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Still looking at the plant, Cassie nodded "It has that funny hole in it"

"I figure that hole is about the size of a good-size pot So if you plant one blue river in that hole and the others in front of the boulder"

"It will look like a waterfall tu down rocks into a river Gray, that’s a wonderful idea" She gave hiht on the an crooning to the little plants

Gray stood frozen She had kissed hi to be tied down and hurt Not the way the other Queen had done

And not quite like a man-and-woman kiss At least, he didn’t think so It was done before he’d known it had started

He wouldn’ta man-and-woman kiss if the wo with him?

"Gray?"

"Huh?"

"Where did you go?"

"Huh?"

Cassie stood in front of hi a little puzzled

"You have the strangest expression on your face," Cassie said "What are you thinking about?"

Oh, no He knew better than to answer that question "Did you askbefore?"

Cassie studied hie"

Not half as strange as feot the plants"

"Oh There are a couple of woreenhouses and everything And there are two sisters who grow a lot of the plants Healers need for their brews and salves So when Shira and Ranon went to look at plants yesterday, I ith them And I found these"

"I’d like to take a look at what’s available," Cassidy said "Maybe we could go back to those places to or the day after" She wrinkled her nose "I haven’t been in the town yet; things have been so busy here"

"We?" Gray asked, wondering why his heart was feeling funny all of a sudden

"You and me Oh, and I suppose I’ll need an official escort as well just to keep everything proper"

"Protocol," Gray said, nodding "You have to set a good example"

Cassie rolled her eyes "I know you’ve lived here all your life, but you sound like you’re froood And stronger in a way he couldn’t describe

"I thought you could go with me," Cassie said "If you want to," she added

"I want to"

Her sh to dazzle the sun

"Daylight’s wasting," Cassie said She set the seed pots aside and held up her hands "Look A double shield over the skin and then heavy gardening gloves" Which she called in and slipped over her hands

"And your hat," Gray said

She wrinkled her nose at hi to swear at rinned

Cassie? Cassie!

Gray paused to watch the Sceltie’s dance of indecision Vae clearly had an opinion about Cassie working in the garden--Hell’s fire, the dog had an opinion about everything--but she wasn’t sure if her "perht," Gray told Vae, glad for the excuse to take a break Not that he needed an excuse Not with Cassie But he didn’t want to admit about himself what he’d been so quick to point out to her--soe couldn’t be healed all the way if you weren’t careful during the healing

He didn’t want her to know Wasn’t ready to tell her Not yet But he knew the warning signs and knew he needed to take soht," Cassie said She stripped off her gloves and held up her hands so Vae could see the hurt" Then she looked at Gray "But the hands have had enough work for the day"

He shrugged and s more to plant anyway"

"Was that deliberate?"

"Maybe"

She studied hireeen them Then she looked at the Sceltie "Did you come out for walkies?"

Theran said I ao outside for a while, Vae replied

"Nipped him, didn’t you?" Cassie said

Many ti

"I’ll bet he is" Cassie vanished her gloves and got to her feet "I want to take a look at the rest of the garden, get a feel for the whole thing"

"I’ll warn you now," Gray said "This is the best of it At the far end, the ground is overrun with soht back Can’t even burn it out"

"I’ll take a look" Cassie turned toward the house "What about that dead tree? Why didn’t anyone take dohat’s left of it?"