“I can hardly wait,” Holly exclaimed, feeding off the child’s enthusiasm.
Opening his door, she caught him when he jumped into her arms. Giving the little boy a big hug, she told him, “I love you so much!”
“I love you, too, Holly.”
Setting him to his feet, she took his hand, becoming aware of the stench that was surrounding the yard.
She glanced toward the chicken coop, seeing the chickens happily milling around. She reminded herself to go check on them before she went back to Tate’s house, where she was sleeping that night.
The outside of her home looked the same. She thought about taking a sneak peek, but Logan wouldn’t slow down.
“I kept Greer’s secret. I promised I would,” Logan proudly boasted as they broached the thick patch of woods behind the house.
Holly stared down at him. “So, it’s okay to tell me now?”
“I’m not going to tell you. I’m going to show you,” he said proudly.
Tate stepped out from behind a tree.
“We’re here, Uncle Tate! Can I show her now?”
“Yes.” Tate took Logan’s other hand. “Let Holly go first.”
“Okay. Did Uncle Greer tell you I kept his secret?”
“Yes, he did. We’re so proud of you. Go ahead,” he told Holly. “We’re right behind you. Greer’s waiting for you to tell us where to set the chairs.”
“At least far enough away from the yard that we can’t smell that terrible stench. What is it?”
“We think Greer may have interfered with the septic line when he replaced the toilet. I’m sure the smell will be gone by morning.”
“I hope so.”
“Come on, Holly!” Logan tried to tug his hand out of Tate’s grip.
“I’m going.” She plastered a bright smile on her face so she wouldn’t disappoint the little boy … and Greer.
Something Logan had said was nagging at her, but she couldn’t figure out what, and when she stepped into the clearing, any trace of what it had been disappeared.
Her pretend smile disappeared into one of astonishment. She forgot that Tate and Logan were watching her. What had been a clearing of broken limbs, rocks, and briars was now a beautiful field of daisies.
She gently parted the flowers that grew at different lengths so she wouldn’t crush any of them under her feet. As she walked, a stray gust of wind sent the flowers trembling as if they were so beautiful God was giving his approval. She reached out, touching them as she passed until she stood in the middle of the field.
She turned in a full circle to see the breathtaking sight. The delicate beauty of the flowers with the rugged mountains above them showed Greer’s love more than any words he could speak.
When she was back where she started, she saw the man she loved sitting on the fence under a huge oak tree. She had been so enthralled with the flowers that she hadn’t seen him sitting there.
“Thank you.”
Greer grinned as he hopped off the fence. “I’m glad you like them.” He started walking toward her.
“Be careful. Don’t hurt them,” she whispered.
Greer raised his brow, continuing toward her.
“You like them, Holly? Uncle Greer worked the longest time to plant them for you.”
“I love them, Logan. Thank you so much.” Holly didn’t take her tear-filled gaze off Greer.
“Logan, let’s go tell Sutton and Rachel how much Holly liked her surprise.”
“Aw, do I have to?”
“I think we should.”
Holly heard Tate and Logan moving back toward the trees.
“Uncle Greer and Holly need to be alone for a little while. You’ll understand when you get older.”
“Can we walk through the woods to your house? The driveway stinks like …” Logan’s voice trailed off as they disappeared into the trees.
She twirled again, still not believing that this spot was going to be where she was going to be married tomorrow.
“I thought I’d have to pretend to like it. I thought you would have put up a bouncy house.”
“I would have, but Rachel shot that idea down.” His grey eyes teased.
She looked around the field again. “I never realized this was right outside my back door.”
“I never realized the woman I had been searching for was sleeping under my roof.”
“There were more than walls separating us, Greer. I swear I didn’t know who Logan’s father was. Sam told me that his father didn’t care about him; that he had wanted her to have an abortion. She never told me her grandmother lived a few blocks away. She kept so many secrets and made me a part of them, too.”
“Holly, that’s all in the past.”
She gave him a slight smile. “A past that kept us apart. You would never have become interested in me if I hadn’t catfished you. You didn’t want me. You wanted Kentuckygirl.”
Greer’s mouth opened.
Lifting up a lone finger to his lips, she stopped him. “I don’t care how I caught you. I’m just glad I did. You may be the meanest man in the county, obnoxious as hell, put the fear of God in children and dogs, and you’re feuding with half the town.” She took another look at her field of daisies. She moved her hand away from his mouth, sliding it to the nape of his neck to tug him down to her waiting lips. “But my man treats me so damn fine.”