Chapter 10 #2
Jackson didn’t even have to look to know Mrs. Bishop was watching them. “Relax,” he murmured near her ear. “We’re supposed to be convincing, right?”
Her whisper came out tight. “You mean—right now?”
He gave her a crooked smile. “You wanted everyone to believe we’re in love. Let’s give them a show.”
Before Zoe could react, he turned her gently toward him, his hand sliding around her waist. She let out a tiny gasp.
“Jackson—”
“Just smile,” he said softly, his thumb brushing the dip in her waist.
Zoe tilted her chin up, a wobbly smile flickering across her lips. From the corner of her eye, she saw Mrs. Bishop’s grin widen. The woman was already whispering to Mrs. C.
Zoe rose onto her toes, whispering back, “They’re still staring.”
“Then we’d better sell it,” Jackson murmured, his voice husky. He dipped his head, close enough that their foreheads brushed.
“Jackson,” she breathed, eyes fluttering shut.
He swallowed hard. This is for the show, he reminded himself. Just the show.
Except… his pulse didn’t get the memo.
He leaned in, his lips grazing the edge of hers. It was the gentlest touch, just enough to look real. But the feel of her full soft lips sent a jolt of electricity all the way through him.
The world went still. Just the quiet tick of the clock, the scent of paper and lilacs, and the slow thrum of his heart against hers.
Then Mrs. C.’s voice cut through the haze.
“Well,” she said dryly, coming closer, “that’s one way to encourage young people to read.”
“Might want to give them a bit of privacy,” Mrs. Bishop replied to her friend. “Gertie wants a grandchild sooner rather than later,” the older lady added.
“Well, they’d better not go trying to make one in the library,” Mrs. C. shot back.
Jackson chuckled, stepping away, but Zoe’s face turned bright red. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater, pulling them down over her knuckles.
“No plans at the moment,” Jackson replied with good humor. “Zoe was just telling me about a legendary Maple Falls wildflower she’s looking for.” He smoothly shifted the topic.
Mrs. Bishop perked up and drifted closer, curiosity lighting her face. “What’s this about a flower?”
“Edith told me about it,” Zoe said, seeming more like herself. “She said it was a blue-and-white wildflower that used to grow in Maple Falls. She wants it for her wedding bouquet, and I’m hoping to bring it back to the town.”
Mrs. Bishop’s eyes widened. “Oh, I remember those! My mother used to call them Moonlight Kisses. Said they only grew in years when the spring thaw came early.”
Mrs. C. nodded, her brows knitting as she searched her memory. “They were rare even then. People said they brought luck or love, depending on who you asked. But they vanished decades ago. Haven’t seen them in ages.”
“Where did you see them?” Zoe asked, her voice full of hope.
Mrs. Bishop frowned. “Could’ve been behind the IGA.”
“The IGA?” Jackson asked.
“The old grocery store,” Mrs. C. clarified, rolling her eyes.
“She’s thinking of the wrong spot. Those flowers didn’t like the town soil.
I used to see them on the trails. I think the Northern Loop or maybe Cherry Blossom.
They’d bloom low to the ground, in the damp moss near the stream.
” She sighed, wistful. “It’s been years since I walked those paths. ”
Zoe’s eyes lit up. “The Northern Loop and Cherry Blossom Trail,” she repeated softly. She thought she knew all the trails around, but she’d never heard of those.
Mrs. C.’s gaze softened on her. “If you do find them, dear, take care of them. Folks always said they had a bit of magic in them.”
Mrs. C. moved on with her cart, and Mrs. Bishop wandered after her, still muttering about the IGA.
Zoe looked up at Jackson, her expression filled with quiet determination. “I really want to find them,” she said.
“I know you do.” He loved the way her whole face came alive when she talked about them. The spark in her eyes, the flush in her cheeks. “You really love flowers, don’t you?”
“I do,” she said, her voice warm and sure. “Cherry Crush is not just a business. It’s… roots. My roots, planting something firmly here. And the flowers”—she gestured with her hands again, as if she could shape them from the air—“Moonlight Kisses? How perfect is that?”
Jackson found himself studying her, the sunlight from the tall windows catching the fine strands of her hair, turning them to gold. “Yeah,” he said quietly, a smile tugging at his lips. “Pretty goddamn perfect.”
She turned back to the books, scanning the spines for anything that might hold another clue, perhaps reference those long-lost old trails, but his gaze lingered.
The thought of the two of them hiking those trails alone with the cool shade, the hush of the woods, and her laughter echoing through the trees, sent a thrill through him he hadn’t felt in years.
“Guess that settles it,” he said, voice a little rough. “Looks like we’ve got our next mission.”
Zoe looked up, eyes bright. “Yeah?”
“Hiking long-lost trails, looking for the Moonlight Kisses,” he said, holding her gaze.
Neither of them moved. The air between them tightened, humming with everything unspoken. Her gaze dipped—first to his mouth, then back up to meet his eyes.
“I guess we’d better start soon,” she murmured.
Jackson’s pulse kicked hard, every part of him wanting to kiss her again, properly this time. But she’d already turned away again, tracing a finger down a dusty spine as if she hadn’t just set him on fire.
And Jackson found himself hoping the trails they’d soon explore in search of the Moonlight Kiss would be long, winding, and completely deserted.