he didn’t answer it. “Your hair’s a lot brighter.”
She pulled a handful of her curls out straight and tried to eyeball them. “Really? I can’t see. I’ll take your word for it. Anyway, let’s take this one. And don’t think I didn’t notice you avoiding the subject. I see you, Warden.”
She gave him a knowing look.