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She was delighted that Jenna was pleased with her work and excited by the opportunity the store represented. She had lots of ideas about ways to advertise the store and different promotions to bring in customers. Over the next few days she would come up with a plan and share it with Jenna.

So far, Tiffany and Kayla, their college help, had both worked out. If all went well, they would also need to hire a full-time person.

She carried the wrapped package back to the customer, then turned and bumped into a tall, dark-haired man.

“Sorry,” she said automatically, stepping back.

“No problem.”

He was attractive, she thought absently. Well-dressed in an “I have money” kind of way without being flashy. She liked his eyes and the kindness lurking in his expression. That or she'd been hanging out with Serenity for too long.

“I love a good bad girl,” the man said.

Even though his words should have annoyed her, they didn't. Odd, she thought. “Sorry. I'm neither bad nor available.”

“Would you be willing to make an exception?”

“No.”

“My loss.”

His easy grin made her want to smile in return.

Serenity and Beth joined them.

“I see you've met my oldest son,” Serenity said. “Dragon, this is Beth, Jenna's other mother.”

Violet noticed that Beth tensed slightly at the description, but she was gracious as she shook Dragon's hand.

“I didn't know you were coming to visit,” she said.

“I decided at the last minute. I wanted to meet my sister.”

“Where are you from?” Violet asked.

“San Francisco. I'm a lawyer.”

Serenity winced. “A corporate lawyer,” she added, sounding as if her son also kidnapped children in his free time.

Dragon looked unrepentant as he leaned toward Violet and murmured, “Worse, I eat M-E-A-T. Don't say the word too loud. She either cries or faints.”

“My husband runs a few banks here in Texas,” Beth said. “The corporate world can be challenging.”

“Exactly.” Dragon winked at her. “That's why I like it.” He turned back to Violet. “Have you worked for Jenna long?”

“Since the store opened, so a couple of months.”

“Don't,” Serenity said, resting her hand on her son's back. “It's not yet time.”

“Time for what?” Violet asked, confused.

Dragon sighed. “She's telling me not to pursue you. That it isn't our time.”

“You know this how?” Beth asked.

“I can sense it.” Serenity's voice was as calm as always. “Violet, when the time comes, you can trust Dragon. Despite his appearance of wickedness, he's kind. When he was little,
I watched him play with the smaller children. He was so gentle.”

Dragon groaned. “Mom, come on. I have a reputation here. Don't start with the small children and rescuing bunnies talk. Women don't find it sexy.”

Violet was more startled by Serenity's statement that she could trust Dragon. Why would she have to?

She glanced at Beth and saw Jenna's mother rolling her eyes. Violet held in a grin. The two mothers were so different. Serenity tall and thin, with long dark red hair and no makeup. Her flowing dress fell nearly to her ankles, the colors bright enough to stand out anywhere. Beth was blond with makeup emphasizing her pretty features. She wore tailored pants and a cropped jacket that suited her petite frame.

On the surface Serenity was exotic and had her own appeal, while Beth fell into the category of normal. Still, if Violet had to pick, she found Beth safer.

“How does the universe speak to you?” Beth asked. “Email? A voice in your head?”

Serenity was unruffled by the question. She slipped her arm through Dragon's and leaned against him. “It's more as if an unasked question has been answered.”

“That's convenient.”

Violet might not have a hotline to the universe, but she could sense rising tension. Apparently Dragon felt it, too. Before she could draw Beth away, he wrapped his arm around his mother's waist.

“Are you up for a walk?” he asked. “I want to see that park you told me about.”

“I would love that.”

She smiled at Beth, then turned and left.

Beth watched them go. “I really do like her but sometimes she can be a little too much.”

“She does jump in the middle of things,” Violet said.

“How did her vegan class go?”

“You saw the crowd, so that was good. The question is, will they come a second time?”

“We can only hope,” Beth said brightly.

 

“She's in everything,” Beth told Marshall that night over cocktails. “Since she arrived, I have yet to show up in Jenna's store without finding her there, or having her walk in five minutes later. I can't get a second alone with my own daughter. Plus, the whole thing about the universe. She receives private messages, then shares them with everyone else. Aren't we the lucky ones?”

She sipped her vodka tonic. “Serenity is trying to take over Jenna's life. I don't know how to stop her. Did I tell you one of her sons is in town?”

