“What do you mean?”
Andrea smiled at Jackie. “David said you’re bringing Aidan to the wedding as your partner. Good for you.”
Heat rushed to her face. “We aren’t going together, but he did ask me to save a dance for him.”
Paris’ eyebrows rose. “As long as he wears safety boots, he’ll be fine.”
Jackie laughed. “I don’t have to worry about stepping on his toes. He doesn’t know how to waltz, either.”
Andrea held the train of her dress in her hands. “There’s still a week to go. You might be surprised by what the two of you can learn in that time. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
After Andrea left, Jackie sighed. “It’s not what Andrea thinks.”
“Of course, it isn’t,” Paris said. “She’s only teasing you. But there is something sitting on my kitchen counter you’ll want to see.”
“Chocolate chip muffins?”
Paris nodded. “And they’re enormous. It’s just as well we aren’t worried about a few extra calories.”
“I’ll second that,” Jackie said happily as she followed Paris into the kitchen.
By the time Andrea returned, Paris had made everyone a hot drink to go with the delicious muffins.
As they sat in the kitchen, surrounded by love and friendship, Jackie felt a sense of belonging that she’d only dreamed about. Knowing she’d be there for her friend on her special day, working alongside Paris and the rest of the wedding guests, she couldn’t help but feel grateful for the life she’d found in Sapphire Bay.
* * *
The scentof freshly cut flowers filled the air as Aidan walked inside The Flower Cottage.
Jackie was standing behind the front counter, carefully arranging a bouquet of roses and daisies for a customer.
He watched from the back of the store as she smiled brightly, her words drawing a grin out of the woman she was speaking to.
Her auburn hair was pulled back in a loose bun, tendrils framing her oval face. She was in her element surrounded by the flowers Paris had bought at the market and it showed.
When the lady left with the colorful bouquet, he stepped closer to the counter.
“Hi, Jackie. It looks as though you made your last customer very happy.”
“That was Betty. She owns the best ice cream store in Sapphire Bay. Her mom’s ninety today and she wanted to buy her a pretty bouquet. What brings you into town at this time of the day?”
He grinned. “I wanted to tell you I’ve just signed a contract with Daniella. BioTech’s having the Christmas gala at The Fairy Forest.”
“That’s wonderful! I knew it’d be the perfect venue for what you wanted.”
“Hopefully, the charitable trust BioTech’s starting will make a lot of children’s dreams come true.”
“I’m sure it will, especially if you’re involved. Speaking of dreams coming true...” she began hesitantly, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her apron. “I’ve decided to open a knitting store in the cottage beside Shona’s.”
“Congratulations. What made you decide it’s what you want to do?”
Jackie picked up a pair of heavy-duty scissors and put them in a drawer. “My friends convinced me I need to believe in myself more. And what you said made sense. I already have plenty of customers who love my baby clothes and there are a lot of knitting groups around Flathead Lake. At the moment, there’s nowhere to go if you want to buy wool or any other supplies. What’s even better is that a lot of people want somewhere to sell their knitting. My store could help them, too.”
“You’d have a niche market.”
Jackie nodded. “That’s what I’m hoping, but it still hinges on making my finances work. I know it’ll be difficult for the first year or so, but I still want to have a life and be able to go out for the occasional meal.”
He knew how much opening the store meant to her. After learning a little more about her life, he also guessed that she valued the stability she’d found in Sapphire Bay. Starting a business was a daunting process for anyone, especially if they were taking a great leap into the unknown.
