by Mary Manners
“They’re…going. I booked two clients this afternoon for late-autumn weddings and, after viewing a few of my samples, both asked me to create their wedding invitations.”
“That’s fantastic. I hope you said yes.”
“Of course I agreed to do it. We negotiated a price that we could both live with, and I’m in the process of adding that service to the website. One of the couples also asked if we knew anyone who could take engagement photos. They seemed an outdoorsy type. Do you have any suggestions?”
“I have an idea or two tucked up my sleeve. I might solicit your help with that, as well. But we’ll get to that later.”
“That’s what I’m here for…to help in any way I can.”
“I know, and believe me, you certainly have. I’m beyond grateful. I couldn’t run Diamond Knot Dreams without you. Today’s a perfect example.”
“You’re welcome.” Avery set the music box on the desktop. “Say, did you happen to leave something sitting on the stairs to the attic yesterday while you were rummaging around up there?”
“No. Why?”
“I found a music box just now. Right out of the blue, it started playing a tune. That’s how I found it. It was the oddest thing.” Avery twisted the phone cord around her finger, still trying to make sense of the anomaly. “Are you sure you didn’t leave it on the stairs outside the attic yesterday while you were sorting through all those crates? You worked for a long time. Maybe it slipped your mind?”
“I’m sure I didn’t leave it there. I would remember something like that.” She paused. “Can you snap a photo with your cellphone and send it my way? Hattie’s still here. Maybe she’ll be able to shed some light on it.”
“Sure.” Avery set the box on the desk where a beam of sunlight danced. She drew her phone from her pocket, snapped a picture, and sent it Lila’s way. “Done.”
“That was quick.” A beep sounded over the line, indicating the photo had already arrived. “Wow…you are a techno nerd.”
“Just one of my many talents. I can multi-task with the best of them. Speaking of multi-tasking, it’s been an interesting day, to say the least.”
“There’s more?”
“Yes. I met the little munchkin, Kenzie, who you’ve told me about. She’s a cutie, for sure, with those chocolate eyes and long blonde curls. And the non-stop spitfire of a personality…goodness!”
“Yes, that’s Kenzie. Did Jason bring her over from Outside Shots?”
“No. She sort of found her own way and then he meandered into the shop a few minutes later, looking for her.”
“And…?”
“And what?”
“And…just and, that’s all. I just thought…” Lila paused for a moment, as if considering her words. “Never mind. Speaking of Jason and Kenzie…that’s sort of why I called. My meeting with Hattie ran much longer than I anticipated and now I have to head to the drugstore for…a special item.”
“What sort of special item?”
“It’s top-secret confidential for the time being, but you’ll be the first to know when the time is right—or technically the second person…or third.”
“You’d better stop while I’m ahead, or I just might end up so far down the list that I topple right off. Then I’ll have to glean the inside scoop via social media.”
“OK, then, we’ll leave it at that.” Lila paused on a sigh and Avery pictured her on the other end of the line, receiver perched against one ear, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger in a sort of nervous habit. “Moving on…I asked Claire to make a few samples of wedding reception desserts and she overnighted a batch.”
“Claire? Our Claire?” Claire McLaughlin—their college roommate. “Is she considering coming here to work?”
“She is. We’ve had loads of requests for wedding cakes and sweet reception items. Who better to help us out with that than Claire?”
“Oh… her baking is heavenly.” The word had gotten out while they were in college and, during the two years they’d all lived together in an apartment just off campus, guys had flocked for a chance to sample Claire’s sweet confections.
“Don’t I know it? She’s still trying to work out a resignation at the law firm, so nothing is set in stone. But, I’m hoping…”
“Make that two of us.”
“Right. For now, I think she sent a sample package that includes some of those heart-shaped apricot-nutmeg cookies that you find so delectable, a variety of cupcakes—including her soon-to-be world famous chocolate-covered strawberry cupcakes. There are several stuffed hand pies—apple, blueberry, peach—fashioned in the shape of love letters, that would make great shower or wedding table treats.”
“So, what are your plans for them?”