“You mentioned it.”

“It's Dragon. He's actually fairly nice and a corporate lawyer, so he knows what life is like in the real world, as opposed to the planet where Serenity lives. But still. She has two children of her own. She needs to leave my daughter alone.”

Marshall looked at her. He didn't say anything, he just looked.

“I know,” she snapped. “You warned me not to get involved. Well, you were right but that doesn't change the situation. Does you being right mean I can't talk about it?”

“Of course not.”

“I don't want to dislike her, but she's making it difficult.” She took another drink. “I'm the one who encouraged Jenna to welcome them into her life. Can you believe it? I did this to myself.”

The rational side of her brain knew she had nothing to
worry about. That her daughter would always love her. But she felt both frantic and scared. It was one thing to be annoyed with Serenity, but the fear was much, much worse. Jenna was all she had. Two months ago she would have been confident that her relationship with her daughter was untouchable. Now, she wasn't as sure. Telling herself to snap out of it wasn't helping.

“What if she doesn't love me anymore?” she whispered.

Marshall set down his drink and crossed to her. After putting her glass on the living room table, he pulled her to her feet and held her in his strong arms.

“Nothing is going to change,” he said. “Have a little faith.”

“Faith isn't the problem. You can't know everything is going to be all right.”

“I can. There's nothing they can do to take her away, Beth. You were right to encourage her to get to know her birth parents. This is all new. She's adjusting. In time things will settle down. You'll see.”

“What if you're wrong?”

“I'm not.”

She didn't say anything else. But the truth was, he couldn't know. Which left Beth wondering, for the first time in thirty-two years, if she was going to lose her daughter.

“Y
ou sure this is all right?” Ellington asked as he unpacked the lunch bags and set the contents on a picnic table. “It's the middle of your work day.”

“Yours, too,” Jenna reminded him, sliding onto the wooden seat of the picnic table. “Let me put this in perspective. I have a store full of customers, my mother and birth mother are having issues, my new brother is hitting on my manager and I have a class to teach in a couple of hours. If you were me and a handsome man called and invited you to lunch, wouldn't you jump at the chance?”

Ellington passed her a panini. “I'm not into guys.”

She laughed. “You know what I mean. I'm happy to see you and delighted to get away for a little while.”

“Then I'll tell Mrs. Ruley we're thrilled that she canceled.”

“Please do.”

It was a perfect late-spring day, she thought, raising her
face to the sun. Blue skies, warm temperatures, a light breeze. The picnic table sat in the shade of a two-hundred-year-old live oak next to the San Gabriel River. When Ellington had first called with the unexpected invitation, she'd told herself she didn't have the time. But then she'd realized a break was exactly what she needed.

“What's your class?” he asked.

She sipped her soda. “It's actually a really fun one. A couple of weeks ago a customer complained that she had ingredients in her pantry that she didn't know what to do with. A spice she'd bought for one recipe, or some exotic sauce that had been on sale. Different flavored oils. Things that weren't a part of her usual cooking style.”

“My mom has a bunch of those in her kitchen.”

“Everyone does. Eventually the product goes bad, which makes that first recipe really, really expensive. I asked my customers to bring in a list of anything strange in their pantries. I took the top ten most common items and have built a couple of recipes around them.”

Ellington shook his head. “That's brilliant.”

“Actually Serenity is the one who encouraged me to hold a class.” She held up a hand. “Don't say it. I'll admit she has good ideas.”

“I'm glad you think so.”

“I do. And I'm really looking forward to the class. It's fun, for them, but mostly for me. I used to…” She paused, not sure how much to share. “I told you before, I used to be really inventive in the kitchen. After the last year or so with Aaron, I've been scared to try new things.” She smiled. “But even when I fought the urge to experiment, I couldn't seem to stop myself.”

“I'm glad you couldn't and I'm sorry your ex treated you that way.”

“Part of the fault is mine. I kept giving in to him. I think I knew in my gut if I wasn't everything he wanted, he wouldn't stay.” She thought for a second, remembering how much she'd worried in her marriage. About doing the right thing, about being what Aaron wanted.

“Now I find myself wondering why he wasn't as worried about making me happy. I've realized it's because the relationship wasn't that important to him. He had other things he would have rather been doing, so he did them. Including other women.”

Ellington looked uncomfortable.

“Too much information?” she asked quickly. “We can change the subject.”

