She huffed a sigh. “No flowers?” The disappointment was clear. “Of course, I have faerie lights. What kind of monster doesn’t? What color?”
Laughing, I went over the exact kind and how many I might need. Thankfully, it sounded like she had more than enough, which was great because I could use them around the bookstore on some of the shelves if there were extras.
“You and East are really leaning into domestic bliss, huh?” Sage waggled her eyebrows.
I pretended to roll my eyes. “We’re just… happy.” It was true. Life with East had settled into something quietly beautiful.
He still drove me crazy with how often he found new projects: fixing door hinges or trimming the porch rail, but it wasn’t about staying busy anymore. It was his way of showing love. Of taking care of me, and I couldn’t blame him for that.
I still caught myself watching him sometimes, and it would hit me again that he had become my whole heart
The door chimed, pulling me out of my daydream, and the man himself walked in.
“Hey, sugar,” East said, brushing a bit of sawdust off his sleeve as he leaned against the counter. His hair was damp from the drizzle outside, and he smelled like sawdust. “You got a sec?”
“For you? Always.”
He reached across the counter, catching my chin for aquick kiss. Mia made a dramatic gagging noise from the back.
“Get a room!” she called.
East chuckled, ignoring her as he took a seat on one of the stools. “You hear from Wade yet?”
“Yeah.” I slid a cup of coffee toward him. “He said the official paperwork came through this morning. The property out past the service road is mine. Completely finalized.”
“That’s good news.” He took a sip, his eyes warm. “We’ll have to go up this weekend. We can get the quad from Kipp and go ride it if the weather is nice.”
“That’d be fun.” I smiled. I’d gone back and forth about keeping it, and I still wasn’t sure. I already had a lot on my plate, but we could go check it out.
“How’s Phiny doing?” he asked softly enough that Sage couldn’t hear.
“Good. Quiet.” I didn’t bother giving him more than that. We’d been talking a lot about her in the last few weeks, but it was the same answer. I gave him a rueful shrug. All the siblings had been trying to nudge her, but she’d been a vault.
He set the mug down. “She stopped by the site with lunch, and she’s been helping Kipp up at his cabins. I think she’s just trying to stay busy.” He rubbed the back of his neck and frowned.
I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “She’s thinking about what’s next. I suggested she might want to talk to you.”
I blinked, unsure of where he was going with it. “She’sbeen amazing with the morning bakes. I’d love for her to keep doing that.”
“I’m glad she’s been working out. Especially because I get more time with you in the mornings.” That was true. We’d been making our mornings count. East was creative in bed, but my favorite time was the morning when he slid inside me and we found that connection right before we started our day.
“She was catering in the city.” He cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how you’d feel about maybe talking to her about doing that here. Paying you a cut for using the kitchen after hours.” He shrugged. “I’m not sure if she wants to … I just.”
“You want to help your sister. I get it.” I squeezed his hand. Oh, my man had the softest heart for his siblings. “That’s… actually a really good idea. You trying to turn Chapter & Crumb into a Holt family business?” Not that I’d charge Phiny if she wanted to use the kitchen.
He grinned. “Maybe I just like knowing my people are close.”
Warmth spread through me, soft and certain. “I’ll talk to her. She’s welcome to use the kitchen after hours if she wants to do catering.”
The bell chimed again as Janice, Marge, and Maggie came bustling in, their laughter filling the shop. “Lila! We saw the sign!” Janice exclaimed. “New book reveal soon?”
“Saturday,” I said, smiling. “You’ll have to come and see what we’ve cooked up.”
“Oh, we wouldn’t miss it. We’ve been trying to guessthe next book all week,” Marge said conspiratorially. “Is it another romance? Or mystery?”
“You know I don’t give hints,” I winked. “But maybe you’ll find a clue or two hidden in the shop this week.”
