Page 33 of A Touch of Spring Magic

“Leila being so generous with her time, sure I’d get it stuck.”

Jessica, though she wasn’t eating anything, felt like she had a lump in her throat. She’d always seen the world as win or lose. Probably why her father had inherited two failing mills and a changing industry economy and turned it around so he was now quite wealthy and had utterly transformed his company and economic bottom line.

“I always saw you as golden,” she mused. “Everyone did.”

“By high school my reading and comprehension issues had smoothed out. After getting essays back drenched in red and what I perceived as snark, my grades climbed back up. Sports was back on then I was…golden.”

That smile again. The one that creased his cheeks. He had been golden. And kind along with his superpower. But she felt she detected a hint of something behind his smile. So maybe he still had the scabs. Maybe they all did.

“How about you? Have you ever failed?”

“Failing is only getting knocked on the ground or the field, and not getting back up and into the game,” she said quickly, using an analogy he’d understand, and also to shut him up. No way could she share more, and she tried to push away the sense that she should. They weren’t dating; this wasn’t ‘show me yours and I’ll show you mine’ getting to know each other.

She stood up quickly, taking her plate and glass, and to her relief he followed suit.

“Thank you for lunch, Jessica.”

He helped her clean and load the dishwasher and then she snagged her Tupperware of sliced apples and carrots and a baggie of cookies.

“Snack for later after I start taking notes for a master plan.”

“Not going to say no to that,” Storm said. “I’ll show you the state of the pond and we can discuss where you want to go next.”

His use of the word ‘we’ tensed her right back up, but she forced her shoulders down.

Storm would be a big help. She hated to admit she needed him—well, maybe she didn’tneedhim, but she definitely could use the help. It was for Chloe and for her. She could hold her own with Storm.

He snagged a cookie from the plate, and she smiled. Men and their stomachs. He took another. “Dang these cookies are next level, Jay.” Storm munched. “Is this a secret recipe from your family’s recipe book? Rustin was all about it one night when I was working late finishing installing shelves, and he was reading over the book making notes.”

He turned back and looked at her. “Will I start making puppy dog eyes at you?”

Storm picked the book up from the counter near the stove.

“Don’t touch it.” She spoke more harshly than she meant to.

Storm looked alarmed and gently placed the book down.

“Sorry.” He looked at her like she was crazy, and she probably sounded like it. “Is it fragile? Rustin had it in the kitchen and was reading it like it was a sci-fi novel. He’s messed with some of the recipes on his menu in his roots section. He even said the book had a touch of magic.”

“He was joking,” Jessica said, sliding the book away from Storm as his fingers rested on the edge as if he would open it. “Rustin’s always had a weird sense of humor.”

“Rustin utterly lacks a sense of humor, but I think Chloe’s rubbing off on him—hopefully.”

“The cookies are my own recipe.” Jessica placed the book back in a drawer.

“Are there some simple recipes in there like a one-skillet or one-pot meal I could…”

“No,” she interrupted, cringing at the sound of the one syllable. She nervously licked her lips. “Not in there.” She hadn’t even allowed herself to look. “You can find a lot of healthy, practical and easy recipes online.”

“Can you recommend a good site?”

Jessica slipped her feet back in her boots and shrugged on her jacket while Storm followed suit. She was acting so defensive, she wanted to kick her own behind.

“I’ll collect a few tasty, nutritious meal ideas for you to share with your grandparents,” Jessica compromised.

“Any hope of one of Aunt Millie’s famous specials?” Storm teased and bumped against her, almost like they were friends, and for a moment she allowed her guard to slip.

“Maybe,” she said. “But you’d have to take a vow of silence.”

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