“That’s where I need your help. Jason and Kenzie offered to be guinea pigs—”
“I’m sure they did. That’s quite an enticing assortment of goodies.”
“They’ve been taste-testing for a while now. Claire sends a different variety for them each week.”
“I’m always the last to know.”
“Well, consider yourself in the loop.” Lila adjusted the car’s console radio station and soft music filtered through the phone line. “Jason helps out by first snapping photos of each item that we’ll eventually showcase on our website—if Claire’s able to come. When he’s done taking pictures, he and Kenzie taste test everything and report back to me. I keep a list of their favorites.”
“Can I get in on this taste-testing adventure?”
“You betcha. That’s just what I need your help with. I promised Jason I’d drop the box by on my way home tonight, while everything is fresh, but I’m—”
“On a secret mission.”
“Right. And the box is sitting on a shelf in the break room fridge at the boutique. So I was wondering if you might swing by Jason’s place on your way home from Diamond Knot Dreams and deliver the package for me. Like I said, everything will taste—and look—best while it’s fresh, so I really don’t want to wait another day. Besides, I promised Kenzie and you know what that means.”
“Oh, I’d love to help you out, Lila, truly I would. But I don’t know if stopping by Jason’s place is a good idea. Kenzie mentioned they were in a hurry to meet up with someone named Sadie for an early birthday celebration. I certainly don’t want to intrude. Sadie might not appreciate that.”
“Oh, trust me…Sadie won’t mind a bit.” The words came on a soft laugh and Avery suddenly wondered if she had missed some inside scoop here. “She might even sample a bite of a treat—as long as it’s not chocolate.”
“Really, I don’t know, Lila…”
“Look, I’m desperate here. I promised Morgan I’d have a home-cooked meal on the table tonight when he gets home from the construction site and I haven’t even begun to get things started. And, I still have that secret mission at the drugstore. So, I’m not above begging you here. Pretty please with sugar on top.”
“All right, all right. I’ll deliver Claire’s goodie package to Jason and Kenzie—and Sadie.” As she spoke, Avery lifted the music box, turned it over, and gently wound the mechanism. When she set it down once more and lifted the lid, the melody sang joyfully. “Where do Jason and Kenzie live?”
“You know that farmhouse with the massive wrap-around porch that makes you drool every time you drive by it?”
“Yes.” Avery pictured the sprawling white structure with a porch just made for sweet tea and stargazing, set back along a sweeping, blacktopped drive flanked by blooming Japanese maples. Each time she passed by, the beauty stole her breath. It was like a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
“Jason and Kenzie live there.”
“They do? Oh, wow.”
“Exactly. Now, the baked goods are in a Fed Ex box in the fridge. It’s all bagged up and labeled. Just grab it and head to Jason’s before it gets dark.”
“But I still have work to do here. The website’s not finished.”
“It�
�s Friday, quitting time. Monday is another day, my friend. You can take another crack as webmistress then. But for now, as your boss and your friend, I’m ordering you to take some time off. Our schedule is clear for this weekend and Ginger will handle any walk-ins that may come along.” Ginger was the college student who worked part-time.
“If you say so.”
“I certainly do.” Lila laughed softly and then lowered her voice to a sincere murmur. “Have fun tonight, Ave.”
4
As she reached the winding blacktopped drive that led to Jason’s farmhouse, Avery almost turned back to the main road. She wished she hadn’t agreed to Lila’s request to deliver the box filled with Claire’s wedding confections. But helping Lila fulfill a promise was the right thing to do. She’d deliver the goodies and make a quick departure. She wouldn’t even shut down the Jeep’s engine in the process. She’d simply dash up the steps to the front door, hand off the cookies with a polite little greeting of some sort, and go.
Avery replayed the scenario in her head as she meandered up the drive. Yes, her plan would work just fine. Get in and get out. Maybe she’d even manage to avoid a confrontation with the elusive Sadie.
