“We’re dealing with a bit of a pest situation right now, so things are on hold. It frees up my day a bit.”
“Nice to have those every once in a while.” She gave a final pat on Waylon’s head before following her daughter back into the shop.
Itwasnice, J.P. supposed. He couldn’t really remember the last time he was forced to take a break. Sure, he could head over to the property and work on some of the outside tasks that needed taking care of, but truth be told, he could use some time off.
From construction. From the ever-present, annoying bees.
From Nora.
He’d stepped in it big time, but he wasn’t really sorry. Her reaction had been dramatic and knee-jerk. Nobody wanted to go around killing bees. He got that. But he didn’t have the luxury of time. And he thought it was a courtesy that he even included her in the conversation to begin with.
His heart quickened, and he rubbed his sternum.
Yes, he had needed to talk with her about the bees in the wall situation, but he had also really just wanted to see her. Check in and gauge how she was feeling. There was something vulnerable about her when she’d gotten sick. Her guard was down. She actuallylethim care for her.
It surprised him. Almost as much as his desire to tend to her needs had. He wasn’t sure where any of that came from.
But it was fleeting, she made sure of it with her unwarranted reaction to the current situation. One minute, he was a friendly neighbor bringing her get-well snacks. The next, he was a murderous honeybee hater.
That’s how things seemed to go with them. Hot and cold. Love and hate. Okay, maybe not the love part. Tolerate was probably a more accurate description.
J.P. looked down at his patient pup. “What have I gotten myself into, boy?”
Waylon’s block head cocked, ears perked.
“Morning, J.P.,” Chloe Loveland-Harmony hollered from her door one shop over, a wave and a smile meant for him. “How’s that adorable pup of yours?”
She stepped out from her store, Love Letters, and came up to greet them.
“Hopefully all tired out. Just finished up a five-mile run, but I feel like he could easily go five more.”
“I wish I had that kind of energy.” She absently rubbed her stomach, and J.P. knew enough not to ask, but assumed he read the gesture right. She confirmed it when she said, “This little one is taking all of it from me.”
“Congratulations,” he acknowledged, now more confident. “I hadn’t heard the good news yet.”
“It’s still early.” She left her hand on the roundest part of her belly. “Just four months. But we couldn’t be more thrilled. And as you can probably guess, Levi hasn’t stopped with all the bun in the oven jokes.”
“Goes with the job,” J.P. said with a large inhale. “What’s he baking today? Smells incredible.”
“Blueberry and lemon scones. They’re delicious, believe me. I’ve already tested out a trial batch. And by test, I mean I ate all of them.”
“I’ll be sure to stop in and grab some before he sells out.” He made a move to step forward and continue on home, but then caught himself. “Hey, I’ve got a random question for you.”
“What’s that?”
He looked past her and into her hand-lettering store with walls covered in one-of-a-kind illustrations and drawings. He’d gone in there a time or two for a last-minute gift or greeting card and had always been impressed with Chloe’s talent.
“Do you ever offer any classes?” he asked. “Like, for beginners. Basic how-to-draw tutorials and things like that?”
Chloe grinned. “I do. I’ve got one tonight, actually. It’s our second session, but it’s easy to catch up. We’ll be drawing animal shapes and working with pastels and watercolors. Why the sudden interest in drawing, J.P.?”
He swiveled his head in a shake. “More of an obligation than an interest, if I’m honest. Any chance you have two spots open?”
“I sure do. Starts at six o’clock. Feel free to bring drinks and dinner. It’s really casual, but we have a lot of fun,” Chloe said, pulling out her phone. “What names should I put down on the registration list?”
“Mine and Nora Paisley’s.”
It didn’t go unnoticed that Chloe’s mouth curved a little at the edge.
