Page 5 of Quintessentially

“What about you?” I ask.

“I date.”

Nodding, I take off my shoes and wiggle my toes in the long grass. “I could say I’ve never met anyone to be serious with, but that wouldn’t be completely true.”

“Whoever he is, I bet Justin wants to kick his ass.”

I grin at the reference to my older and protective brother. “Nah, he likes you.”

Dax reaches for my hand and brings it to his lips. “Come to Indy with me next year. You’ll have your degree. You can work or take more classes. The city offers more options.”

“My dad…” I take a ragged breath.

“What?” The sadness in Dax’s expression is replaced with concern.

“He suffered a mild heart attack last June.”

“Christ, Kandace, you never told me.”

“What were you going to do? Come down here and hold my hand at the hospital?”

“Yeah.” He squeezes my hand in his. “I could do that.”

“I don’t want to move that far away.”

“Justin is here now.”

“And he’s helping Dad with the farm.”

“What do you want,” he asks. “If you could write a book about your future, what would it say?”

I gave his question some thought. “You know the stuff your grandparents—grandma sells in Quintessential Treasures?”

“Mostly junk.”

“No, it’s not,” I say, my voice taking on a new tone. “It’s all made by local producers. Small towns like ours have trouble surviving. I want to help Riverbend survive. I don’t want it to be another Indy or Evansville. I want to help people here make a living doing what they want to do. I had this project for a class.” I can’t stop talking. “I had to draft a business proposal. I used Quintessential Treasures as the model, but I brought it into the future: online sales, mass marketing. I added other products, things that could be manufactured right here.”

As I speak, the wind picks up.

“I know you can do whatever you set your mind to do.” Dax stands as thunder rumbles in the distance. Offering me his hand, he says, “We need to find a place to wait out the storm.”

I’m not certain if he means the literal storm or what is happening back at the church and later at his grandmother’s home. It doesn’t matter. I will take his hand and wait out whatever storm he wants.

“Gordon’s farm is over that ridge,” he says.

I pick up my shoes and grin. “I can beat you to the hayloft.”

ChapterThree

Kandace

Present time

“When does he get to town?” Chloe asks as she carries a box of candles from the back room to the shelf near the window.

“Who?” I ask with all the innocence I can muster.

“Don’t you darewhome. You’re the one who told me Dax is coming to Riverbend.”

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