Chapter 6: Summer Gardening

"But mom...." I said over the phone walking to the office.

"You can get along. I am sure Issac will be busy doing things that your grandfather wants to do. Besides, you have a lot of friends out there and you get peace and quiet working on your stories." I had asked my mom if I could come home because Issac was a jerk. She had chuckled, turned to father to relay what I said as I heard him laughing in the background. It only fueled my anger.

"Ok. I guess it's a large enough place." I said low. She giggled.

"That's my girl. Have a good summer. Call me or text me every once in a while." I hung up my cell phone and placed it in my back pocket of my shorts. I rubbed my head, turning to the door when it was opened. I held my breath as it was only Roger carrying a few books. His blue eyes looked up at me as I relaxed and smiled. He smiled, his blond head tilting as I walked over.

"Grandpa working you hard?" I asked him as he walked to the bookshelf.

"Not really." He said placing the books back where they belonged. Roger and I had spent two days alphabetizing the bookshelf and coming up with a system to keep them organized and better to find quickly. He had kept them that way. I stood next to him as his eyes shifted to mine. I moved my glasses up my nose as he put a book on the shelf. I was wearing shorts that stopped mid-thigh, ankle socks, and my tennis shoes. My T shirt was white and hugged my middle tighter than I would normally wear in public, but it didn't show anything and had a kitten on the front. Roger chuckled after placing the last book. He was dressed in jeans, shorts and a blue T-shirt.

"Where is your normal outfit?" I asked him as he turned to me.

"Well, I spent most of yesterday plowing that field you like to make a garden in." I gasped looking at his lower eye's lids. "I also went and got you the seeds you like to plant along with the flowers for the front and side."

"Did you really!" I exclaimed. He nodded as I blushed. "All for me?" He nodded again.

"So, I figured while Jim is out at the office, we could start up the garden and then the flowers." I giggled, feeling excited as I swung my arms around his neck, hugged him as he laughed. I let him go, grabbed his hand, and ran out of the room. As we turned the corner to go out back, I bumped into someone. I let Roger's hand go, lost my balance sightly, as a pair of arms caught me. I didn't need to look to know who they belonged to. I broke the contact then looked up at him, making sure my glasses were fulling over my eyes. He was wearing a pair of cut off shorts, tank top, and tennis shoes. The tank top didn't leave much for the imagination as his arms looked strong, his chest, that I can tell from the U shape of the collar line, had small black hair. I found myself wondering if they were soft to the touch or springy or....

"You're in my way!" I yelled at him irritated that I had bumped into him.

"You're in mine!" He yelled back, making me all the madder.

"I had this corner first!" I yelled pointing to the corner of the hallway. The way I had bumped into him, I had the hallway further than he did.

"That can be looked at from both angles!" He yelled back.

"Jerk!!" I yelled, taking Roger's hand, who had stood there watching and keeping quiet. I entangled my fingers with his as I knew it would catch Issac's gleaming eyes. "I made enough noise where you could have known I was coming! Come on, Roger. We have a garden to make." We walked down the hallway, my face red now as I noticed Roger looking back at Issac. We went to the back door as I opened it.

Together we planted the seeds, talked, and laughed. We decided to take a break after watering the garden. It took the better half of the morning as we sat under the apple tree drinking lemonade. He watched me, his elbows on his knees as his knees were bent, legs spread. I sat with my legs in front of me, my legs all dirty and dirt all over my clothes. He looked the same way. I looked at him through the rim of my lemonade glass, meeting his darkening blue gaze as I blushed.

"So, we just have the flowers to do now." I asked to set my glass on my lap holding it with my hands. I moved the ice cubes around the cup.

"Yes." He said low. "I picked a few of your favorites. Then Jim wanted some other ones, so I had to get them." I smiled at him.

"You went out of your way to pick pansies and snap dragons for me?" He nodded.

"I also have climbing flowers, a hummingbird feeder and...." I gasped, dropping the glass on the ground, went to my knees and shook his shoulder as he chuckled.

"You have a hummingbird feeder?" I asked even more excitedly.

"I remember you saying you loved the birds. I asked the garden place about them, and she gave me some tips and a book. I read the book all winter. She said there should be some around here. You just need to lure them in with colorful climbing flowers and feeders." He drank the rest of his lemonade letting me shake him excitedly. "I already have the climbing flowers planted." I gasped.

"Really where?"

"Around the house."

"Well come on!" I exclaim standing up, still gripping his arm. He picked up my cup as we walked to the porch. He sat them down, as he grasped my hand entangling his fingers with mine.

"They're this way." He said going around the house. We came to a checkerboard wood paneling as some flowers were growing under it already mid climbing. I let his hand go and went to the flowers, squatting down to look at them. They hadn't bloomed yet, but they were growing and climbing. "Up there is your bedroom window." I looked up and he was right. "The sun lands perfectly on them from here and if the hummingbirds come around you can open your window and see them." I smiled, touching the pretty green leaves lightly.

"Look out!!" I heard someone yell. I didn't get time to react as an arm was around my waist, I was twirled into someone's chest as I heard a loud clanking of metal. Protective arms were around me as my face was in the person's chest. My hands gripping the fabric. I poked my head out from the protective arms, one that was around my shoulders and the other around my waist as I looked up first at the blue almost livid eyes then at where I was sitting. The tall metal ladder laid sideways where I had been sitting. I heard someone running over as I just laid my cheek on the chest provided.