“You're hitting too close to home,” he admitted. “I didn't cheat, but I wasn't present in my marriage.”

“The difference is you realized your mistake.” Jenna knew that Aaron would never care about anyone as much as he cared about himself. Even if he begged her to return to him—which he wouldn't—she wasn't interested. Next time, she wanted someone as committed as she was. More important, she wanted someone who saw the best in her and encouraged her to succeed.

“I like helping people discover that making something delicious is a whole lot easier than they first thought. I like them surprising themselves with what they can do.”

“A natural teacher,” Ellington told her.

“I'm not sure about that but I am having fun.” She'd been terrified at first, creating on the fly, but then she'd told herself to let go. To believe in herself. Ironically, the first time she'd been brave enough to play with a recipe had been after the brunch with Serenity and Tom. She'd re-created the rice pudding dish, making it her own.

“We're going to have an ongoing class in the store where
people can write down what they're trying to get rid of and I'll come up with a recipe. We'll print out the recipes I've already created and have those out for people to take.”

“You're good at this,” he said, sounding impressed. “Do you miss being a chef?”

“Sometimes, but less and less as time goes on. I know people who thrive in the controlled chaos, but I'm not one of them. Aaron loved the constant pressure. He charmed the customers and the staff.”

“Did you know it was over when you stopped being charmed?”

Her first instinct was to say it had been over when he'd told her he was sleeping with other women and wanted a divorce. But that wasn't right.

“I'm not sure when I left emotionally,” she admitted. “I'd been shut down for a while. Afraid, not trusting myself.”

She studied him, taking in the good looks, the easy smile, the warm, friendly nature. He was practically perfect—no, better than perfect. He was a man who had learned from his mistakes.

“What were you like, predivorce?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Before the introspection—before you learned from your mistakes.” She had a feeling he'd never been all that terrible.

He finished chewing, then swallowed. “It's not a story designed to make you like me more.”

“I'm willing to risk it.”

“I'm not sure I am.” He put down his sandwich. “Let's just say I came into my own pretty early and I used it to my advantage.”

“The hot guy in high school?”

“I could get dates the football captain couldn't. I wanted
to be a doctor, some for the money, mostly because I knew it would make my life very easy when it came to women.”

She thought of Dr. Mark and knew that was very possible.

“College was more of the same.” He looked at her. “School was easy for me, so I had plenty of free time to play. You'd think that having been given so much, I would be gracious, but I wasn't. I took what I wanted and when I was done, I walked away without looking back. I left a trail of broken hearts everywhere I went.”

Jenna tried not to look surprised or disappointed, even though she felt both.

“The summer before my junior year of college, my grandmother took me to India. It had been her lifelong dream. My parents didn't want her to go alone and they sure didn't want to go, so I volunteered. I figured it would be an adventure, plus there was a whole new continent of women to conquer.” His mouth twisted. “Back at college, I'd already worked my way through most of the coeds.”

He pushed his sandwich aside. “What I didn't know was that my grandmother had plans for me. She was determined to teach me some compassion. We didn't stay in a luxury beach resort. Instead I spent my days working in a clinic for the poorest of the poor. They were starving, without any kind of sanitation. Bugs everywhere, the noise was incredible. When I wanted to leave early, my grandmother told me this was the other side of medicine. The side that mattered. And that I'd better be careful because leprosy, which still existed there, was sexually transmitted.”

“Is it?”

“You get it from fluids, mostly from the nose and mouth. It's not that contagious, but at the time I was young and had no way to check what she said, so I was careful.” He
shrugged. “That trip changed me. A kid I'd made friends with had an accident and his leg was crushed. I was there while it was cut off, using a saw and minimal anesthesia. The food and water made me sick, the crowds were everywhere. It was the longest month of my life. In some ways it was also the best. When we flew home, I was different. I couldn't care about the things I had before. I finally wanted to be a doctor to actually help people.”

He grinned. “Only to walk away from it all and go to China to study alternative medicine.”

“You still heal people.”

“Yes, but not in a traditional way. I've learned there are many answers to the same question. Traveling allowed me to learn more and treat them better. Too bad I didn't apply the lessons to my personal life.”

“Didn't your wife travel with you?”

