Treasure on Lilac Lane (Jewell Cove 2)

“Hopefully Mike will be out of town soon and she won’t have to worry about it.”

“Amen to that,” Rick agreed. “So, what’s up with tonight?”

“I was thinking it’d be nice for you and Jess to come to dinner. We haven’t really had anyone over since the wedding, and now that you and Jess aren’t sniping at each other all the time…”

Rick laughed. “Yeah, yeah. I get it.”

“So what do you think?”

“I’ll have to check with her. She’ll have to close up first.”

“Just give Abby a call when you know for sure. Hopefully I’ll see you later. I’d better get down to the job site before my foreman fires me.” He grinned and clapped Rick on the shoulder.

When Rick stopped at Treasures to deliver his ornaments, Jess was alone, knitting on the yellow blanket again.

“Wow, it’s almost done,” he noticed, looking at the long waterfall of lacy yellow yarn.

“Getting there. Snatching time to work on it is tricky. At this rate I won’t finish it until Christmas.”

He lifted the box. “Brought you some stuff as promised. Since you just happened to sell out last weekend.”

“Oh, great! I’ll take anything you can spare.” She moved to put down her knitting but Rick shook his head.

“Don’t get up. I’ll put this in the back.”

He put the box on the back worktable and then came back out front. “Listen, Tom and Abby have asked us over for dinner tonight. You up for it?”

She looked up. “I guess so. What’s the occasion?”

“According to Tom, there isn’t any. Just hanging out.”

If she was with him he didn’t have to worry about Mike … who was still in town even though Thanksgiving was well over. The only thing that kept the “boys” from pressing him to go was the knowledge that Karen had taken a turn for the worse and it would probably soon be over.

“I’ll call Tom and let him know,” Rick said, leaning over the counter and giving her forehead a quick kiss.

“That’s okay. I’ll call Abby. I should ask if she wants me to bring anything anyway. Pick me up at six?”

“Perfect.” It would give him time to go home and get cleaned up properly.

At six on the dot he was at her back door and she was ready. They drove out to Blackberry Hill while sm

all flakes of snow fluttered in the air. The wind blew from the north and Rick looked over at Jess, bundled up in her wool coat and pretty scarf and felt his heart constrict. God, she was so beautiful. Too beautiful for him. He couldn’t help feeling that something this good wasn’t going to last.

The house on Blackberry Hill was stunning. For the first time in several years, it was decorated for the holidays. Now that Thanksgiving had passed, Abby had gone all-out with the decorations. Evergreen boughs with wide red bows festooned the railings between the stately pillars and again on the faux widow’s walk. A gigantic wreath hung on the door. The house looked different in the evening, when everything was lit up by a fairyland of tiny white lights, and a floodlight highlighting the front columns. It was good to see it brought to life again.

Rick parked and went around to open Jess’s door. “Thanks,” she said, and he noticed a little flush to her cheeks.

“What, you don’t think I have manners?” he teased.

“Oh, I know you have manners. It’s not that. It feels a little weird. Us,” she clarified.

“Weird good or weird bad?” He looked over at her as they walked toward the house.

“Weird good. Weird different.” She shrugged. “A few months ago I never would have thought we’d be on friendly terms, let alone…”

“Sleeping together?” he finished for her.

Her blush deepened. He liked it.