“In that case, I’ll be extra careful.” Aidan smiled before turning his attention back to the room.
She couldn’t help but watch as he walked around, his eyes taking in every aspect of the magical space. She tried to keep busy by arranging the table decorations, but her mind kept wandering back to Aidan.
She didn’t blame him for wanting to get back to New York City. Living here must feel like being in the middle of nowhere. But, for her, it was perfect.
Jackie hurried outside and grabbed another box of flowers. There were still a lot of things she needed to do. Thinking about New York and everything a big-city life involved wouldn’t get anything done faster.
As she was finishing the decorations on another table, Aidan walked toward her. “I’m glad I came in. This could be perfect for our fundraising event.”
Jackie wasn’t surprised he was impressed. In all her travels, she’d seen nothing like it either. “I’m glad you like it. What kind of fundraiser is it?”
“BioTech’s working on a special range of prosthetics for children. A lot of people can’t afford to buy the latest devices, so we’re starting a charitable trust that’ll pay for the prosthetics and all the follow-up care they’ll need. We’ll use the fundraiser to launch the trust.”
Jackie looked more closely at Aidan. Anything that helped children and their families was important to her, and this project seemed even more vital. “That sounds great. I’m sure Daniella would love to work with you.”
“I’ll talk to her about it. Thanks for letting me interrupt.” And, as quickly as he arrived, Aidan left the room.
Jackie hoped The Fairy Forest worked for what he wanted to do. Daniella would appreciate the extra business and, hopefully, BioTech would need some amazing flowers to decorate the venue.
And she knew exactly where he could go to get them.
CHAPTER2
Aidan’s breath formed small clouds in the frosty morning air as he jogged through the quiet streets of Sapphire Bay. Although it was seven o’clock on a Monday morning, there weren’t many people in town.
The general store was open and Mabel and Allan Terry would be there, getting everything ready for the day. Brooke and Megan were working in Sweet Treats. Even though the lights in the front of their store were off, he could smell the addictive scent of fudge and all kinds of cakes being baked.
He increased his pace and smiled. He didn’t know many people in town, but he’d introduced himself to the owners of the stores where he liked to shop. Luckily for him, Sapphire Bay had an incredible range of eateries and specialty stores that, for its size, rivaled anything he’d seen in New York City.
Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he looked at the other old-fashioned buildings lining Main Street. Living permanently in this small town might not be high on his list of priorities, but he enjoyed the quaint atmosphere and the freedom of being able to run wherever he liked.
As he turned into Anchor Lane, he spotted Jackie carrying a lot of small boxes inside one of the cottages. Her auburn hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her cheeks were flushed from exertion.
He frowned when he saw the store she was going into. Yesterday, she’d told him she worked at The Flower Cottage, but she was taking boxes into The Cozy Quilt Shop. He slowed his pace, then jogged in place. “Hi, Jackie. Do you need a hand?”
She sent him an easy smile. “The boxes aren’t heavy, but thanks for the offer. It’s great weather for a run.”
“I’m making the most of the weather. It could snow next week.” Hurrying up the steps, he held open the door for her. A few weeks ago, it would’ve surprised him it was unlocked, but not now. As soon as a staff member arrived at most of the stores, they opened the doors, happy for people to come in—even if the store wasn’t ready for customers. “Are you delivering some flowers to the quilting store?”
“Not today. The boxes are full of children’s knitting. My friend Shona owns the store, and she sells them for me.”
“You knit?”
Jackie’s blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “You sound surprised.”
“The only people I know who knit are my mom and grandma. And you’re nowhere near their age.”
“My moisturizer must be even better than the lady in the store told me.”
Aidan laughed. “You don’t look a day over twenty-five.”
“Thank goodness you didn’t say forty, or I’d be asking for my money back.” She grinned and rebalanced the boxes in her arms.
Despite what she’d said, he took the top two off her. She was right. They were incredibly light. “Where would you like them?”
Jackie nodded toward the large sales counter. “Just put them over there. After I’ve seen Shona, I’ll place them on one of the display tables.”
He should’ve known she wasn’t delivering flowers. The teddy bear and fluffy yellow duck designs on the outside of each box were a dead giveaway to what could be inside.
