Page 40 of Must Love Lavender and Little Lies
Granik and I both laughed.
“Go on for a while if you like,” Polly told me. “Tansy and I can manage things here.”
“Are you certain?”
Polly nodded.
I turned back to Granik’s mother. “I’m happy to take Kika to the dress shop and anywhere else you might like to see in Moonshine Hollow.”
“The boys have been pestering their brother about the ale tasting,” Annya told me. “Mother? Want to come with us?” she asked Gree-Gree.
“Yes, indeed,” Gree-Gree said. “My legs have had a good rest,” she said, climbing out of the rickshaw with surprising spryness. “But first, I will see Juniper’s shop.”
I smiled warmly at her. “This way,” I said, gesturing for her to follow me across the garden. The others waited as I led Gree-Gree through the garden. The aged matriarch paused to study my plants.
“Yarrow?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And coneflower?”
“Yes.”
“Very good,” she said, then followed me inside.
I waited patiently as Gree-Gree looked over every shelf, pausing to open this or that jar and take a whiff. She lifted one of my herbal salves and gave it a close look. “Mother trained you, you said?”
“She did. She learned it from her mother and so on, back seven generations, at least.”
Gree-Gree nodded, looked around one more time, then said, “All right.” With that, she turned and headed back outside.
Confused, I followed her. Herall righthad been neutral. If she had found anything out of order, surely, she would have said something. Right?
We rejoined the others.
“Well?” Annya asked her mother, a bemused expression on her face.
“As I expected it to be,” she said, then nodded affirmatively. “Very tidy,” she said, then gave me a wink. “And very impressive. She’s too good for you, Granik,” she told him.
Granik laughed. “Don’t you think I know it, Gree-Gree?”
Everyone chuckled.
“All right,” Gree-Gree said. “Let’s get Kika a new dress before she implodes. Juniper?”
“The clothing shops are near the center of town, not far from the library. The ale-tasting event is being held at a tent nearby. Perhaps we can meet the others afterward?”
Gree-Gree nodded, then waved to Granik. “You heard your pretty fiancée. Give us two hours.”
“Yay!” Kika cheered. “Let’s go,” she said, then took my arm. “Which way, Juniper?”
I laughed, then pointed, but looked back over my shoulder at Granik. He gave me an apologetic look, but I merely smiled. I hated our deception, but I loved Granik’s family. I had been without my mother for so long that I realized that while they were full of energy, I loved being surrounded by their chaos.
“I swear, Juniper, you’re just the nicest. And you’re perfect for my uncle Granik. I only hope I can find a love like yours one day. A best friend who becomes your forever person? I can’t think of anything better,” Kika told me, a wistful tone in her voice.
“Neither can I,” I replied, but even though the sentiment had merely slipped out, I realized I meant it.
Behind me, Gree-Gree murmured a soft “hmm,” but said nothing more.
