“The Toby who everyone loves does her own canning?”
“And baking. She makes a blueberry pie that’ll make you weep. I think she puts cinnamon in it.”
“When are you two getting married?”
“Toby is much, much too good for someone like me. I’d feel that I had to behave all the time.”
“No hijacking of old trucks?”
“Definitely not,” Jared said, smiling at her.
As they started for the kitchen, Alix’s phone buzzed and she looked at it, hoping it was Izzy, but it was an ad trying to sell her a used car. She deleted it.
“Something wrong?” Jared asked.
She told him that it had been days since she’d heard from her friend and that wasn’t usual.
“Are you worried about her?” he asked as he went to the fridge.
“Not really, but I do wish she’d let me know what she’s doing. Have you eaten?”
“I did.”
As usual, they worked together like a perfectly aligned machine, getting food out and putting it where it was needed. When Alix picked up the skillet Jared handed her the butter. He’d already cracked two eggs into a blue bowl that Alix remembered seeing being used for eggs. Bread went into the toaster and Jared set the table.
Within minutes they sat down and he filled their cups with hot coffee.
“Did I hear voices this morning?” Alix asked, then said, “Even if it’s a lie, please tell me that I did.”
“What does that mean?”
If she told him the whole truth she’d have to mention her chapel model and she didn’t want to do that. “Just that another picture fell off a table—and don’t you dare say it’s a drafty old house.”
Jared grinned as that was exactly what he was about to say. “Old houses always have odd things happening in them, but, yes, this morning Lexie stopped by.”
“Please tell me she didn’t see me passed out on the couch.”
“She did and she wanted to know all about you.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That you nearly worked me to death.”
“You’re the one who—!” She stopped and shook her head at him. “Where’s perfect Toby’s perfect jam?”
“How could I have forgotten it?” he said, his eyes laughing as he went to the fridge and got the jar.
It had a label with daisies on it and perfect lettering said BEACH PLUM JAM—CLW.
“CLW?”
Jared shrugged. “I guess those are Toby’s real initials.”
“I would have thought that you knew everything about her.”
“Mortals can’t aspire to reach so high.”
Alix gave a groan that was also a laugh. “I’m afraid to meet this creature. Do her wings get in the way when she moves?”