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Dreaan to come by the nursery the next day But he didn&039;t She was certain he would come by the house before dinner But he didn&039;t

Nor did he call

She decided that after the night before he&039;d needed a break From her, from the house, from any sort of drama How could she bla, hard hands, bloody froet to her boys, then to her She knew all she needed to know about hirown to love and respect

Knew enough to trust hih to wait until he came to her

And when her children were in bed, and the an to rise, his truck rumbled up the drive to Harper House

This time she didn&039;t hesitate, but dashed to the door to lad you&039;re here" She threw her arht when his wrapped around her

"So glad We really need to talk"

"Co in the truck for you"

"Can&039;t it wait?" She eased back "If we could just sit down and get sos aired out I&039;ht"

"You ripped her hand, pulled her outside "Seeing as after you scared ten years offto h on that then, the way things were I&039;ve got so me to death"

"Maybe you don&039;t want to hear that I love you"

"I can take ti her, he lifted her off her feet and circled theanize oing to disorganize mine?"

"No question about it" He lowered her until her lips ht - in every possible sense," she said as she rested her cheek against his

"It&039;s over now"

"This one is There&039;ll be others" He took her hands, kissed theht of thetohell out of you And the boysLast night, when I saw her in there with theet to them - "

"I know" Now she lifted his hands to kiss his raollen knuckles "One day, when they&039;re older, they&039;ll fully appreciate how lucky they are to have had two such good men for fathers I kno lucky I aoodfor you"

"When was that?"

"On the way to Graceland"

"You don&039;t waste time"

"That&039;s when you told me about the dreaarden The blue dahlia"

"Then later, when you said you&039;d had another, toldSo " He reached into the cab of the truck, took out a srafted plant "I asked Harper if he&039;d work on this"

"A dahlia," she whispered "A blue dahlia"

"He&039;s pretty sure it&039;ll blooot a knack"

Tears burned into her eyes and san She kept pushing ht It wasn&039;t what I&039;d put there, wasn&039;t what I&039;d planned, noit up, it died It was so stupid ofthis one in instead We can plant this, you and arden around it That suit you?"

She lifted her hands, cupped his face "It suits ood, because Harper worked like a uess we&039;ll wait and see e get when it blooht" She looked up at hiave o-ahead to name it So it&039;ll be Stella&039;s Dream"

Now her heart swirled into her eyes "I rong about you, Logan You&039;re perfect after all"

She cradled the pot in her ar his hand, she linked fingers so they could walk in the ether

In the house, in the air perfumed with flowers, another walked And wept