Stolen First Times

21. My First Time Gardening

She tugged on her overalls and slipped on a pair of rubber gloves as she knotted her hair on the top of her head. She smiled at me, handing me a tiny shovel that fit in my hand and a watering can.

She clapped her hands happily. "Let's do this," she said with huge grin.

I pointed the shovel at myself with an eyebrow raised. "Wait, you want me to help you garden?" I clarified because for a second there I had thought that she was asking me for help.

Let me make this clear. I wasn't a fan of flowers or plants or dirt. I hated being dirty and worms were disgusting. This was something my mother liked to do, not me. I've never even gardened before so how was I supposed to know what to do?

But then she nodded. "Yes! This will be so much fun!" She announced as she practically skipped out the front door.

"Totally," I grumbled sarcastically as I followed her outside.

We dumped the tools beside the small, bare spot of dirt right next to our porch. My mom looked at our supplies and gasped.

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot to buy the tulip seeds!" She answered all dramatic.

"Okay...do we really need them?"

She put her hands on her hips, giving me a stern look. "Of course. It's a Fray tradition."

Since when? I knew I'd get in trouble if I asked so I didn't bother.

"Veronica, can you start smoothing out the dirt while I quickly run to the store to pick up the seeds?" She asked, folding her hands together as she pleaded with me.

I kneeled down in front of the patch of dirt and agreed to smooth it out or whatever. She bent down, gave me a quick squeeze, and hurried off to the store to grab some flower seeds.

It wasn't that hard to use the small, hand held shovel to move the dirt around, spreading it evenly in the space. I easily got the hang of it and was so concentrated on the task at hand that I hadn't heard anyone approach.

"Whatcha doing?"

Startled, I fell backwards on my ass and landed right in the dirt that I had just finished smoothing out.

"Jesus!" I yelled, placing a hand over my pounding heart.

"Nope, I'm Elijah," my obnoxious neighbor said as he reached a hand down to me. I swatted it away as I got up on my own and dusted myself off.

"Look what you did!" I accused, pointing a finger at the dirt that now had my butt print on it.

"Uh, hate to burst your bubble, but that's your ass in the dirt; not mine," he replied, drily.

"For the love of-"

Elijah swiftly took the shovel out of my hand and bent down, placing his knees in front of the garden as he began to spread the dirt around until it was perfectly flat.

"How's that?" He asked, flicking his head at the ground.

"Why are you here?" I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.

He looked up at me and gave me a brilliant smile as his eyes sparkled. "To win."

"Win what?"

"Your heart...and the bet."

I rolled my eyes. I knew he wasn't here out of the kindness of his heart. He was just trying to get me to fall in love with him which he just so happened to be failing miserably at.

"You know, it would be better if you weren't so honest. You should've just said that you wanted to help me; not win me." I tapped my foot on the ground and huffed a breath of annoyance.

"Hm, okay let me start all over again," he said, standing up and handing me the shovel just as my mother pulled in the driveway with two packets of tulip seeds in her hands. Elijah walked over to her and politely held his hand out.

"Let me take those for you, Mrs. Fray."

My mom's eyes widened as she shot me a look over Elijah's shoulder. I could've sworn she was crushing on him in that instant as she handed over the seeds. "Do you like to garden?" She asked him.

He nodded. "I have a garden in my backyard, actually."

Oh right. I had been surprised when I saw the garden yesterday at Uriah's graduation party. So, apparently the bad boy enjoyed gardening.

"Oh, how lovely!" My mother gushed. Yep, if she didn't like him before, she definitely did now.

"I would be honored to plant these for you," Elijah offered.

From behind Elijah's back, I waved my hands all around, trying to get her attention as I sliced a hand across my throat. I did not want him to help me with this. My mother caught my eye and winked as she said, "That would be great. Thanks, Elijah."

Once Elijah turned back around to face me, my mother fanned herself with her hand and walked inside the house. Traitor. I thought planting the tulips was a Fray tradition; not a Fray-Reed tradition.

Elijah cleared his throat and gave me the seeds. When my hands slipped over his to grab the packets, he clasped my hands tightly in his, trapping me. I raised my eyes suspiciously to his as he bowed his head, looking straight in my eyes.

"How about we put my two lips together with your two lips," he said, suggestively.

I didn't get what he meant at first, but I immediately felt my face heat up once I got the pun. Two lips--tulips. Very punny.

I yanked my hands away and stepped on his foot because I was so mature. "You're dirty," I said, disgusted, "No pun intended."

Well, at least I was a good actress. I wasn't actually grossed out by what he had said. Don't tell anyone this, but I had kind of found it cute and I had almost wanted to...put our two lips together. He didn't have to know that, though.

"Okay, then how about a poem?" Elijah asked with a grin.

"No thanks-"

"Roses are red, Lilies are white," he continued anyway, "We'd make a great couple, You know I'm right."

I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep from laughing at his cheesy poem. A giggle escaped as I tried to say, "Take your lame pickup lines and plant them somewhere else." I mentally gave myself a pat on the back for that quick one-liner.

Elijah smirked in appreciation of my comeback. "We could do this all day, Ronnie, or we could get down and dirty-"

I held up a hand. "TMI, Eli."

He chuckled and got to work on the garden. Before I knew it, he had planted the seeds as well as the already grown flowers my mother had bought in pots. I counted the flowers that were already grown out loud, pointing at each one as I did so.

"Wow," I said. This garden was already breathtaking and not all of the flowers had even grown in yet. "I can already see eleven beautiful flowers."

Elijah's intense gaze on me made me lift my eyes to his. "I see twelve," he said.

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