“You have to stop saying that, Bruce Wayne,” I protested. “We’ve been over this a half dozen times.”
“I trust you and Mason,” he continued. “The day I can’t trust either of you is the day I run off and join the militia group livin’ in the backwoods. Because if you two cook up some way to trick me, then the world is surely comin’ to an end.” He swallowed. “And anything I get from this business is way more than expected.”
Mason stepped to the side. “Okay. Then let’s sit down and have a look.” We all sat down around the table, and he went through the contract, explaining everything and telling Bruce Wayne and me where to initial and sign. When we were done, Mason turned to both of us with a grin. “Congratulations. RBW Landscaping is now official. I’ll have my secretary get the DBA paperwork sent to the state, and you should be ready for your new grand opening after the first of the year when you have your re-opening open house.”
Bruce Wayne stood and turned to me with a solemn expression and held out his hand.
I got up and looked him in the eyes. When I shook his hand, his grip was stronger than expected—another sign that this Bruce Wayne was a new man. “I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have as a business partner, Bruce Wayne. Here’s to a great beginning.”
His eyes twinkled. “If nothing else, it’s bound to be an adventure.”
Mason tucked the papers in his bag. “I need to get back to the office, Rose. Tonight we’ll talk about signing the paperwork for the nursery.”
That dampened my elation. “Okay.”
He leaned over and gave me a gentle kiss. “Mom will probably show up around six. Will you be home by then?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem. Will you be there?”
“That’s my goal. The sooner I get back to the office, the sooner I get home.”
I gave him a slight push. “Then what are you doing malingering in my office? Get going.”
He laughed and stole another kiss. “I love you, Rose Gardner.”
“I love you, too. Now get.” I gave him another push.
But the front door opened before he could get to it, sending a gust of cold air blowing in from outside. Neely Kate stood in the doorway, her cheeks pink.
“Neely Kate!” I called out in surprise. “How was your doctor’s appointment?” My best friend was in the first trimester of her pregnancy and had been fighting terrible morning sickness. She’d promised to call me after her doctor’s appointment, but I wasn’t all that surprised to see her at my doorstep instead. Bruce Wayne and I had only been in our new office for a week, and I swore she spent just as much time here as she did at the Personal Property Tax department. She hated her job.
“I’m stalling goin’ back to work.”
Mason grinned at her. “There seems to be a bit of that going around. How are you feeling?”
“A little better. The doctor seems happy.”
“Good. You take care of yourself. Rose and I have been worried about you.” He started to move past her. “Now I’ve really gotta go.” He glanced back toward me. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”
He walked out the door, and I watched him through one of the big picture windows as he walked down the sidewalk toward the courthouse. Then I turned my attention to my best friend as she took several steps into the office. “What did the doctor really say?”
Bruce Wayne cringed, blushing again. “I’m gonna go call the landlord about the fuse box.” Then he shot into the back room with his phone in his hand, not that I was surprised. Any time Neely Kate brought up her pregnancy, Bruce Wayne disappeared soon after. It was a wonder he hadn’t changed his mind about becoming my partner, given how much Neely Kate had come over to talk about her nausea this past week. Muffy, apparently tired of the back and forth, hopped into her dog bed by my desk.
Neely Kate beamed with happiness, even if her face was thinner and paler than usual. “I had an ultrasound today, and now I have an official due date: July 1st. And my grandmother’s tea leaves were wrong. I’m not having twins, thank heavens.” She scowled at me. “No thanks to you. I’ve been completely stressed out about it. All you had to do was have a vision, and I would have known.”
“I know,” I said, sighing. “But you have to admit, the last few times I forced a vision, the results were terrible. I almost had to watch Samantha Jo and Moose have sex, not to mention that I saw Skeeter Malcolm die half a dozen times. What if I saw something bad about you? I wouldn’t want to be the one to tell you.” We’d had this conversation several times over the last week since her grandmother had seen twins in her tea leaves. “Besides, I’m not sure why you were so worried. You said your granny’s tea leaves are wrong more often than they’re right.”
She gave me an indignant glare. “Technically, Carla Sue’s leaves weren’t wrong. Her husband was having an affair.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call relations with a sheep an affair.”