She was just checking her phone for new orders when an email caught her eye.
It wasn’t just any email. It was an unread email from Eleanor Davenport.
Zoe stared at it, her pulse quickening. She had nearly forgotten about the message she’d sent weeks ago. It had been late at night, after she and Jackson had spent hours researching grant funding opportunities. She’d sent the half-hopeful, half-desperate message after she’d read about the retired CEO in a sustainability magazine. Eleanor Davenport had spent her childhood in the Midwest. After graduation, she’d built her company around eco-friendly practices and now dedicated her wealth to funding projects just like Local Blooms.
Zoe’s teacup sat beside her, steam curling lazily into the air. Whiskers hopped up onto the counter and nudged her elbow.
“I know, I know,” she murmured, absently scratching the cat’s chin. “It’s probably just a nice rejection.” She didn’t want to get her hopes up. But with the way her pulse raced and her heart hammered, she knew it was too late for that.
Zoe’s thumb hovered uncertainly over the screen. Whiskers’s tail brushed against her wrist. She took a steadying breath, and finally tapped the message open.
Dear Ms. Hart,
Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your vision for Maple Falls Local Blooms Project. I was impressed by the practicality of your goals and the heart behind them. An educational program for young people and tying in support for veterans is inspiring. It’s never too early to teach the next generation how to care for the Earth.
I would very much like to hear more. I happen to be traveling through the Midwest this season and could arrange to visit in the coming weeks.
If that would be agreeable, please let me know what dates would work best on your end. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Eleanor Davenport
Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.
Zoe quickly took a screenshot and was in the process of texting it to Jackson when her mom, Gertie, burst through the front door.
The bell jingled so hard it startled Whiskers from her perch on the counter. She shot Zoe a reproachful look before leaping down and padding off toward the back room, tail flicking.
Zoe hadn’t seen her mother with that much of a spring in her step in…Come to think of it, she wasn’t sure she’d ever seen her mom that springy, not since her arthritis had gotten so bad. Her health had been the catalyst for handing over the reins to Zoe. Gertie wanted to enjoy a little bit of retirement while her old bones still let her—her words. Zoe was just happy to see her mom relax and enjoy life a bit. Being a single mom to Zoe had meant long hours, hard work, and zero vacations. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how her mom had managed.
“What’s gotten into you?” Zoe smiled.
“Me?” her mom replied, a sparkle in her blue eyes as she smoothed back her silver hair. It was clipped short, showing off her favorite dangling turquoise earrings. “Nothing, why?”
“Because you practically skipped in here.”
“Well, if you must know…I stopped by yesterday.”
“Here? I didn’t see you.”
“No, I expect not.” Gertie laughed. “Through the window, sweetie.” Gertie pointed at the full-size front window behind her.
Zoe glanced out the window. Baskets overflowed with soft pink English roses, bold fuchsia peonies, vibrant tiger lilies, and sunny yellow daffodils. The arrangements spilled from vintage glass vases, old-fashioned milk jugs, and terracotta planters, each staged at different heights to create a layered, garden-like display.
“And what did I see?” her mother continued. “You and your boyfriend Jackson, cozy as can be. I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“Wait—what?”
“Oh, I know true love when I see it,” Gertie said adamantly. Zoe was too shocked to speak. “You two are going to win Spring Fling Couple of the Year. I just know it!”
The Spring Fling Couple of the Year was part of Maple Falls’s annual spring celebration. One lucky pair was crowned King and Queen, voted in not by judges, but by the whole town. Neighbors cast their votes during the fair, slipping ballots into a glittery box.
It was all about who seemed the most smitten. How in love, romantic, and downright adorable a couple had appeared that spring. People watched closely in the weeks leading up to the fair, trading whispers at the Cocoa Corner and jotting names on their ballots after seeing who held hands at the library or shared pie at the Maple Leaf Café.
Zoe had considered nominating her best friend, Cassidy, and her boyfriend, Liam, this year. The two had been inseparable since Christmas. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen two people more in sync—well, except for Madison and Zach, who spent half their time out at his farmhouse, making up for their lost years. But Madison and Zach already had a holiday planned soon, so she figured they’d want someone else to win.
In addition to bragging rights, the winning couple received an all-expenses-paid weekend getaway to a destination of their choice and a Maple Falls prize pack complete with a romantic dinner at the Cinnamon Spice Inn, a couples massage at the spa, champagne, chocolates, the works.
