Page 124 of Recipe for Rivals

Dusty

Puzzle level 100. This might be worse than the ocean around America

Nova

Nothing is worse than the ocean. We deserved to have a pattern, at least

Dusty

Agreed

She didn’t text me again, so I hopped in my truck to head to Pleasant Gardens. The late spring air was warm and fresh through my open window. We’d had a few rain showers over the week that had given the countryside a dewy freshness. Trees were green and the grassy fields didn’t seem too far behind. Bluebonnets lined the sides of the roads in rich blue pops of color. It was well into Texas spring, and I was here for it.

A woman jogging on the side of the road moved over furtheras I approached, her brown ponytail swinging with each step. I knew that ponytail. I slowed my truck until I was crawling just behind her and rolled my window down. She glanced over her shoulder and my face broke out in a grin.

Nova.

She slowed.

“Don’t stop,” I said. “I don’t want to mess with your times.”

“My times…are…crap,” she said between breaths. “How was this…so much…easier…in high school?”

“You probably hadn’t taken a ten-year hiatus.”

She shot me a wry look, then moved to a walk.

I had to stop the truck entirely and wait for her to catch up. “Want a ride back into town?”

Nova reached my passenger window and stopped, her chest heaving, hands on her hips. “And be all smelly in your truck? No.”

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “It doesn’t bother me. We can leave the windows down, though, if that makes you feel better.”

She looked from me to the road again. We really weren’t that far from Main Street. “Okay, thanks.” She climbed in, buckled her seatbelt, and shot me a tired smile.

“Did Gigi give you the morning off?” I asked.

“She gave me the day, actually. You know Ashley Hart, Jake’s wife?”

“Yes.” I’d known her since high school.

“Did you know she sells sourdough bread?”

“Yeah, it’s really good.” I drove slowly, but we’d made it to town. I pulled up in front of her apartment and parked the truck, then leaned back and looked at her.

“She came to my house Wednesday night to plan our end of season party, and we got talking about my potential cookie business plans. She was really on board. She has a booth at a spring market in Beeler tomorrow, and she offered to share the spacewith me since her other partner bailed. If it works out, we might be able to do it all summer.” She shook her head. “I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I just hope to break even tomorrow.”

“Nova, that’s amazing.”

Her smile widened. “I’m kind of excited. I baked nonstop yesterday, and I have a lot to do today to finish up.”

“I won’t keep you then.”

She leaned her head back on the headrest. “I don’t mind if you keep me for a bit. You heading to Beeler now?”

“Yeah. Do you want to come?”

She chewed on her bottom lip. “Are you going to see your grandpa?”

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