“She didn't want to go where I went. Had I been attending a seminar in Paris, I think she would have been very happy. From my perspective, she was making me choose between her and the work I loved. From her point of view, I was a husband who was never home and when I did manage to stop by for a few days, I made it a point to make sure she knew my work was far more important than her.”

Jenna winced. “That's not fun.”

“Your husband did the same?”

“Sometimes. He wanted me to know that everyone was more intriguing than me and that he was only home because he had to be.” Aaron had rarely said it in words, but he'd made the meaning clear.

“When she left,” Ellington said, “I continued on as if nothing had changed. It took her dying to make me realize I'd lost her and my son. It's not easy to convince a six-year-old whom you practically abandoned and whose mother
died that you're not going to disappear.” He sipped his soda. “It's been a hard lesson for me. Now I'm focusing on what's around me. My family, then my work. I'm trying to find some balance, so I've been cautious about dating. I don't want to screw up again.”

“Everyone makes mistakes.”

“True, but mine have been very hard on everyone
but
me. I don't want to be that guy anymore.” He leaned toward her. “Which is why I want to wait before introducing you to Isaiah.”

“Of course.” She hadn't thought they were anywhere close to that point.

He grinned. “You could meet my mother, if you want.”

“I have enough mothers in my life right now, but thanks for asking.”

He had a depth she hadn't expected. An honesty. Aaron would never see the truth about himself, never begin to understand the point of self-examination. But Ellington saw his flaws and was trying to change. She appreciated that.

They returned to their lunches, talking about local events and Isaiah's quest to convince the adults in his life that he really, really needed a puppy.

“There's a bake sale in a couple of weeks,” Ellington told her. “My mother says she draws the line at baking, so Isaiah and I are going to make cupcakes together.”

“Should be a good time. I'm no pastry chef, but things like dessert can be fun. Anything with sugar.”

He laughed. “I'll let you know how it goes.”

When they'd finished their lunch, they stood and tossed their trash, then started for their cars.

Halfway down the path, Ellington grabbed her hand and drew her to a stop.

“Have I scared you away?” he asked.

She stared into his dark blue eyes and allowed herself to get lost there. “You've given me a lot to think about,” she admitted.

“Is that a polite yes?”

“You're not just a pretty face and you have a complicated past. What I took away is that you learned from your mistakes.”

“I'm still learning. Balance is tough for me. I love my work and my son, but they're not my world. Something is still missing.” He turned away. “Now I sound like a thirteen-year-old girl.”

She reached up and touched the side of his face, turning him back to look at her. “No. You sound like someone I want to get to know better.”

“Are you being polite?”

“I'm mostly impatient. This is where you're supposed to kiss me.”

His mouth turned up at the corners. “You sure?”

“Very.”

“Right now?”

“This second.”

He wrapped his arms around her and drew her against him. She went willingly, wanting to feel his body against hers. He was tall and muscled, different from Aaron's leanness. She had to stretch a little for her mouth to meet Ellington's, and she liked that, too.

His mouth was firm yet gentle, exploring rather than taking. He moved against her, creating heat and friction. He wrapped his arms around her waist, his fingers pressing into her skin. They touched from shoulder to knee, and even that wasn't enough. She found herself wanting more, needing to deepen the kiss. Heat exploded inside of her, surprising her
with its intensity. But this was the middle of the day, in a public park. She drew back.

“If I were still that guy,” Ellington said ruefully.

“The backseat of your car?” she asked, then wanted to clamp her hand over her mouth. What if he hadn't been as affected as she had been? What if he'd thought the kiss was only okay? The heat moved from the feminine places in her body to burn her cheeks.

“I was thinking of that thick grove of bushes,” he admitted, “but the car works, too.”

Relief tasted sweet. She smiled. “If we weren't so responsible.”

“Exactly.” He kissed her lightly. “I'll call you later.”

“I'd like that.”

They parted, each returning to their cars. Jenna drove back to the store, singing along with the radio and feeling happy and quivery at the same time. It was going to be a very good day.

 

“There's a trick to shopping,” Beth said as she pulled into the parking lot of a consignment store Violet had never noticed before. “One or two really nice pieces can fool people into thinking you have a very expensive wardrobe. I had a friend who had a couture Armani jacket. She would toss it over chairs, label side up. We all saw it and assumed everything else was designer, too, when in truth she bought most of her casual clothes at Target.”

“I like that,” Violet said. “Discount is more my budget.”