Page 116 of Hollywood

I grinned. “Deal. But you’ll have to wait a few months for that. I’m just planting winter rye for now.”

“Why rye?”

“It acts as ground cover and prevents erosion. Keeps so many weeds from taking root, too. When I till it in spring, it’ll mulch into the soil and give it a lot of extra nutrients.”

“Huh. Okay.” He motioned. “I’ve got a shed around back. I borrowed a few tools from the park supply for you.”

“Nina doesn’t mind, right?”

“I take tools out for work around the park all the time. As long as they come back, it’s all good.”

“Thanks.” I started toward the shed, then pivoted back as an idea struck. “I don’t suppose you’d need some help with that?”

“What?”

“Groundskeeping for Nina? I’ve been thinking about picking up some extra work.”

His bushy eyebrows shot up. “Doesn’t Ruby keep you pretty busy during the day?”

“I guess she does, yeah. Nevermind. Dumb idea.”

Ghost’s brow furrowed, and I could see the questions in his eyes. I hurried around to the shed to grab the tools. When I got back, he was sitting in one of the lawn chairs we kept for our cookouts, Ruby in his lap.

They were playing patty-cake. Holy shit. The guys would never believe it.

I pulled my phone out of my back pocket. Without looking up, Ghost said, “Don’t even think about it.”

How did he do that? The man was all-seeing. No wonder he’d picked up a nickname like Ghost.

I carried a spade and broadfork over to the plot I’d cleared for the garden. I’d spent a couple of days clearing weeds, loose branches, and rocks. The soil was damp. Good. Ghost had watered it as I’d requested, then. It would make it a little easier to till.

I dropped the broadfork and stabbed the sharp edge of the spade into the ground. The ground resisted, firm and compacted. I set my foot on top of the blade, giving me extra leverage to force it into the ground.

Ruby ran over. “Can I help?”

“Can you? I think you better. I just can’t do it alone.”

I helped her step up onto my foot, weighing down the spade as I pushed it into the ground. “Oh, so much better!”

It wasn’t, of course. But she giggled and looked so proud of herself that I’d gladly spend a little extra time tilling the garden.

“Okay, hop off,” I said. “I need to pull it up.”

Ruby hopped down, and I tilted the spade, turningover the dirt. I moved to the side, and we repeated the action. Ruby “helped” for a little while longer before Ghost interested her in a few fresh strawberries.

She settled herself in a lawn chair, eating the juicy berries while I continued to churn through the dirt. Ghost picked up the broadfork and began following me, pulling the prongs through the soil and separating clods of dirt.

“You don’t have to help,” I said.

“Got nothing better to do.”

I grunted, most of my energy needed for digging. Ghost was never one to demand conversation, though, so it worked well enough until we took a break.

I collapsed into a chair, raising my shirt to wipe my sweaty face. It came away dirt-streaked. I added laundry to my mental checklist. Hollywood always dressed so nice, in dockers and button-downs, or designer jeans with fitted polos. It made my jeans and old T-shirts look sloppy in comparison. The least I could do was actually keep themclean.

Ghost went inside and returned with a couple of cold cans of Coors. He handed me one.

“Thanks.”