Page 53 of A Touch of Spring Magic

Chloe plopped back down beside Jessica, pushed her plate away and wiped her hands on a napkin before opening the book.

“Grandma Millie’s coming this afternoon to see the progress in the garden. She’s all jazzed up you’re doing this, Jessie.”

“She hasn’t come up in a couple of weeks,” Jessica mentioned, a little of her worry bleeding through.

Her sisters heard it.

“Really?” Chloe’s eyes popped wide. “I would have thought she’d be up here every day with advice and memories and stories.”

“Me too,” Jessica admitted. “I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“A good thing,” Sarah said firmly. “We’re grown up. Grandma Millie even said that to us before Christmas—that it was time for us to become more a part of the community, helping to keep the traditions, but also be open to start new ones so the community can thrive. The house felt lonely, like it wasn’t ours with just a caretaker on the property. Now it feels like another home.” She reached out and covered Jessica’s hand with her pale, elegant one. “You’ve done that. Made it a home for all of us. Now when I drive up here to visit, I feel happy.”

“But it’s not mine,” Jessica reminded her. “The house and the property belong to all of us. I live here and am starting a business and rehabbing the garden, but there’s plenty of room and acres I’m not touching. There’s something for all of us. Always.”

She and her sisters could add on to the Cramer legacy.

Sarah smiled, tapped her hand again. Meghan looked…hard to define, speculative. Chloe’s fingers lightly traced the edges of the book.

“I’d love to live up here,” Chloe admitted softly. “But Rustin really loves having a space that’s his that no one can take away from him.”

Jessica felt the dip in energy as they all remembered Rustin’s difficult, tumultuous and impoverished childhood.

“And living above the restaurant is convenient for Rustin with his hours, and also for me so I can dip in and say hi to Rustin when I want but also be able to run over and check on Grandma Millie.”

“Grandma Millie’s as healthy as we are,” Meghan said. “Cramer Mountain and this property is only a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Belmont. Hardly an excursion. You don’t need to always capitulate to Rustin, especially about a home.”

“I want him to be happy,” Chloe said. “And he wants me to be happy so it’s a win-win. Besides, now is not forever, and he’s remodeling the apartment so that I can have a small music studio and my piano to prepare for my choirs and voice students. And we’re adding a soaking tub in the bathroom so we both have what we want and what we need.”

“When did you get so wise?” Meghan demanded. “Hand over the book—let’s find some recipes so Storm falls madly in love with Jessica.”

“What? No!”

Her sisters laughed.

“Now that’s a damn shame,” an amused voice floated in through the open kitchen window, and Jessica looked up to see Storm standing in the opening of the French doors, grinning.

“Sisters,” she said, trying to save her dignity. “Always joking around.”

“You’re blushing,” Chloe outted her. “We knew you were protesting too much. Ow,” she yipped as Jessica pinched her thigh. “Hey, Storm. I told everyone how you and Rustin take off your shirts when you’re working late in the apartment and I’m going to do some SM posts for the Wild Side of you two.”

Now Storm blushed.

“You’re here early.” Jessica pretended she was no relation to her sisters.

“Storm, please, sit.” Sarah rose up to get another plate. “Join us for breakfast.”

“Thanks, Sarah, but my grandma made me a couple of egg and sausage biscuits this morning. Jay, we’re getting close on the gazebo, and I wanted your opinion about the pitch of the roof and a couple of ideas for the surround and the wood circles we cut so when you get a chance…”

“Now’s good.” Jessica stood up. “Field trip,” she bossed, eager to get out in the fresh air, and away from the book and her taunting sisters.

*

Of course allof them followed her and Storm.

“Wow. Oh Wow,” Chloe sang out, echoing Jessica’s thoughts. “You built this, Storm? It’s beautiful. It looks like it’s been here forever.” Chloe hopped up the curved stairs of the partially completed bamboo gazebo and began taking pictures and selfies and then she started a video.

“You need to plant bamboo to vibe it more. Make it more of a private escape.”

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