Edith’s eyes lit up. “That’s exactly what we came to tell you, Zoe! I couldn’t stop thinking about those flowers after we talked yesterday.” She turned to Hank with an excited little clap. “Hank, tell her!”
Hank chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “She’s been up since dawn talking about them,” he said.
Edith ignored him good-naturedly and leaned toward Zoe, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “I remember a meadow up in the mountains. I must’ve been eight or nine thefirst time I saw it. It was blanketed in wildflowers, blue and white as far as the eye could see. Near a stream that ran down from the ridge. I haven’t been up there in years. These knees aren’t what they used to be, but you love to hike, don’t you, dear?”
“I do,” Zoe said, her pulse quickening. “A hidden meadow?”
Edith nodded, her eyes shining. “That’s the place I’d start looking. You and Jackson could do it together!”
“Now wouldn’t that be lovely!” Gertie said.
But Zoe barely heard her. Thanks to her mom, half the town would soon think she and Jackson were Maple Falls’s newest power couple. She had no idea what to do about that—especially when all she could think about was him.
The way his voice dipped low when he teased her, the rough brush of his fingers against hers, the quiet steadiness that made her feel like she could breathe again. It was crazy, really, how just the thought of him could leave her warm and restless all at once.
But they were just friends; he’d made that clear. What would he say now that everyone thought they were together?
FOUR
JACKSON
Saturday, March 8th
Jackson wasn’t seeing Zoe until later that afternoon when they’d planned to go over the Local Blooms project. But waiting suddenly felt impossible. He’d tried to stay focused, finish feeding the animals, fix the loose gate hinge, maybe even sweep out the greenhouse. But the truth was, he’d been glancing toward the road every few minutes, half hoping she’d show up early.
And then, like he’d wished her into existence, her little florist van appeared at the edge of the drive.
It bumped along the gravel path toward him, sunlight flashing off the windshield, a blur of pink lettering and flowers painted on the side. The farm road, lined with new daffodils and framed by the soft blue of a perfect spring sky, felt suddenly brighter, alive again in a way it hadn’t all winter.
This was his favorite time at the farm. The planting. The start of something new. Fall brought the pumpkin patch and hundreds of families out to the property every weekend. Christmas was just as crowded with the tree farm, sleigh rides, and bonfires. The spring was his downtime, an escape from allthe visitors on the farm. And it was much needed. Sometimes a man just needed space. A chance to breathe.
But today wasn’t one of those days.
One look at Zoe’s wild eyes, and he knew something was wrong—very wrong.
He dropped the rake he’d been using to spread fresh straw and walked out to meet her.
“Everything alright?” he asked, his tone even, eyes scanning her face. She looked flushed and breathless.
“No, not really,” she said, practically tripping over her own words. “I swear you’re gonna kill me.”
A flicker of amusement tugged at his mouth. He couldn’t imagine a world where he’d ever be mad at Zoe. Exasperated? Regularly. But angry? Not a chance.
“Go on.” He tipped his head.
“My mom came by this morning,” she blurted. “She saw me hug you last night at the flower shop and got the wrong idea. Now she thinks we’re a couple and she bet her entire vacation account on us winning Spring Fling Couple of the Year.”
The words tumbled out so fast it took Jackson a moment to process them.
“Your mother thinks we’re a couple?” he repeated.
Zoe swallowed hard and gave a tiny nod.
“And she bet her vacation account that we’d win?”
Another nod. “If it wasn’t for the money and how disappointed she’d be, I’d just tell her the truth. But the only reason she placed the bet in the first place is because she’s so sure we’ll win. She really needs the money. You know her health hasn’t been great. That’s why she retired. I want this for her so badly, and now I don’t know what to do. I just didn’t want you to hear it from someone else.”
Jackson huffed out a laugh, low and rough. “Zo, only you could turn a hug into a small-town gambling ring.”
