Nan is just as manipulative as Milly, Ryan learns, because Alex appears at the back door on Friday morning unannounced, and Nan declares that she needs them to work on the flowerbeds for her.
Whether she notices the awkward silence between them—and Ryan is adult enough to admit that it’s on his end, not Alex’s—or not, he can’t tell; she ignores it and puts them to work with the promise of lemonade and fresh baking by lunchtime.
Which causes her to retire to the kitchen, and leaves Ryan alone at the end of the garden with Alex.
Alone.
It’s ridiculously hot, and the weeding isn’t helping. Ryan doesn’t quite know how Alex stands wearing a shirt—maybe he’s bruised and didn’t want Nan to see, or maybe he’s trying to make Ryan more comfortable, or maybe he’s just Alex and his reasons don’t h
