Jackson chuckled, stepping away, but Zoe’s face turned bright red. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater, pulling them down over her knuckles.
“No plans at the moment,” Jackson replied with good humor. “Zoe was just telling me about a legendary Maple Falls wildflower she’s looking for.” He smoothly shifted the topic.
Mrs. Bishop perked up and drifted closer, curiosity lighting her face. “What’s this about a flower?”
“Edith told me about it,” Zoe said, seeming more like herself. “She said it was a blue-and-white wildflower that used to grow in Maple Falls. She wants it for her wedding bouquet, and I’m hoping to bring it back to the town.”
Mrs. Bishop’s eyes widened. “Oh, I remember those! My mother used to call them Moonlight Kisses. Said they only grew in years when the spring thaw came early.”
Mrs. C. nodded, her brows knitting as she searched her memory. “They were rare even then. People said they brought luck or love, depending on who you asked. But they vanished decades ago. Haven’t seen them in ages.”
“Where did you see them?” Zoe asked, her voice full of hope.
Mrs. Bishop frowned. “Could’ve been behind the IGA.”
“The IGA?” Jackson asked.
“The old grocery store,” Mrs. C. clarified, rolling her eyes. “She’s thinking of the wrong spot. Those flowers didn’t like the town soil. I used to see them on the trails. I think the Northern Loop or maybe Cherry Blossom. They’d bloom low to the ground, in the damp moss near the stream.” She sighed, wistful. “It’s been years since I walked those paths.”
Zoe’s eyes lit up. “The Northern Loop and Cherry Blossom Trail,” she repeated softly. She thought she knew all the trails around, but she’d never heard of those.
Mrs. C.’s gaze softened on her. “If you do find them, dear, take care of them. Folks always said they had a bit of magic in them.”
Mrs. C. moved on with her cart, and Mrs. Bishop wandered after her, still muttering about the IGA.
Zoe looked up at Jackson, her expression filled with quiet determination. “I really want to find them,” she said.
“I know you do.” He loved the way her whole face came alive when she talked about them. The spark in her eyes, the flush in her cheeks. “You really love flowers, don’t you?”
“I do,” she said, her voice warm and sure. “Cherry Crush is not just a business. It’s…roots. My roots, planting something firmly here. And the flowers”—she gestured with her hands again, as if she could shape them from the air—“Moonlight Kisses? How perfect is that?”
Jackson found himself studying her, the sunlight from the tall windows catching the fine strands of her hair, turning them to gold. “Yeah,” he said quietly, a smile tugging at his lips. “Pretty goddamn perfect.”
She turned back to the books, scanning the spines for anything that might hold another clue, perhaps reference those long-lost old trails, but his gaze lingered. The thought of the two of them hiking those trails alone with the cool shade, the hush of the woods, and her laughter echoing through the trees, sent a thrill through him he hadn’t felt in years.
“Guess that settles it,” he said, voice a little rough. “Looks like we’ve got our next mission.”
Zoe looked up, eyes bright. “Yeah?”
“Hiking long-lost trails, looking for the Moonlight Kisses,” he said, holding her gaze.
Neither of them moved. The air between them tightened, humming with everything unspoken. Her gaze dipped—first to his mouth, then back up to meet his eyes.
“I guess we’d better start soon,” she murmured.
Jackson’s pulse kicked hard, every part of him wanting to kiss her again, properly this time. But she’d already turned away again, tracing a finger down a dusty spine as if she hadn’t just set him on fire.
And Jackson found himself hoping the trails they’d soon explore in search of the Moonlight Kiss would be long, winding, and completely deserted.
ELEVEN
ZOE
Monday, March 10th
Monday morning in downtown Maple Falls had its own kind of rhythm. The sleepy weekend hum gave way to the gentle bustle of shopkeepers unlocking doors, the hiss of espresso machines from the Pumpkin Pie Bakery, and the faint clang of the bell from a delivery truck. The air smelled of fresh bread, rain-washed pavement, and the first hint of blooming lilacs from the square.
Zoe paused outside her flower shop, catching her reflection. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders, still a little wild from the breeze. Her cheeks were pink, her lips lifted in a smile she couldn’t quite shake.
