“I can and do. It was all delicious, thank you.” I returned her smile. “Actually, I was hoping you could point me in the direction of Zoe Manning.”
At once, her expression changed. Not to one of animosity, but of curiosity. It sparkled in the depths of her denim blue eyes as she tilted her head. “She picked well,” she murmured.
“Excuse me?”
“You’re Ian Kagan.”
Being identified so easily took me aback. “I am, yes. And you are?”
She held out a hand. “Call me Laverne. I’m Zoe’s aunt. Do you know my Lila as well?”
I cleared my throat as we shook. “Um, we’re acquainted, yes.”
Laverne’s laughter was as rich as her coffee. “She’s quite the ballbuster, isn’t she?”
I blinked. “Yes. If I may speak frankly.”
“Seems as if you already have. So, you’re here for Zoe. Are you going to break her heart?”
Clearly, this woman had some knowledge of our…situation. “No.” I certainly didn’t intend to. Not again. “I want to prove to her that I love her.”
“A summer love?”
I felt the back of my neck warm. “No. A forever love. If she’ll have me.”
“A poet with sad, dreamy eyes and an accent. She was sunk from day one.” But she smiled as she came around the counter to me. “I’ll show you where you can find Zoe. But first, a tour?”
“Sure. I would love to see where Zoe grew up.” And where she’d returned to find sanctuary, though I didn’t add the second part.
We toured the property from the bakery cases to the general store with its shelves of odds and ends and fun little apple doodads. Along the way, Laverne shared family tidbits or memories that made me smile. Especially when she described a young, pig-tailed Zoe trying to adopt a squirrel she’d found that had sneaked in an open door.
“Her heart is soft, but it’s strong. Sometimes she protects it with an extra layer of barbed wire to ensure whomever makes it through is worth it. You must have, or she wouldn’t love you as she does.”
Present tense. Hope surged through my body. “She spoke of me? Of us?” I’d known she must have for Laverne to instantly know who I was. But hearing the confirmation was a different thing entirely.
“She did. You wounded her. As I’m sure she wounded you when she released you. Love causes as many bruises as it does hickeys.”
I coughed into my fist. “Uh, pardon me?”
“You heard me.” She let out a bawdy laugh and motioned to an older man with salt and pepper hair. “Fred, come meet Zoe’s young man. And take his bags. He’s going to wither away hauling around these cases under this hot sun.”
“Hot sun? But we’re indoors—” I trailed off as Fred came over to look me up and down and to shake my hand. Vigorously.
We spoke for a moment and then he took my bags as requested. The next thing I knew, we were outside all right and walking toward rows and rows of trees at the back of the property. I couldn’t slip Zoe’s sunglasses back on fast enough.
Laverne was right about the sun. I was about to sweat through my T-shirt and jeans. I’d need to find some shorts if I stayed.
If Zoe didn’t boot me out on sight.
A huge hulking man with muscles barely contained by his overalls emerged from between the trees, a pail of cuttings in one hand. He took one look at me and snarled.
“It’s him.” He took a threatening step toward me and Laverne held up a hand.
“Easy now, Beck. There will be no bloodshed out there. You know it’s bad for the roots.”
“Fine.” He set down his pail and I was grateful that he hadn’t chosen to swing it at my head. “Let’s go inside and I’ll do what needs to be done.”
“So, you’re Zoe’s brother. Which are you? Larry, Curly or Moe?” I didn’t know why I said it, outside of a certain death wish. I didn’t know their names in any case.