Later that evening, she’d bring a bouquet to the cocktail club at Krista’s Hot Honey Hideaway. She’d promised to help set up for the summer kickoff, though she’d be skipping the margaritas herself.
Zoe pressed her palm lightly to her belly. It was too soon to say, too soon to know. But whether it was the flutter of new life or the ache of a dream still waiting, hope stirred beneath her touch.
Now, watching the sunlight spill across the rows of blooms, Zoe smiled to herself. Maybe what Krista really needed was someone steady. Someone kind. Someone who could keep up with her energy, and maybe even convince her to slow down every once in a while. Zoe grinned at the thought. A new mission: find Krista a summer romance.
Krista had stopped by that morning with a few jars of her new honey, made from hives near the meadow where the Moonlight Kisses grew. She’d been buzzing—pun intended—about expanding the Hot Honey Hideaway’s cocktail menu. But between her beekeeping workshops, her grandparents’ campground renovations, and hosting cocktail nights, Krista barely had a second to breathe.
Jackson’s school group grabbed her attention. The children clustered around him, their small hands smudged with soil as he crouched low to demonstrate how to press a seedling gently into the earth. His laugh rumbled warm through the space, steadying the group when excitement turned to chaos.
“Not too deep,” he reminded them. “Give it room.”
A little girl with a braid halfway down her back frowned, her tongue poking out as she mimicked his movements. “Like a baby blanket?”
“Exactly,” said Jackson. “You’re tucking it in so it feels safe.”
Beside her, a boy squashed his soil flat with his thumb. “Mine’s broken!”
Jackson crouched beside him. “No such thing as broken. Just needs another chance.” He scooped up a fresh seedling and helped the boy try again.
Zoe leaned against the doorway, her heart swelling at the sight. Her soldier—patient, kind, and full of quiet strength—teaching the next generation to plant, to hope, to grow.
Tomorrow they’d welcome their first guest at the veteran retreat. The new tiny house was ready: crisp linens, a vase of wildflowers, and a small welcome basket on the table. A place where others could find what she and Jackson had found here. Peace. Purpose. A chance to start again.
“Excuse me?”
A tall man stood in the doorway. He had dark hair, darker eyes, and a camera slung around his neck. His shirt sleeves wererolled to the elbows, revealing strong forearms lightly dusted with road grit.
“Joe Valerio,” he said, offering a friendly smile. “Eleanor Davenport sent me. I’m here to do a feature on the Local Blooms project.”
“That’s right,” Zoe said, pushing off the doorframe with a grin. “She told me you’d be coming. I just didn’t realize it was today.”
Joe’s gaze swept the greenhouse. “Couldn’t wait, honestly. She said this place was something special, and she wasn’t wrong.”
Joe snapped a handful of photos of the Moonlight Kisses glinting in the sun. “These are the famous flowers, huh? The ones everyone’s talking about?”
“The very same,” Zoe said proudly.
“Eleanor mentioned the legend. She said it was all about love, healing, and second chances. Feels like this town’s got plenty of all three.”
Zoe smiled, looking over at Jackson. “That it does.”
As Joe crouched to photograph another row of Moonlight Kisses, Zoe watched him thoughtfully.
“Listen,” she said, a new note of excitement in her voice, “if you’re free tonight and want to meet more of the Maple Falls crew, you should come to the Hot Honey Hideaway.”
“It’s by the lake, right?” Joe snapped another photo. “Kit told me about it.”
Zoe laughed. “You already met Kit?”
“I stopped by the bakery,” he said. “There was a Mrs. Bishop too. She asked if I was single.”
At that, Zoe laughed outright. Looked like she wasn’t the only one with matchmaking on her mind. “Eligible bachelors are a hot commodity in Maple Falls.”
Joe grinned. “So I’ve learned.”
“Well, if you want to hang out,” Zoe said, nodding toward Jackson, who was finishing up with the students, “no pressure. Stop by the Hideaway.”
Joe seemed to consider it for a moment before flashing a smile. “Sure, why not? I’ll see you guys tonight.”
