Love In Bloom

Before Sunrise

Scarlett groaned as her alarm blared at 5:15 a.m.

For a full minute, she lay motionless beneath her silk duvet, questioning every decision that had led to this moment.

"This is ridiculous," she muttered, dragging a pillow over her face.

No sane person woke up this early to look at flowers.

Then Liam's smug expression flashed through her mind.

"We start at six."

"Oh, absolutely not."

Throwing the covers aside, Scarlett climbed out of bed.

If Liam Hayes expected her to oversleep and prove him right, he was in for a disappointment.

Forty minutes later, dressed in pristine white sneakers, black leggings, and a designer sports jacket that had never seen a speck of dirt, Scarlett made her way toward the gardens.

The estate was unusually quiet.

The sun had only begun to rise, casting streaks of gold across the dew-covered lawns.

As she rounded the stone pathway, she spotted Liam.

He was already working, sleeves rolled to his elbows, watering a row of white roses.

Without looking up, he spoke.

"You're two minutes early."

Scarlett folded her arms.

"I don't like being late."

A faint smile touched Liam's lips.

"Good."

He set down the watering can.

Liam walked over to a wooden workbench and picked up a pair of brown gardening gloves.

He held them out to Scarlett.

She looked at them.

Then at him.

"...You're serious?"

"I usually am."

Scarlett didn't move.

"I thought we'd be discussing the restoration plans."

"We will."

He placed the gloves in her hands.

"But first, you need to understand what you're restoring."

Scarlett sighed dramatically before slipping them on.

"They smell like soil."

"They've been used."

"I noticed."

Liam picked up a small hand trowel and motioned for her to follow.

He stopped beside a flower bed dotted with stubborn weeds.

"Your first task."

Scarlett stared at the ground.

"You want me to pull weeds?"

"I want you to learn."

She crouched reluctantly and wrapped both hands around the nearest weed.

With one hard tug...

Nothing.

She frowned and pulled again.

Still nothing.

"Why is this thing refusing to come out?"

"The roots are deep," Liam replied calmly.

"So is my frustration."

He knelt beside her.

"Loosen the soil first."

Scarlett jabbed the trowel into the ground.

It barely moved.

She pushed harder.

The hard soil refused to give way.

"Why is this soil like concrete?" she groaned.

"Because you're fighting it instead of working with it."

She shot him an exasperated look.

"Do you always answer everything with gardening wisdom?"

"No."

He reached over, pressed the trowel into a different spot, and the soil loosened almost effortlessly.

"You were digging in the wrong place."

Scarlett stared at the ground.

"Oh."

She tried again.

This time, the weed came free.

A triumphant smile spread across her face.

"I did it!"

Liam gave a small nod.

"Only about three hundred more to go."

Scarlett's smile disappeared.

"You've got to be kidding."

He simply walked toward the next flower bed.

"No."

With a groan loud enough for the entire garden to hear, Scarlett followed him.

The morning wore on far more slowly than Scarlett would have liked.

Seven minutes after they started working on the next flower bed, she straightened with a groan and reached for her water bottle.

Liam glanced at his watch.

"Taking a break already?"

"I'm hydrating."

"You've been working for seven minutes."

"And?"

"Nothing."

Scarlett took an extra-long sip just to prove a point.

"I believe in taking care of myself."

"I can see that."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Was that sarcasm?"

"I'll let you decide."

With an annoyed huff, she screwed the cap back onto her bottle and returned to the weeds.

Another seven minutes passed.

She stood up again.

"My back hurts."

Liam didn't even look up from the roses he was pruning.

"Seven minutes."

"You timed me?"

"I didn't have to."

Scarlett sighed dramatically and took another drink.

"This is exhausting."

"It gets easier."

"For who?"

"For the person who keeps working."

She muttered something under her breath that made one of the younger gardeners bite back a laugh.

Determined to prove Liam wrong, Scarlett grabbed another thick weed with both hands and pulled as hard as she could.

It didn't move.

She planted one foot against the edge of the flower bed and yanked again.

The weed suddenly came loose.

"So did Scarlett."

She stumbled backward with a startled squeal before landing on the soft grass.

For a heartbeat, the entire garden fell silent.

Then several gardeners quickly lowered their heads, pretending to be very interested in their work.

Liam walked over and offered her his hand.

"The weed won the first round."

Scarlett looked at him.

Then at his outstretched hand.

With a reluctant sigh, she accepted it.

As he helped her to her feet, she brushed dirt from her clothes.

"Don't laugh."

"I wasn't going to."

She caught the tiny smile threatening to appear on his face.

"Your face already did."

The sun had climbed higher into the sky by the time Liam set his pruning shears aside.

Scarlett stretched her aching back and let out a relieved sigh.

"So... we're done?"

Liam looked at her.

"We're finished with today's lesson."

She smiled.

"Finally."

"Come with me."

Her smile faded.

He led her along a narrow path hidden behind rows of towering hedges until they reached a fenced enclosure tucked away from the rest of the gardens.

Scarlett stopped in her tracks.

"What is that smell?"

A pile of dried leaves, grass clippings, vegetable scraps, and dark, rich earth sat in the center of the enclosure.

She instinctively covered her nose.

"Oh, that's awful."

Liam walked toward it as though he couldn't smell a thing.

"It's compost."

"You mean... rotting rubbish?"

He shook his head.

"Future flowers."

Scarlett watched as he picked up a pitchfork and slowly turned the pile over. Warm steam drifted into the cool morning air, carrying an even stronger earthy smell.

She took one cautious step closer.

Instantly, her face twisted.

"Oh... no."

The smell rushed over her like a wave.

Her stomach lurched.

She pressed a trembling hand to her forehead.

"I don't feel so..."

The ground seemed to sway beneath her feet.

Before she could stumble, Liam was beside her, steadying her by the elbow.

"Easy."

"I think..." Scarlett whispered, squeezing her eyes shut, "...I'm actually going to faint."

Without another word, Liam guided her to a wooden bench beneath a large oak tree.

He disappeared briefly and returned with a bottle of cold water.

"Drink."

Scarlett took it gratefully, still breathing through her mouth.

"I can't believe that smell doesn't bother you."

"You get used to it."

"I never will."

A faint smile crossed his face.

"You said that about waking up at six."

Scarlett looked up at him.

"You remembered that?"

"I remember everything that has to do with this garden."

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

The breeze carried the fragrance of roses from the nearby flower beds, replacing the unpleasant smell of compost.

Scarlett watched Liam walk back toward his work.

For someone who claimed to care only about flowers...

He had made sure she was alright before returning to them.

She frowned.

"Who exactly are you, Liam Hayes?"

Liam didn't hear her.

Or perhaps...

He chose not to answer.