Free As Love Blooms by Lorna Seilstad

against the shed. Erik opened the shed’s door to reveal the shingles they’d be using. Reese heaveda bundle onto his shoulder and began the climb to the roof, and Erik followed behind him with a bundle of his own. They worked in silence for nearly half an hour with the steady ring of a hammer filling the warm spring air.
    Erik leaned back and wiped his brow with the sleeve of his shirt. “You’ve grown quiet, my young friend. Did Momma’s questions bother you? You know, she was only teasing about your Tessa.”
    “She’s not my Tessa, and yes, I know Sonja was teasing me.”
    Erik moved to the ladder. “We need another bundle, but when I get back, I want to hear about why your young lady friend was wearing overalls. There must be a story in there.”
    Reese grabbed another shingle. “There is, but for the time being, I think I’ll keep it to myself.”
    Thank goodness Erik honored his request, because if he’d pressed him, Reese probably would have spilled everything about the overall-clad girl who filled his dreams.

 10 
    Why Reese found himself at Como Park after church services this morning was a mystery even to him. A niggling feeling had surfaced every time he thought of the park, and he’d grown to appreciate those moments as coming straight from the Lord. But why had the Lord prompted him to come here today on his day off?
    Still dressed in his blue serge suit, he began a trek down Banana Walk. The fruit trees and other palms were adjusting well to being moved from the hothouse outdoors, even if the days weren’t quite hot enough yet to keep the plants truly happy.
    He paused to touch the soil of the ferns. It needed more water. He needed to check on who’d been assigned to use the pumper on Friday.
    After turning in the direction of the park office, he stopped on the path. Tessa? He watched the young lady approach. Gone were her overalls. They’d been replaced by an attractive ivory dress with a belt that accentuated her small waist. A huge matching ivory hat—decked with more silk roses than the east garden and bearing an enormous matching bow—dipped alluringly to the right.
    He whistled softly. Today Miss Gregory was all young lady, and if he were honest with himself, he’d have to admit he liked what he saw. A lot.
    But why was she here?
    Their gazes connected, sending a jolt through his chest. She flashed him a wide smile and walked toward him. “Reese, isn’t Sunday your day off?”
    “I could say the same thing to you.” He cleared his throat. Normally words came easy when he was with her. Why was it so hard to talk to her today?
    “I wanted to check on our garden. I know it’s silly, but I had a feeling I should come to the park today.”
    Chill bumps crept up Reese’s neck.
    “What about you?”
    “No reason.” Reese stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at his shoes. “Shall we go take a look together? Then maybe I can show you some of the other parts of the park.”
    She clasped her hands together at her waist. “Oh, Reese, I would love that.”
    “Good.”
    Good? That was the best he could do?
    He offered her the crook of his arm. She didn’t hesitate before slipping her hand in place. He covered it with his own and tucked her arm against his side, his chest warming at the contact.
    What was Tessa doing to him? No girl had ever affected him this way. He’d stepped out with more than one girl in the last few years, but none of them turned him into a blithering idiot. Tessa simply had a way about her that drew him in.
    She squeezed his arm. “I’m so excited. I’ve yet to explore the whole park.”
    “It’s twenty-two acres, Tessa. I don’t think we can explore all of it today.”
    “Then you’ll just have to promise me more days like this one.”
    For some reason the idea of doing that made him much happier than it should have. He’d better be careful or Tessa was going to have him under her spell by the end of the day.
    But magic was only an illusion,