“It was a long time coming,” Jackson replied.
Mrs. C. peered at them over her glasses. “I’ll say. Half the town’s been waiting twenty years for you two to figure it out.”
Zoe laughed a little too loudly. “Guess we like to keep people on their toes.”
Jackson squeezed her hand gently—a quietYou’re doing great.
“I’ll be, would you look at that?” Mrs. Bishop cooed. “He even holds your hand like he means it.”
Jackson’s lips twitched. “I do everything like I mean it.”
Mrs. Bishop’s eyes sparkled. “Mmm. I bet you do.”
Zoe nearly choked on air. “Okay, and on that note—why don’t you try some of Cassidy’s chocolates? They’re divine.”
Once the pair wandered off, Jackson leaned close, his breath warm against her ear. “You okay, sweetheart? You’re blushing.”
“Am not,” she whispered, even though she knew she absolutely was.
“Sure,” he teased, eyes glinting. “Want me to kiss the other cheek to even it out?”
She smacked his arm lightly, pretending to focus on rearranging tulips, though her pulse was sprinting. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“Can’t help it. You make it easy.”
Before Zoe could reply, Krista appeared, her grandmother, Alice, on her arm. Her grandfather, Walt, ambled beside them carrying a jar of wildflower honey.
“Morning, Zoe!” Krista said cheerfully. “Got your daffodils, I see.”
“Fresh this morning,” Zoe replied. “Hi, Alice. Hi, Walt. How are you two?”
“Oh, we’re fine, dear,” Alice said, her voice lifting with warmth. Her silvery-gray hair was pulled back into a neat low bun at the nape of her neck, and her crystal-blue eyes sparkled. “Though Walt nearly ran over my toes twice parking the car.”
“Only once,” Walt muttered. “And I missed.”
Krista rolled her eyes affectionately, and Jackson bent to shake Walt’s hand. “Morning, sir. How’s the honey harvest looking?”
“Good year so far,” Walt said proudly. “Brought some honey by for your brother to try. Know how well it sells at his shop.”
Krista leaned closer to Zoe while the men chatted. “By the way, you look adorable today.”
Zoe glanced down at her sundress, smoothing the skirt with a faint smile. “Thanks. It’s our first official couple outing—I didn’t want to look drab next to this devastatingly handsome man,” she said with a laugh.
Alice winked. “That he is.” She grinned. “You’ve got good taste, dear.”
Zoe’s cheeks warmed as Jackson glanced over.
“Oh, before I forget, I asked Gram and Gramps here about that mystery flower you were talking about,” Krista said.
“Old ridge blooms is what I used to call ’em. Bees used to go wild for them.” Walt nodded.
“Yes, the silvery-blue ones,” Alice murmured. “I haven’t seen them since I was a girl. Some people called them moonlight…something. It was such a romantic name. Such a shame they vanished. They made the best honey. Sweet and light, like sunshine.”
Zoe’s heart fluttered. “Do you remember where you last saw them?”
Alice frowned thoughtfully. “I can’t quite picture it now…but it was a lovely spot, high up in a glen. Always smelled like clover.”
As the trio moved on, Mrs. C.’s voice carried faintly from the next booth. “That girl Krista’s an angel, looking after her grandparents like that. I don’t know how she does it all.”
