Yet I’d let Rowan do this without question.

Granted, he hadn’t given me much choice in the matter. He’d just… gone and done it.

“Worked all night to get it done. Wanted you to come home to it,” Rowan continued, brushing some basil with his fingertip.

The fragrance of it scented the air, among the other herbs thriving in the greenhouse.

“Didn’t want you living in a construction zone while you were healing. And I wanted to have it done in time for Ansel’s arrival. From what you’ve told me about him, he seems to be into herbs and magic and whatever.”

My heart clenched, unable to handle all of this kindness. This thoughtfulness.

“You better be invoicing me for all of this,” I told him in a stern tone. Stern was all I could manage. Tears were prickling the backs of my eyes as it was.

Speaking of stern… that’s exactly what I saw on Rowan’s face. “You give me a cent for this, we’re gonna have problems.”

I gulped at his rough tone.

“This is a gift.”

I gaped. Opened my mouth. Closed it. Waited for the punchline even though Rowan wasn’t exactly a joking kind of guy.

“A gift?” I squeaked. “You cannot build an addition onto my house as a gift!” My voice rose then. “I mean, we’ve been dating like… a month. And this is thousands of dollars of material, labor…”

Rowan surged forward to clasp my upper arms. Not hard. His touch was featherlight, as if I were made of glass, ever since I woke up in the hospital.

“First, you’re not workin’ yourself up.” He scowled. “You’re gonna go sit on the sofa.”

“No!” I protested, rooting myself in place, even though my stomach was throbbing, and it was exhausting, standing for so long.

A muscle jumped in Rowan’s jaw.

“You cannot give me this as a gift,” I whispered. “You cannot give me everything I’ve dreamed of.” I looked down so my tears would hit the floor.

Rowan wasn’t about to let that happen. His finger lifted the bottom of my chin so I looked upward, into his eyes.

“Cupcake, this is my job.” He tilted his head toward the greenhouse. “I get deals on shit, pay Kip in beer, and get plenty of payment in all the things you bake for me. The way you smile at me in the morning. The way you sound when you come.”

I was still crying, but desire awakened inside of me. It was an odd juxtaposition.

Rowan caressed my cheek with his thumb. “You give me gifts every fuckin’ day, Nora, that are absolutely priceless. Let me do what I can to give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of.”

The tears ran quicker, messier, and I now had ugly little hiccups to go with them too. I was not a pretty crier.

That didn’t seem to bother Rowan. Nothing I did nor who I was bothered him.

The man was in love with me.