The Gardeners sure had their way about them. Father, mother, the son…now the sister. Difficult enough Richard Gardener boiled Ethan’s blood in more ways than one, now Sapphire tormented him. She stood a short way off, doing he knew not what. Staring at him. Watching. Willing him to break first, no doubt. He’d be damned if he would. Resolved to ignore her, Ethan carried on working. Five minutes became ten, maybe more. Time dragged. He started chewing on the inside of one lip, made himself stop. He gave her a view of his back, in case she saw the scowl building up on his features. Made no difference. She didn’t leave.
“You’re beating up the plant rather than tending to it.”
The sound of her voice so close behind made Ethan jump. First time in a long while he got a close look at her. Despit
