This batch of fifty jars would be gone the first hour she was in her stall at the local farmers market this weekend. And the proceeds would go into her bank account to buy a food truck.
She tried to give Aunt Edna money to help with paying bills and buying food for them, but Aunt Edna wouldn’t hear of it. She still deeply regretted the prison sentence that had changed her life forever, but felt gratified that, in the end, it had brought her here. Where she had a wonderful home and good friends. Most of whom didn’t know her dark secret.
Sometimes she felt bad about that. But was too scared she’d lose everything if the whole town found out she’d spent three years in prison for being part of a jewelry heist.
She washed her hands and headed to the front parlor where she knew her aunt would be reading at this time of day. As she entered the room, the smell of lilies and roses wafted around her and she noticed a huge vase of them on the side table near the door.
“Those are beautiful. Do you have a beau you forgot to tell me about?” She teased, bending to inhale the heady fragrance.
“Don’t sass me, young lady.” The older woman replied, smiling to take the sting from the words. “I think you must be the one with a secret beau. They’re for you.”
Her head jerked up. “What? Who are they from?”
“I don’t know. I’m not in the habit of reading other people personal mail. Although, in this case, it’s a card tucked into the middle of the flowers.” She cackled. “Maybe it’s the mayor trying to get on your good side. The wind is blowing in the direction of this house today and the kitchen windows are up. He probably smelled that new batch of bacon jam and is trying to get on your good side.”
Harley Ann laughed. “He does love my jam. And gets a little testy that I won’t hold back any jars on his behalf.”
She reached carefully into the leaves and flowers and extracted the small rectangular envelope. Her name was typed across the front, with the local florist logo in the corner. All joking aside about the mayor and ulterior motives, who could have sent them? She hadn’t dated anyone in over a year.
Bobby Moore, local bad boy, had been her last foray into romance. It had been a dismal mistake and she hadn’t felt like taking the time to do any dating after that fiasco.
“Well, open it.”
Aunt Edna’s sharp voice startled her out of her thoughts.
She pulled the card from the envelope.
UNFORGETTABLE
“For goodness sake,girl. What does it say? Who sent them?”
Harley Ann tapped the card against her lips, ignoring her aunt for the moment. It definitely hadn’t been the mayor who sent them. Did it mean that old song? She loved the sheer romance of those words. Remembering his voice saying ‘challenge accepted’, she wondered if Jesse had sent the flowers. Was this his first move in the game?
“HarleyAnn, I’m speaking to you. Dang fool girl.” Aunt Edna grumbled.
She turned and smiled. It says ‘unforgettable’. And there’s no sender name.”
“Well what kind of fool spends a fortune on flowers like those and doesn’t sign his name?” Aunt Edna eyed her shrewdly. “I have a feeling that you think you know who sent them.”
Harley Ann adjusted the flowers to show better in the vase. “What makes you say that, Aunt Edna?”
“I may be old, but I’m not blind. You’ve got a secretive look on your face.” She shook a gnarled finger at her niece. “You best be careful. Men that play tricks like this are up to no good.”
“I think I’ll go give Piper a call, Aunt Edna. Do you need anything before I get on the phone?”
“So. That’s the way the wind blows is it?” At the look on Harley Ann’s face, she went on. “Don’t think a good looking man like that can show up in town without the gossips being on the phone spreading it all over town faster than the speed of light.”
Chapter 4
Jesse watchedPiper fidget with some papers in her hand as she tried to come up with an answer to the question he’d just asked her. What were her intentions as far as moving to Eagle Rock? It should have been a simple question to answer, but it looked like Piper was struggling to come up with one.
She lifted her eyes from the pages. “You don’t understand.”
“You’re right. I don’t.” He bit off in response.
“I would never ask Ian to choose between his career and me. That’s not in my nature.” She held up a hand to stop the words hovering on his lips. “I know you don’t believe that. But it’s true. Do I have some misgivings about moving to Montana? Yes. I’ll be honest about that. I worry about moving to a place where I have no history.”
He watched her scan his face to see if she was getting through to him and remained silent.
