Roses For Katie Read Online Free PDF Page B

everything.
    ‘You want help, you got it, lady,’ he said. With a fetching smile on his face he reached out and plucked several flowers until he held a small bunch of blooms in his hand. ‘And ‘tis for sure, these flowers will not be long before dropping their petals.’ His blue eyes twinkled as he handed them to her with a flourish. ‘Why not take them inside and enjoy them a bit longer?’
    Katie felt a slight wave of colour pass over her face. It was as if she had been given a lovely bouquet, rather than a small bunch of flowers picked from her own garden. ‘Do you have time for a coffee?’ she asked. ‘We can discuss what has to be done while we’re drinking it out here in the garden.’
    He nodded and Katie hurried off to brew it, delighted that he had agreed to help her. When she returned with two steaming mugs, the gardener was sitting on the garden seat with his long legs stretched out in front of him, and his hands clasped behind his head as he gazed around her yard. His manner gave the impression that here was a man with oodles of confidence; a man who knew what he was talking about. More than willing to hand over the total responsibility to him, Katie felt a great sense of relief that he seemed ready and willing to return the gardens to their former glory.
    ‘Now, then, just you tell me where you want me to start, Mrs... ‘
    ‘Turner,’ she said. ‘Katie Turner.’
    His face wreathed in smiles again as he looked her straight in the eye to deliver his compliment in his attractive Irish brogue. ‘Ah, yes, and for sure ‘tis a very pretty name you have.’
    She blushed again under his gaze and looked away. This man had a frankness she liked. He was a little bit bold, but in an acceptable way, and, of course, he had a bit of the Irish Blarney about him, which was nicely entertaining.
    ‘Right, then, Mrs. Turner,’ he said, replacing his mug on the tray. ‘The roses your late husband planted are bearing up, but the rest have had their day. The majority of your other shrubs are beyond help, I’m afraid.’ He heaved a sigh. ‘To be sure, replacing this kind of stuff is expensive. It’s going to cost a lot of money to buy shrubs and roses for a garden of this size.’ He looked around again as he spoke. ‘There’s so much to do here. You sure you got enough money? To spare, I mean… just for the likes of garden plants — roses and things?’
    ‘I can afford it.’ Katie’s reply was short and tart, and her smile left her face. How dare a stranger question her ability to pay for what had to be done? ‘You get it done, Mr. O’Reilley and leave me to worry about paying,’ she said, still smarting a bit. After all, it was none of his business.
    Quite unconcerned at the sharpness of her retort, Pat O’Reilley dug into his breast pocket and drew out a stubby pencil and a battered notebook. ‘Okay, then let me jot down some suggestions for you to consider.’ He gave her a quick glance from beneath lowered lids. ‘Tomorrow we can discuss them in depth.’ He pointed to the bed next to the one that Greg had planted. ‘We’ll start on your roses, if you like. Then we’ll pretty up this lovely patio. You’ll need a host of trailing plants for that trellis over there, too. For sure an’ ‘tis falling to pieces, so that’s got to be replaced.’
    Katie’s annoyance faded as she realized that she had misunderstood his concern about how much the work would cost. After all, he was probably being cautious for the sake of her pocket. Within minutes, her eyes were shining again as she was caught up in Pat’s enthusiastic description of how he planned to sort out all the problems.
    ‘Yes, and I want some fencing replaced, repairs to the gazebo, an archway for climbers, and… oh, yes, I’ve always wanted a large fishpond with some large fish, and a pretty fountain to go with it, and…’ Katie stopped when he lifted a restraining hand.
    With his head to the side, he winked and smiled. ‘Hold