Zoe jumped, hand flying to her chest. “You scared me!”
“Sorry!” Cassidy grinned, joining Zoe with her mint-green trench coat and a scarf patterned with tiny bees. “I thought you saw me. You looked so serious, I was starting to think you’d discovered a new species of flower.”
Zoe bent to adjust her little orange tree so it caught the light. “Just lost in thought. Again.”
Cassidy handed her a small white box with a flourish. “Then you need sugar. My new orange blossom honey truffles. White chocolate ganache, rolled in pistachios for a pop of spring color. The honey’s from Liam’s farm shop, naturally.”
Zoe peeked inside. “They’re beautiful. I don’t even want to eat them.”
Cassidy winked. “You say that now, but one bite and you’ll propose to me.”
Zoe laughed. “Tempting. Liam might object, though.”
“He’d get over it,” Cassidy said breezily. “Now spill. You’ve got that dreamy ‘Jackson just texted me’ face.”
Zoe rolled her eyes, trying—and failing—to hide her smile. “I was just thinking.”
“Mmhmm. About his…hands, no doubt.”
“Cassidy.”
“Come on! I wouldn’t blame you. The way he looks at you, Zoe? It’s downright swoony. He’s all big, protective energy, like if anyone so much as looked in your direction, he’d handle it personally.”
Zoe wanted to deny it, but Jackson did have that big, protective energy vibe going on.
Their conversation was cut short, however, by Mr. Alders joining them in front of her shop.
His gray hair was neatly combed and he had a leather-bound book tucked under his arm. “I’ve got that book for you. Thought I could drop it off.”
“That’s so sweet of you, Mr. Alders. Here, come on in.” Zoe held the door open.
“I’ll catch up with you in a bit,” Cassidy said. “Don’t forget to tell me what you think.” She motioned to the chocolate box.
“I won’t,” Zoe said over her shoulder, following the older gentleman inside.
The scent of fresh blooms wrapped around them—lavender, hyacinth, and the faint scent of eucalyptus that was always present no matter the season.
“This place smells like spring,” Mr. Alders said, his eyes sweeping over the cheerful display of tulips and daffodils. “My wife loved stopping by when her health allowed it.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Alders, and that I didn’t know her well.” Zoe hadn’t paid any attention to the adults around her when she was in school, not many anyway, and then she’d beengone for so long that she couldn’t even picture Mr. Alders’s late wife. She felt bad about that.
He nodded, then carefully placed the leather-bound book on the counter. The cover was cracked with age, the pages soft and yellowed. Zoe’s fingers brushed the edge of the cover. “This is incredible. Are you sure you don’t mind me looking through it?”
“Not at all,” he said with a fond smile. “She’d be happy to know it’s in good hands.”
Zoe flipped the book open, the faint scent of dried petals and old paper rising up. The pages were arranged by season, each with a delicate bloom flattened and labeled in looping cursive.
As she turned another page, a blot of color caught her eye. Zoe did a double-take at the blue petals with a silvery glimmer and a white center, faded but still striking.
Her heart skipped. “This must be it.”
Below the specimen, an inscription read:Moonlight Kiss. Found near Willowbend Bridge, Spring ’86. Rare. Almost otherworldly.
She glanced up at Mr. Alders, excitement bubbling in her chest. “This is it! I can’t believe your wife actually found one.”
He chuckled softly. “She always had an eye for the unusual. Said it only grew in a pocket of land where the morning mist lingered the longest. Claimed it had something magical about it.”
Zoe smiled. “Maybe so. Thank you for bringing this by. It’s going to help so much with my Local Blooms project. I’m really hoping to bring this little local treasure back.”
