Before the accident, he never would have moved to Los Angeles. Now, every reason why that couldn’t happen seemed unimportant. Whatwasimportant was Katie. He’d do anything he could to make her happy, even if it meant moving his entire company to California. He loved her more than anyone or anything in the world, and that was something he wouldn’t take for granted.
As he turned toward his truck, he sniffed the cold night air. The sweet scent of roses filled his lungs and left him wondering what was going on.
With a smile, he looked back at the inn. Maybe, in the mysterious way the universe worked, that was Katie’s grandma’s way of telling him she approved.
* * *
“I don’t thinkyou should be doing that.” Katie grabbed the sack of flour out of Diana’s hands. “The doctor said you have to rest.”
Diana scowled. “I’ll go crazy if I sit around the house doing nothing.” She pointed to the kitchen stool and the mixing bowl and spoons sitting on the counter. “After I’ve found the ingredients, everything’s ready to go. Before you know it, I’ll have fresh cookies waiting for our guests when they come home.”
“Ethan dropped you off on the condition you didn’t do too much.”
“I’m not.”
Katie didn’t miss the stubborn tilt to Diana’s jaw. Three days wasn’t nearly long enough to be bored, but stranger things had happened in the last few weeks. Thankfully, Diana’s broken bones hadn’t required surgery, but she did need to wear a walking boot and use crutches. “I don’t think Ethan imagined you baking for our guests when he left you here.”
All the fire left Diana’s eyes. “You have to give me something to do. Even Charlie is sick of watching TV with me.”
“I know it isn’t easy but, if you don’t do what your doctor said, your ankle won’t heal properly.” Katie looked around the kitchen. There had to be some way of making it easier for her sister. “If you sit at the kitchen table, I’ll bring the ingredients to you. You’ll be able to do everything from there, except place the cookie dough in the oven.”
The relieved smile on Diana’s face was good to see. “Thank you. I knew you’d help me.”
“Don’t thank me too soon. The kitchen table works equally well as an ironing board. You can iron the linens after you’ve finished the cookies.”
“That sounds perfect.”
Barbara stuck her head around the edge of the doorframe. “Chloe called me on Zoom. Do you want to speak to her about the exhibition?”
“Can you bring your laptop in here?” Diana asked.
“I can’t see why not. Give me a couple of minutes and I’ll be back.”
While Diana made herself comfortable at the table, Katie picked up the recipe her sister was going to use. “Chocolate, macadamia, and cranberry cookies? Are you sure you want to start with something this fancy?”
“It’s one of Megan’s recipes from Sweet Treats. I could do something else if you don’t have some of the ingredients.”
“I’d have to buy macadamia nuts, but that wouldn’t be a problem if you really want to bake them.” Taking a folder out of a drawer, she handed it to Diana. “After we’ve spoken to Chloe, look through here. These are the cookies I’ve already made for our guests.”
“I’m back.” Barbara placed the laptop in the middle of the table and turned it toward Diana.
After Katie sat beside her sisters, she waved at Chloe’s smiling face. “It’s good to see you. It seems like it’s been months since we last talked.”
“You can say that again. Barbara told me you’ve been offered a publishing contract. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. I’m still deciding what I’ll do, but it was interesting visiting the publishing house in Los Angeles.” Katie didn’t dare look at her sisters. She could already feel the weight of Barbara’s stare pinning her to the chair.
“And what about you, Diana? Barbara said you found a missing child.”
“We sort of bumped into each other. Luckily, Charlie knew where to find me when I couldn’t get home.”
“How’s the ankle?”
“Sore but bearable. What about you?”
Chloe sighed. “I’m busy organizing two more exhibitions and coordinating the restoration of another three projects. Sometimes, I feel like a mouse on one of those wheels that spin around and around but never go anywhere.”
Barbara frowned. “It sounds like you need a vacation. You should visit us in Sapphire Bay. If we have a spare room, you could stay at the inn as our guest.”
