He snorted. “Yep. It was pretty epic. Sage is going to love hearing it.”
I looked back once, at the building growing smaller in the distance, and then I let it go. The weight of years of wondering lifted off my shoulders. It felt good. By the time we hit the turnoff for Wildwood Meadows, my hand had found his again.
49
Lila
Three weeks later, the world finally felt like it had slowed down enough for me to catch my breath.
Wildwood Meadows had settled into that stretch of early spring where everything smelled faintly of wet earth and thawing pine. The snow had mostly retreated to the mountain ridge, leaving misty meadows reflected in soft gray skies and patches of green. For me, it was one of my favorite seasons because I could begin to stretch into those breaks of cloudy skies toward summer. It was a time to think about my garden and start my plants in my little greenhouse. It was for new beginnings.
I stood in front of the shop window, chalk marker in hand, updating the sign:
Next Book Club Pick Reveal — next Saturday!
It felt good to write it. Now, I was planning the nextevent instead of looking over my shoulder or checking the security feed every hour. We’d finishedThe Beekeeper’s Apprenticeby Laurie R. King, which I’d loved. It was a clever twist on a Sherlock Holmes story. No doubt I had a weakness for any kind of mystery … or bees. I wondered idly if I could persuade East to get me some hives this spring. Maybe he’d build me a few.
Inside, Chapter & Crumb felt warm and alive with the sounds I loved most: the clink of coffee mugs, Mia humming softly as she restocked muffins, and the chatter of customers. I had been back to my normal routine for weeks, and its rhythm had steadied me in ways nothing else could.
I wouldn’t deny that the whole situation with Derek and my dad threw me for a loop this winter, but things had settled down. I was proud of myself for getting through it, and I got a lot of unexpected help from the Holt family. Just thinking about East made me smile.
Sage was perched up on a stool on the nearest high-top, sipping her chai latte, scrolling through her phone. She looked every bit the part of the crazy plant lady. She was wearing overalls with clearly dirty knees and bright pink rubber boots, which I was pretty sure Kipp had given her last year as a joke. Sage always wore practical over fashionable. Her long-sleeve t-shirt was pushed up at the elbows and looked about two sizes too big for her small frame.
“Okay, hear me out. The next book club theme should be shifters,” she said. “Or spies.”
I rolled my eyes and passed her a plate with one oftoday’s Beekeeper Shortbread Bars. It was the last day of treats from this month’s book, and they had been my favorites. Shortbread cookies drizzled with honey and topped with crushed honeycomb. I’d been dreaming of them.
“The last two books have been codes and spies. So no. We’re switching it up. And no hints.” Sage loved mysteries and anything paranormal, so she was always pushing for one or the other. “Did you eat lunch?”
“Fine, no shifters for book club. I’ll read those on my own.” She rolled her eyes dramatically before taking a bite of her shortbread. “Yum.” She munched happily, humming for a few seconds. “These are so good. You should always have them. And yes, mom … I ate lunch. I think.” She looked like she was pondering for a minute, and if I knew her, she probably had forgotten. “Hey, I know. You could …”
“Nope. I already decided on a title.” I laughed at her. It was a smart move right from the beginning to leave Sage out of all the book club decisions. “And the shortbread is definitely one of my favorites. Now that Phiny is helping in the mornings, maybe we can start including some of the specialty items more often.”
Delphina coming home had been a real blessing for me. With her culinary skills, hiring her was a no-brainer. She arrived just at the right time. I had been exhausted from the pace I’d been keeping, and now, with her coming in early mornings, I’d get a little break to enjoy the shop. Phiny was already a trained chef, so it had been easy to teach her the ropes, and I trusted her. I knew she had hersights set on other things, but I would take her help while I could.
“We’re really glad she’s home for sure. It’s nice that she’s moved back into the farmhouse with Mags.” Sage’s nose crinkled a little. “I wish she would talk to one of us about what happened. I know she’s upset that things didn’t work out.”
Delphina had moved back home for now, which thrilled Maggie. Chloe had been talking about moving back in with her mom if she needed to, but it was far from the clinic, and she was on call some nights.
“She’ll talk about it when she’s ready,” I added. Delphina hadn’t said anything to me about why she’d left her job in San Francisco, and I was careful not to ask. “I know she really wanted her job there to work out. Being a chef in a big city would be a huge deal.”
Phiny was only a year older than Sage and me, so we had been in the same circles growing up. Wildwood Meadows was small, and schools here were tiny, to say the least. We all attended the same dances, rodeos, and football games. However, Phiny walked to the beat of her own drum. While Sage and I had found common ground, Phiny had been more comfortable alone when she was growing up. She’d had a chip on her shoulder, and no matter how much Sage tried to draw her in, Delphina hadn’t wanted to join us on our stupid adventures. In the end, we stopped asking.
Sage pushed some crumbs around the plate. “She would have been an asset for any restaurant. They’re dumbnot to have realized it. Putting yourself through CIA is a big deal. My sister is awesome.”
The Culinary Institute of Americawasa huge deal. Everyone was proud of her for making it through. Phiny had skills to spare that I could attest to. She was amazing at pastry, and I was sure that extended to the savory side of things.
“She’s awesome. I’m lucky she’s here. Honestly, I’m not sure what I would have done if she hadn’t shown up. I was exhausted. The whole business ownership is rough.”
“Preach.” Sage blew out a breath.
I knew she got it. We both loved it. Being small business owners was amazing, but there was so much involved that people didn’t really get. The responsibility was often overwhelming, to be honest. Not that I was ungrateful or would want to change any of it.
I moved back to the counter for a moment, helping some customers while letting Sage continue scrolling through her phone in peace.
Once the mini-rush was settled and I wiped down the counters again and restocked the case, I went back to Sage’s table. “So, if the book club reveal is next Saturday,” Sage easily picked up our conversation. “Then I need something to go on so I can make sure I have the right decorations.” She smiled at me as if I didn’t know she was trying to get me to make some kind of mistake and slip up.
“That’s true.” I’d prepared in advance (like always) so I knew exactly what to tell her. “I think I’m good on any flowers this time, but if you have any extra twinkle lights, I could use those.” I winked. “I don’t want to have to hitup the Dollar Store for them. Not even sure they have them after Christmas, but I bet my bestie does. I only have a few strings.”
