Page 82 of Love Among Vines

It couldn’t have been more different from the city. There was an absence of urgency. People lifted their heads to say hello. There wasn’t a pair of earbuds in sight.

A tingle hit her spine, and her breath caught in her chest. Could it be? She pulled out her sketchbook again and dug around in her purse until she found a pack of colored pencils. The lines of the buildings in front of her slowly took shape. There was the steeple of the church, the sunflower on the logo of Margie’s Café. Weathered brick and curving paths. Bins overflowing with apples and bulbous lights on lampposts. Sprawling green hills with pops of yellow and red.

A few minutes later, she snapped out of her trance and pulled back to look at it. It wasn’t done, and it definitely wasn’t perfect. But something about it resonated within her.

She hurried into the café with her sketchbook before she lost the feeling.

“Morning, Margie,” she called.

Margie waved from behind the counter.

“Hi, Jade,” Alex, one of the servers, called.

She waved back at him. Was this what it was like to live in a small town? Everyone knew your name and had a smile for you?

“Good morning, ladies,” she said as she passed the table of busybodies.

“Hello, Jade,” one of them said enthusiastically. “Hey, listen. You wouldn’t have an interest in joining our book club, would you? We usually read romance and meet once a month.”

She sighed. “I would love to, but I’m only in town to do the mural.” She gestured at the blank wall.

“And for Rett, of course,” another one said, staring over the rim of her bifocals.

“Right, of course. But we’re just getting to know each other. It’s a little soon for me to be putting down roots when he could get sick of me tomorrow.”

The second woman shook her head fervently. “He won’t. I can tell. That boy has a spring in his step that’s been missing for years.”

Oh, good. More guilt.

“I think he’s just excited about the new product he’s unveiling at his party.” Maybe some gossip would throw them off the scent. “Speaking of which, would any of you happen to have a picture of Rett’s grandmother?”

“Why, sure,” a third woman said. “Valentina used to be in our book club too, you know. I’ll bring it in tomorrow if you’ll be here.”

“That would be wonderful. I better get to work.”

“What does she want a picture of Valentina for?” the first woman called loudly.

“Hush, Ethel. It’s none of our business,” another said.

Jade smiled and confronted the blank wall of endless possibility in front of her. Minutes later, earbuds in and bopping to No Doubt, she studied her sketchbook.

Someone swooped in and kissed her on the cheek, and she almost punched them in the throat. Rett stood next to her, smiling a devilish grin.

“Rude,” she said, yanking her earbuds out. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry. I couldn’t resist. Payback for last night.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Oh, so you’re mad about me following your misguided rules?”

He leaned in to kiss her again, this time just below the earlobe. Tingles shot through her hands and feet. “We’ll see if you still think they’re misguided Friday night.”

She poked him in the chest. “Not fair. You’re distracting me at work. Don’t make me sic Margie on you.”

“Sketching out the mural?” He leaned over, one hand on the back of her chair. It was a little possessive, but nice.

“Yeah. Margie’s been hesitant to give me feedback. Would you mind taking a look?” She handed her sketchbook over to him. He wasn’t one to mince words, so any opinion he doled out would at least be honest.

He straightened up and flipped through several pages.

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