She rolled down the driver’s side window as she coasted along. The sweet, sugary aroma of Claire’s fresh-baked confections joined in an olfactory symphony with a hedgerow of lilac bushes that ran the entire length of one side of the sweeping porch. The scent of fresh-mown grass danced and swirled. The property in its entirety proved gorgeous in a keenly understated sort of way, with its serene palette of colors and lazy, meandering creek set back along the rear tree line. On a late spring afternoon, with the setting sun peeking through a ballet of limber tree branches, the beauty stole Avery’s breath.
No matter how many times Avery drank it all in, the pastoral view just got better and better. She could get lost here…simply swept away in the tranquil beauty of it all. She came to a stop at the top of the drive, beneath the shade of a century-old red maple and placed the car in PARK.
With a languid sigh, and completely against her better judgment, Avery lowered the passenger window to allow a cross-breeze and then shut down the engine. She settled back in the seat and, for the luxurious length of a full minute or so, inhaled slowly. Tension from the workday fled as she drank in the view.
Priceless…
“Miss Avery, Miss Avery!” Kenzie’s shriek of delight ripped through the calm. Footsteps clamored over wood planks. “I’m so glad you came to see us! Come say hi to our new friend. Her name is Sadie.”
Sadie? Avery sat up straight in the seat and turned toward Kenzie’s voice. What she saw made her laugh out loud. The elusive Sadie was a puppy—some kind of sheepdog mix and more fur than dog. She scampered playfully around Kenzie’s feet. A slight limp was evident in the dog’s stride as it played hide-and-seek behind the lilac hedges, and Avery wondered at the cause.
The front door swung open and Jason stepped onto the porch. He surveyed the commotion before zeroing in on her. A smile broke over his face. He waved and then crossed his arms, leaned back against the door jamb, and watched the scene play out with a guarded expression in his midnight eyes. The way the sun framed the length of him made Avery think he was a perfect fit for the house. A man, his dog, and a spunky child who scuttled about the sunlit lawn. Goodness, but it was too perfect to be true.
Reality came crashing down and Avery frowned. Where, exactly, did she fit into the scene?
“I suppose you’d better come in for a spell,” Jason called from the porch, his voice husky as he shielded his eyes from the setting sun. “Kenzie will have it no other way, now that you’re here.”
“I’m just making a delivery.” She lifted the box, securely ensconced in a shopping bag, through the open driver’s window like a peace offering. “It will only take a moment.”
“Is that so?” He eyed the bag warily. Avery supposed he was wondering if she was one of those women.
“It’s from Lila,” she quickly clarified. “The wedding confections that you and Kenzie offered to sample…? Lila said she promised Kenzie she’d make a delivery tonight, but something came up and she handed off the task to me.”
“I see.”
“She asked me to bring them for her—so she could keep her promise—or I’d never have come.”
“Is that so?”
Could the man not come up with more than a three syllable retort? Avery’s cheeks heated. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Jason was teasing her.
Avery lifted her chin. Sunlight filtered through the windshield to add warmth to her blazing cheeks. “Yes, that’s so. So…”
Jason stepped onto the porch. Sunlight and shadows danced over him. “From the size of that box, it looks like there are plenty of sweets to go around.”
“I don’t think Lila skimped when she asked Claire for this week’s sample. Does she ever?”
“No. And we were just about to have dinner.” A slight grin lifted the corners of Jason’s lips. His eyes held a twinkle that mirrored sun-dappled shale. “You’re welcome to join us, Avery.”
“Oh…I couldn’t.” Avery fanned herself with her free hand. What had happened to the breeze? Suddenly she was sweltering. She fiddled with the knob for the air conditioning and then frowned when she realized why it wouldn’t produce—the engine was down. She coughed slightly as she tripped over her words. “No…not tonight.”
