As she set the basket of strawberries, blueberries, and peaches on the counter, Hilary grumbled under her breath. She wasn’t supposed to be prepping everything by herself. Jorie usually took care of the fruit salad and other sides while Hilary made the casserole or whatever other main dish they offered for the breakfast buffet. It wasn’t like Jorie to ignore her responsibilities for the morning routine.
Jorie shut the pantry door, stopping on her way into the dining room to look over Hilary’s shoulder. “Looks good. Bring that out when you’re finished, okay?”
Hilary almost said something before Jorie buzzed out of the room. Of course she’d bring it out after she was finished mixing the fruit. What else would she do with it? Maybe Jorie was dumping her responsibilities on Hilary since she’d spent most of yesterday with Dane. That never was an issue before today though.
Hilary rinsed the fruit in the colander before transferring it to a glass bowl. She carried it through the swinging doors into the dining room and made room on the already full buffet as the Granny Smith guests wandered into the room. Behind them, Jorie stood wringing her hands.
“Good morning,” Hilary said to the couple from Miami. They had reserved their room for the week while visiting family in the area. “Whenever you’re ready to eat is fine. Coffee and juice are on the serving cart to your right. Everything else is on the buffet.”
Jorie hooked her finger at her.Come here, she mouthed.
She acted so strange and frankly, it was a little annoying. Hilary excused herself while their guests began to fill their plates.
“We have people here,” Hilary whispered when they were in the front room and out of earshot.
“I’ll take care of them,” Jorie said. “I have breakfast for you on the porch.”
Jorie crossed the room to the door with the fleur-de-lis stained glass window. It led to the tiny but charming side porch overlooking a crescent-shaped perennial garden of cosmos, lilies, and a trellis overflowing with purple clematis.
“Breakfast for me? But I’ve already eaten. We never eat while the guests are downstairs.” She lifted her chin toward the dining room. Hilary looked Jorie up and down. “Sorry, but you’re acting weird.”
Jorie groaned. “Man, you’re hard to manage.” She pushed open the door, sweeping her hand toward the porch for Hilary. “Just get out here.”
Hilary was about to protest again, but the air was infused with the scent of lavender. She stepped down onto the porch and stopped.
“What is this?”
A white tablecloth with crocheted edges was draped over the little oak table. Sometimes Hilary liked to sit out here when the inn was empty, enjoying her tea and reading. But the tablecloth was new and so was the vase of fresh flowers—zinnias, artemisia, and lavender.
Hilary walked over to the table and rubbed the blossoms between her fingers. “I didn’t know Dane brought lavender with him.”
“Neither did I until now. I’m just following orders.”
Confused, Hilary ran her hand over the tablecloth, taking in the details.
“He asked you to do this?”
Jorie cranked the windows open so the crisp fall air wafted onto the porch.
“Yes. Stay here,” she said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “Don’t worry. The guests will be fine.”
After Jorie left her, Hilary turned back to the table. It was set with the antique flow blue china that once belonged to Jorie’s grandmother. There were clear hobnail juice glasses, footed glass dishes with yogurt and fruit, and a silver-plated serving dish in the middle of everything. Hilary leaned over to lift the lid.
“I wouldn’t do that.”
The lid clattered back into place. Hilary whirled around.
Dane leaned against the doorframe, his hands stuck in the pockets of his jeans. His hair was damp, a few wet curls pasted against his neck. The dark green flannel shirt stretched across his broad shoulders, which reminded Hilary of the first time she’d set eyes on him at the airport. The color of his hair had reminded her a little of Will’s. Now that she’d gotten to know him, there was hardly any comparison, physical or otherwise.
“You scared me.”
“Sorry,” he said with a grin.
She bent over the table to smell the flowers. “Where were you hiding these?”
“They’ve been in my car since yesterday morning. I’ll have to drive home with the windows open.”
He came forward and hugged her to him. She felt his breath on her neck then a nibbling kiss on her earlobe. “I thought we could start the day with a little love and lavender,” Dane said, his voice low and intoxicating. “Unless you’d rather go serve your guests.”
