I continued to shake, struggling with my own reality. “I’m only three days late. It could be a false positive.”
Ian’s eyes shone. “How does this work? Being late and pregnancy and all the rest?” His gaze locked on mine. “Tell me you’re happy. I want to crow to the world.”
“I’m scared to death.” Another nervous laugh bubbled up. “Let’s say I’m cautiously optimistic. The first trimester is never a certainty. You can’t say anything to anyone. Not yet.”
“Don’t you see?” he asked. “How many one-night stands have you had? I’m guessing not too many. I’ve never—ever—slept with a woman on a first date, much less the first time I met her. There is a greater power at work here.” He paused. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, a new habit that was becoming annoying. “Yes,” I said, determined to quit with the bobblehead routine. “I mean no. I’ve never had a one-night stand either. I mean... I don’t know what I mean.”
“I’ll make us breakfast. Or we can go into town and eat at the bakery.”
The thought of food made my stomach flip. I knelt beside the toilet and heaved.
Ian took a step back. “Oh.”
“Toast, jam and ginger tea,” I croaked.
As he hurried downstairs, I picked up the test stick again. Two lines clearly presenting. At least I didn’t have to work today.
I did have to work today. Cassandra and I had agreed to take advantage of the whole Labor Day weekend to maximize earnings.
I showered and dressed, and when I walked downstairs, I found Ian in the workroom, thumbing through bottles.
“Your breakfast is on the table,” he said. “When I came to get you, I saw an open grimoire. Figured I’d take a look.”
I stepped beside him. “An open grimoire? The books haven’t opened for me in almost two weeks.”
As he showed me the recipe, another book landed on the worktable.
I raised my eyebrows. “I guess they know you’re here.”
“Eat, and then show me where everything is. I’m assuming you’ll be selling these in your shop today. When are you closing the doors for the last time?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Do you mind if I help out? I work cheap.” He winked at me.
“Don’t you have work to do in Pratt?”
He pointed to the open grimoires. “Seems like I have work to do here, too.”
I slipped my arms around his waist. “I’m happy to have you around. Please tell me you aren’t offering so you can keep an eye on me.”
“I’ve been miserable without you this past week, Brynn, and I know it’s my own fault. My own insecurities. We made promises last night. I intend to honor them, and I intend to show you every day for the rest of our lives how much I value you.”
My heart expanded. His words carried so much more weight than the three words Lisa had told me to be wary of.
“I will never throw you away,” he whispered in my ear.
“And I’ll never cheat on you,” I replied. “Promise.”
He kissed me tenderly, then smiled. “Go eat your toast before you throw up again.”
I grinned in return. “Yes, sir.” I gave him a mock salute and sat down to the breakfast he’d prepared for me. When I finished, I joined him in the workroom and pointed out where to find the supplies he needed. By the time we left for work, he’d mixed five special orders.
The sun sent sparkles of light to the shrouded footpath, the morning air heavy with humidity. Church bells summoned people to matins. I soaked it all in, acutely aware my time walking the footpaths of Hillendale every day was coming to an end.
A new adventure awaited me in Pratt.
Broadway buzzed with tourists. The townspeople I recognized stared openly at the man beside me, putting their heads together, no doubt to speculate on why he was there.
I unlocked the shop, let Ash out of her carrier and directed Ian to line up the special orders behind the sales counter. Ash meowed hungrily, and led me into the nearly empty backroom to be fed.
When I returned to the front of the shop, Ian was in conversation with the woman who’d come to me about her son’s attention deficit. Ian waved me over.
“This woman wants to try your lemon and cedarwood fragrance.”
My lemon and cedarwood fragrance. I smiled brightly. “Of course. I’m sure it will help.”
“I hope so,” she said. “It’s my last resort before I buy the prescription, and I really don’t want to do that. I should have bought it last time I was here.”
I suspected she’d been better off waiting. Ian’s touch would make the difference while my alchemy was interrupted.
Because I was pregnant.
I rested a hand on my belly. Ian’s eyes followed the movement and his smile was like a ray of sunshine.
Cassandra arrived and stopped when she saw Ian.
“We have help today,” I said.
She glanced between the two of us, a sly smile on her face. “I approve.”
I laughed.
“So you know, Lucas rented a U-Haul to cart off the remaining fixtures and furniture after we close tomorrow.” Her lower lip wobbled and her shoulders tightened.
“You okay?” I asked.
“No.” She sobbed as she hugged me. “I’ve gotten kind of used to seeing you every day.”
Her tears triggered mine—no surprise, given my elevated hormones. “Me, too. We’ll still see each other.”
“Promise?” she asked.
“Promise.”
As customers trailed in, we straightened and composed ourselves. Cassandra went off to haggle with a woman asking about an outfit and I manned the register. Ian sat on a stool beside me while Ash purred contentedly in his lap.
Several of the locals stopped in—probably to get a closer look at Ian—and bought botanical products, along with the special orders Ian had mixed this morning. Barry Waterman stopped in near noontime and made a pretense of browsing until there was a break in the flow of sales.
“Last time we met, you’d mentioned serendipity,”
