Page 61 of The Love Audit
“Cassie, this isn’t about Derek. This is about the town.”
“What about it?”
“Now that I’m here, I’m not sure I believe that my idea is a good fit for Miller’s Cove.”
“Since when?” Cassie scoffed. “The stuff you’ve been sending me is gold. Those little berries are gonna print money and get us a one-way ticket to a corner office.”
“Cassie, you have to trust me. This project can’t happen. This town is… is something special. Promise me that you’ll sit on this until you hear from me.”
“Jasmine, I don’t know what’s going on or what has gotten in to you—or should I say, who has gotten into you.” I rolled my eyes. “But I’m gonna trust you. You better know what you’re doing.”
“I do. Thank you, Cassie.”
Later, I felt lighter after my phone call with Cassie and excited for the Founders’ Day picnic in the upcoming weekend.
Derek and I were getting ready to have dinner with the Pikes. Well, I was getting ready for dinner. Derek had other plans.
“You need to behave yourself, sir,” I scolded the man kneeling on the bathroom floor, painting the backs of my thighs with kisses.
“You keep calling me that, and one of us is eating right now.” He nibbled on one of my calves, and I squealed.
“We are not gonna be late for dinner again.” I turned around to grab the collar of his T-shirt to pull him up for a kiss.
“We won’t if we hurry.” He picked me up and deposited me on the bathroom counter.
“Derek,” I began to protest, but then he slid his hand between my legs and did something that robbed me of the power of speech.
When Derek and I made it to dinner, we had three minutes to spare. Tora was even invited to join us.
The four of us sat around a small firepit, drinking beers and wine while Tora roamed the fenced-in backyard.
Eleanor excused herself, and David went to attend to whatever delicious meats he was grilling, leaving Derek and me alone. Hetook the opportunity to pull my chair closer to his and place his hand on my knee.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He smiled at me.
“Hey, handsome,” I replied.
“You are so beautiful in this light,” he remarked. “This feels like the perfect night.”
“It does feel perfect,” I remarked. “I don’t think it’s just the night.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think it’s everything: this night, this town, David and Eleanor, us, Tora. It feels like a perfectly formed puzzle. I feel so happy here, so at peace.”
“I know what you mean. When I first came here, I was focused on just doing my job and getting back to my life in New York, and now…” He reached out and folded my hand in his.
“And now?” I smiled at him and leaned in. He closed the distance and joined our mouths in a lingering kiss, interrupted by a chuckle coming from behind us. We turned around to see David and Eleanor carrying trays of food and drinks.
I jumped up to help Eleanor set the table for dinner while David and Derek grabbed the rest of the food from the grills.
“This has to be the best meal I’ve eaten”—Derek paused—“since the last time I’ve eaten one of your meals.” Eleanor and David chuckled. “I’m serious. Is it just me or does the food taste better here?”
“It really does,” I agreed with my fake husband. “I didn’t realize until Derek said something, but he’s right—”
“Thank you, dear,” Derek quipped, and I narrowed my eyes at him before continuing.
“—everything is just more…” I struggled to find my next words. “More… more. The colors are more vibrant. Every bite is more flavorful. I ate an apple the other day, and it tasted like an apple-flavored apple.”