“Why not?” Kenzie asked with all the innocence of a five-and-three-quarter-year-old. She dashed to the car and lifted the driver’s door handle, disengaging the latch so the door popped ajar. “You gotta stay. Miss Valerie brought over a pan of lasagna again. It’s yummy-good. She brought some last week, too, and ate with us. Uncle Jason didn’t ask her to stay this time, though. He said he was done dancing that two-step. I’m not sure what that means, because there was no music playin’. But Miss Valerie didn’t look very happy as she stomped off to her car. I’m glad she’s not eatin’ with us anymore. She wears way too much perfume. It makes the kitchen smell funny. But you smell good, Miss Avery.” She leaned in close to sniff Avery’s hair. “Yeah…just right.”
“Is that so?” Avery stifled a laugh, lobbing Jason’s favorite retort right back his way. He looked positively mortified, standing stock-still in the front doorway with his jaw hanging open like a cavern. “Well, I believe your uncle is practicing his fly-catching.”
“What?” Kenzie turned toward Jason. “Oh…that’s just his surprised look. Don’t worry, it happens a lot.”
“I’d say it does.” Avery pushed open the driver’s side door and slipped from the car. “You know, I am a bit hungry. A plate of lasagna for dinner sounds just about perfect. I think I may join you, after all.”
“Yippee!” Kenzie clapped a little happy-clap. “That’s fantabulous.”
Sadie ran circles about their feet, yapping excitedly. Avery took a moment to crouch and cuddle the little fur ball, careful to give the sensitive spots behind each ear a good scratch. “You’re precious,” she murmured as the puppy let out an appreciative whine. “I think we’re going to get along just fine, Sadie.”
“’Course you will. She likes you, Miss Avery,” Kenzie concurred. “She wants you to stay for dinner. Uncle Jason does, too. I can tell.”
Avery slanted a look Jason’s way. Was that a hint of a blush along his jawline or merely a touch of sunburn? He uncrossed his arms and jammed both hands into the pockets of his jeans. If the word perfect came with an illustration, she imagined it might very well be a snapshot of Jason.
“So, will you stay for a while?” Kenzie tugged at the hem of her blouse. “Pretty please with sugar on top?”
“Well, how can I say no to that?” Avery stood and took Kenzie’s hand, squeezing gently as she offered a smile. “It sounds like fun and I love lasagna—especially when I’m not the one who has to cook it. Will you help me carry this box of goodies?”
“Yeah.” Kenzie took the bag and looped the handle over her wrist. “She prom
ised to bring me some and Lila always keeps her promises. Do you keep your promises too, Miss Avery?”
“I try my best.” To prove the point, Avery had bundled her laptop along with the power cord and flash drive into the car before leaving Diamond Knot Dreams. She planned to finish building the updated website when she got home tonight. Because she’d promised to get it done ASAP.
Yes, a promise was a promise and she aimed to keep hers. But for now she’d enjoy this unexpected moment in time and see where it might lead.
Judging from the expression on Jason’s face, the possibilities were endless.
“Goodie.” Kenzie took off skipping across the lawn. “Come on inside then, Miss Avery. Uncle Jason was just about to say the blessing.”
****
Jason’s belly was pleasantly full. His heart was full, as well. Avery had decided to stay a while with him after dinner. They sat together on the front porch watching Kenzie chase fireflies in the front yard.
“I believe that sweet baby is tuckered out,” Avery said as she motioned to Sadie, who lay curled at her feet. The puppy had taken a real liking to her, which Jason took as a good sign. Animals seemed to have an intuition when it came to gauging a person’s heart. “She’ll sleep well tonight.”
“That works for me.” Jason drew a sip of his coffee and then set the mug aside and lifted his camera. “Would you mind to help me take a look at these snapshots? We’ll see if I did Claire’s goodies justice.”
“I’d love to, but if you’re not happy with the images then it’s too late to change them.” Avery patted her belly. “But I’m sure you did just fine.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
She shifted closer to him in the porch swing—close enough for their shoulders to touch. The zing of energy was unmistakable. A single glance Avery’s way tangled every nerve fiber and connected them in a way that made absolutely no sense to Jason. He’d never felt this way—ever.
He could hardly draw a breath as he lifted the camera and angled it so they could both see the viewfinder, but that single breath held the scent of apple blossoms that lingered on Avery’s hair. He longed to run his fingers through the silky tresses.
