Page 9 of Must Love Lavender and Little Lies
The others responded in kind.
Leaving The Sconery, we meandered down the cobblestone streets of Moonshine Hollow. Pip paused to sniff every lamppost, tree, bush, and flower as we went. It was a sunny spring morning. Mist rose off Silver River as I took the worn cart path away from Moonshine Hollow. A pair of thimble foxes appeared on the road before me, both Pip and the little creatures freezing for a moment in a standoff.
One of the kitten-sized foxes barked, then the pair bounced away into the tall grass, Pip chasing after them. He would never be able to catch them, but he’d enjoy the chase.
As I walked, I couldn’t help but ruminate on the conversation at The Sconery.
Was what Bjorn said true?
It must have been. After all, I wasn’t blind to Granik’s charms. He was good-looking, successful, and kind. Who wouldn’t want a man like that?
I sighed.
Granik and I were friends, and all I wanted to do in that moment was have breakfast with my best friend, plant seeds, and not think about whether or not men and women could only be friends.
No attraction needed for a day of farming fun.
And there was nothing wrong with that.
Right?
CHAPTER 4
GRANIK
The bacon was frying, the eggs were scrambled, and the fruit was cut. Everything was ready for Juniper’s arrival. I was just setting out the cloth napkins when I heard the telltale yip of an excited mosspup. I grinned. Pip always loved spending the day on the farm. He fit right in here, exploring every inch of my barn and fields.
I looked out the kitchen window to see Juniper smiling as she made her way down the lane. She was wearing the violet-colored dress I liked, her curly golden hair covered by a crocheted headscarf with multicolored daisy squares, the skirt of her dress fluttering in the breeze. And, she had a basket of scones.
Pip was met by my herd of mini-mini Highland cows. The dog-sized cattle, who were perfect for clearing weeds and grasses from the fields while ignoring my lavender, bounded toward them. Cute buggers. Not only were they good at weeding, but every time they mooed, they exhaled grass-green bubbles that effervesced plant nutrients when they popped. Doubly good for the lavender. Soon, the mini-minis and the puppy were all dancing around one another excitedly.
Everything in the world was right.
Until…
There was a loud clatter from somewhere behind the house, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash.
“Oh no,” I gasped.
Tossing my towel aside, I hurried onto the porch to see…
“Andulf! No!” I shouted to the leader of the shrieking-goat brigade. How had he gotten out?
Andulf, full of mischief, goat-hopped toward Juniper and Pip.
“Nice little goat,” Juniper said, eyeing the goat warily. “Cute, quiet, very quiet goat. Hey, do you want a scone? I have some nice scones for you,” she asked, reaching carefully into her basket.
“Andulf?” I called. “Come along, boy,” I said, descending the porch steps. “Let’s get you back in with the others.”
But that was the moment Pip spotted me. The little mossy dog barked excitedly, too excitedly, startling the mini-minis who fled in Andulf’s direction, mooing in protest, green bubbles in all hues floating into the air around them. The goat, while a menace himself, was suddenly facing down a mini bubble-burping stampede.
Andulf jumped back in alarm.
And then…
A shriek of untold volume blasted from the goat’s mouth.
Juniper and Pip both stopped cold as a spell rolled from the goat, sweeping over the mini-minis, and catching all the rest of us in its spell. I could feel it wash over me, making my knees weak. Juniper swooned a moment and then wilted to her knees in a puddle of lavender cloth, dropping her scone offering. My ears began to ring, and my head felt fuzzy. The mini-minis stopped mooing and then wandered back in the direction of the clover patch from whence they’d come. Andulf, seeing nothing wrong with his behavior, trotted over to his unsuspecting victim and claimed the scone Juniper had tried to give him in goodfaith. He then hurried off, avoiding me like a toddler who had found something he wasn’t supposed to have.
