Page 15 of A Touch of Spring Magic

“We should talk about the book,” Meghan said casually.

No we really shouldn’t.

“Definitely take it with you tonight, Chloe. Rustin can have it forever.”

“You are superstitious,” Chloe marveled. “And the book has chosen you. Rustin only needs it for tonight or a day or two.” She stuck out her tongue playfully. “I have my happy ever after. The book has decreed. It’s your turn.”

Chapter Four

Out of habit,Jessica was up before dawn. Usually she jumped on her Peloton, but she ached from the hours pulling and hauling weeds and debris yesterday even after a long tub soak last night. Since her new life would involve a lot of manual labor, she could probably cancel her gym and Pilates studio membership.

But add a bimonthly massage, so probably not much savings.

Did she need to relook at her budget? Make more cuts? Thinking about money, Jessica rolled out her yoga matt, did a few exercises to stretch out and then headed to the shower but paused. She probably didn’t need to shower before work anymore.

“Weird.” Jessica regarded herself in the mirror. “I’m one of those people who shower after work now.”

She probably didn’t have to put her work face on anymore except moisturizer and sunscreen. She could just imagine how that would go over with her mother.

“I don’t have to tell them today,” she reassured herself, but looping Grandma Millie in needed to happen soon.

She did a quick facial cleanse, moisturized and added her tinted sunscreen. No way would she economize on skin care. But she would no longer need to buy suits. Maybe she could consign a few in her collection.

“Better wait until you have the nursery open and money coming in,” she cautioned in a low voice. Great. She was also becoming someone who talked to themselves.

And she would no longer be buying lunch out or meeting for drinks after work.

She dressed in clothes she wore hiking with Meghan and Sarah—Mountain Hardwear brand stretchy pants and a thick, long-sleeve cotton T and multi-pocketed vest.

Finger-combing her curly mass of hair, she dragged it back into a high ponytail and walked downstairs.

Still dark. She made her usual protein drink, but instead of tea, she brewed coffee and retrieved her sketch pad from the antique desk that had been in the farmhouse kitchen for as long as Jessica could remember. She’d make a list of things to do in the next two and a half months first. Then she could run it by Meghan to see if she’d forgotten any legalities. Then when it was light, she could take some pictures of the few acres of garden between the house and the barn that she thought would be ideal as a show garden for potential customers eventually, but also a place to hold Chloe and Rustin’s engagement party or bridal shower. She’d have to nail that down eventually.

Sarah had mentioned hardscape. Jessica had pictured pea gravel, sort of like a Tuscan garden, and olive trees, but after putting voice to her dream last night, she knew she’d need to run any ideas by Grandma Millie. She’d already invested heavily in the greenhouse repairs, watering system, grow lights, and replacing many panes of glass. Then the soils, enrichment, aeration. It had all added up, but Grandma Millie had been keen and had asked a lot of questions, so she couldn’t have been planning to hand over the property to her son too quickly.

Jessica realized belatedly that she should have asked Grandma Millie more questions. Not that G. Millie, as Meghan liked to call her, was free with the information when she was not in the mood. As far back as Jessica could remember, Grandma Millie had co-opted the royal ‘never complain, never explain’ and had added in her own: ‘never deign to follow another’s path.’

So Jessica sipped, brainstormed and googled European and Asian gardens as the sun slowly rose. Then, because she was a little nervous, she baked lemon-raspberry scones—Grandma Millie’s favorite. And maybe she could drop off a scone for Sarah at the clinic and Chloe at the school.

She knew she had a tendency to be a perfectionist and hide her ideas until she was ready, but her sisters had had a good point. The party was for Chloe and Rustin and all of her sisters would want to help out. She needed to be more open. The farmhouse and gardens held all of their history. But not so open that she hired Brent Stevens. He could find his résumé boost and pictures for his website and social media with someone else.

*

“I was wonderingwhen you would come and find me,” Grandma Millie said mildly when Jessica arrived, slipping through the side door of Grandma Millie’s kitchen garden. She knew Chloe and Grandma Millie spent time on the herb and veggie garden spring, summer and fall, but Grandma Millie had a gardener for the two-acre lot that was heavily treed, shrubbed and flowered.

Jessica had dropped off a scone for Sarah and another for Chloe before heading to Grandma Millie’s. She’d expected to have to hunt her down, but found her sitting upright in her solarium, a small glassed-in room off the library.

“What are you doing home…and sitting down?” Jessica could hardly remember a time when Grandma Millie was home and sitting during the day. Usually she was a whirlwind of plans, activities and orders.

“Why are you here if you didn’t expect to find me home?”

Jessica was so shocked she answered honestly. “I saw you were home using the locator app. But I thought maybe you’d left your phone behind.” She walked fully into the room. She’d already plated the scones and poured out the raspberry and blueberry flavored tea she’d brewed at home.

“Spying on me?” A brow arched.

“No. Yes. I wanted to talk to you.”

She carefully placed the cup and saucer in front of Grandma Millie and then added a napkin along with the matching plate. “I made myself at home.”

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