"Is that so. Well. Well. You come on by and see my gardens sometime. Roz can tell you where to find me. "
"I'd absolutely love to. Thanks. "
* * *
By noon Stella estimated she'd walked ten miles.
By three, she gave up wondering how many miles she'd walked, how many pounds she'd lifted, how many questions she'd answered.
She began to dream about a long, cool shower and a bottomless glass of wine.
"This is wild," Hayley managed as she dragged wagons away from the parking area.
"When did you take your last break?"
"Don't worry, I've been getting plenty of sit-down time. Working the counter, chatting up the customers. I wanted to stretch my legs, to tell you the truth. "
"We're closing in just over an hour, and things are slowing down a bit. Why don't you find Harper or one of the seasonals and see about restocking?"
"Sounds good. Hey, isn't that Mr. Hunky's truck pulling in?"
Stella looked over, spotted Logan's truck. "Mr. Hunky?"
"When it fits, it fits. Back to work for me. "
It should have been for her, too. But she watched as Logan drove over the gravel, around the mountains formed by huge bags of mulch and soil. He climbed out one side of the truck, and his two men piled out the other. After a brief conversation, he wandered across the gravel lot toward her.
So she wandered across to him.
"Got a client who's decided on that red cedar mulch. You can put me down for a quarter ton. "
"Which client?"
"Jameson. We're going to swing back by and get it down before we knock off. I'll get the paperwork to you tomorrow. "
"You could give it to me now. "
"Have to work it up. I take time to work it up, we're not going to get the frigging mulch down today. Client won't be happy. "
She used her forearm to swipe at her forehead. "Fortunately for you I don't have the energy to nag. "
"Been busy. "
"There's no word for what we've been. It's great. I'm betting we broke records. My feet feel like a couple of smoked sausages. By the way, I was thinking I'd like to come by, see your house. "
His eyes stared into hers until she felt fresh pricks of heat at the base of her spine. "You could do that. I've got time tonight. "
"I can't tonight. Maybe Wednesday, after we close? If Roz is willing to watch the boys. "
"Wednesday's no problem for me. Can you find the place all right?"
"Yeah, I'll find it. About six-thirty?"
"Fine. See you. "
As he walked back to his truck, Stella decided it was the strangest conversation she'd ever had about sex.
* * *