Page 28 of A Touch of Spring Magic

“We spitballed looking at the footage,” Storm shrugged off her question. “Spitballing now. All gardens need a focal point. Or several within defined areas. You want to set a tone, create flow, a visual and sensual feast and experiences for your guests.”

That sounded like it should be in a manual. Storm sent the drone up again.

“Yes. Here.” He leaned into her, sharing the screen. “I think this is where a maze was with some sort of stonework—likely a mosaic in the middle between with the fountain either at the center or the end.”

His enthusiasm was contagious, and Jessica leaned in to look. “The mystery’s intriguing, and you’ll have to make some decisions, priorities.”

“I just wanted to get all the dead stuff cleaned out so I’d have a blank slate. I thought that would best help me to clarify my vision.”

He was quiet for a moment. “It’s a lot of area,” he said. “You’ll want to have your nursery up and running by the party as well.”

She stared at him. Did he think she somehow had thirty-six hours in each day?

“Chloe’s party’s the priority.”

“Feels like, but having the nursery up and running is a solid marketing decision, and you’ll want to capitalize when people are wanting to fill in or switch up their gardens. Not the end of the season. Two birds one stone.”

“I’m not letting Chloe down by acting selfishly.”

“Not selfish to take care of yourself, as you are doing something for Chloe and Rustin. You’ve mentioned a budget. Money concerns. You get the nursery up and running, that puts money in your pocket. Having the water features as a focal point and the Tuscany theme, which is what it sounds like you’re leaning toward, will draw in visitors. Snag their imaginations. With hardscape and plantings you can have different paths lead to different thematic gardens or picnic areas, whatever you want, and you can feature plants that you will carry in your nursery.”

Jessica’s mouth dried. He made it sound so easy.

“The mosaic may be destroyed,” he said, “but the craftmanship back then was exemplary, and the stones and work have been protected from the weather by the overgrowth. Could be worth it to start a little excavation project along with the pond.”

Her heart leapt in excitement, but she shut herself down. She didn’t want to overextend, disappoint Chloe while she followed Storm on some archaeological adventure.

“Remember AP geology when we drove out to Chimney Rock and…”

“It was fun,” she interrupted. “But I’m on a tight timeline for Chloe and Rustin’s party,” she reminded him. “And a tight budget.”

“I checked out the barn,” he said. “It’s in decent repair. I could get it…”

“Chloe can’t have her engagement or bridal shower in a barn. She collects cats like she used to collect Happy Meal toys, but she can’t celebrate her love and future with a bunch of feral cats weaving in and out between guests’ feet. And what if someone is allergic? Or trips? It’s too rustic.”

“Chloe loved the idea of the barn.”

“I’m hosting the party. Not you.”

“I’m your assistant. Let me assist. And two heads are better than one, as are four arms.”

“You make us sound like a Hindu deity.”

“We’re going to need all the help and blessings we can get. Two and a half months sounds like a lot of time, but we’ll mow through it like grass. Lots of work, not so much time, and some days I’ll have to take on other projects to keep some food on the table.”

Her stomach churned. He was doing her a favor. Practically interning so he could build his future, and she was fighting to not cede an inch of control.

“I’ll feed you breakfast and lunch,” she promised—after all, she too had to eat. “And when we have a budget, I’ll supplement as much of your salary as I can since you will be saving me time. But we have a tight budget and tight timeline.”

“We need a master plan for the garden so we can focus where the party will be. I’d suggest near the house for access to the restrooms. I could build a pergola that leads to what we hope will be a mosaic anchored by the fountain and pond.”

It was exactly what she’d been thinking, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about that—yeah, we are on the same page or resentful that she wasn’t bossing it up as she should?

Jessica took a sip of chai to give herself time to think. She was at war. She wanted to wave her independence flag. Have the garden totally reflect her vision, but she only had the thin lines—an inkling—and the party had shoved up her timeline on at least the first section of her project. But Storm was making a lot of sense. And if she worked against him, then Chloe and Rustin’s party wouldn’t be the beautiful celebration she wanted to give her sister and her sister’s fiancé. And it also didn’t feel very good pushing back at Storm so much. He was trying to help—why she wasn’t completely sure, but he was doing her and her sisters a favor. And he’d come home to be closer to family. There was something so admirable, so appealing about that.

And that scared the snot out of her.

“I just—” She stopped, pinched her nose and closed her eyes. Then she shook her head to clear it. “I just wanted to finally follow my dream,” she said softly, not wanting to be a bitch but just to be understood.

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