Kara nodded and returned to packing Maeve’s things. “That might be true. And I am considering all that. Courtney is acting as my lawyer and looking at the offer and giving me advice.” She shrugged and headed toward the kitchen door. “I need to fetch another T-shirt to put in Maeve’s overnight bag.”

Jamie pursed his lips as he followed her into Maeve’s bedroom.

“It’s just hard to think about selling something that’s been such a big part of my life. I’m not ready to sell the garden center just because someone has offered me a lot of money,” Kara said.

“Well, that sounds nice in theory,” Jamie replied. “I just worry about you and Maeve, that’s all. I’d hate to see the people of the town manipulate you so you miss out on something great.” He stopped for a minute and, looking down, studied the floor before glancing back at Kara. “Besides, we also don’t know what Maeve’s medical needs are going to be in the future. It would be awful if we didn’t have the money to give her the best possible care. Just promise me you’ll consider it and talk to me about it before you sign anything back to the lawyers.”

Kara tilted her head and studied Jamie uncertainly. She liked that he was finally showing more interest in Maeve’s future, and she had to admit that the added expenses of dealing with Maeve’s diagnosis had been nagging at her too.

Maybe Jamie really is finally growing up.

Mark handed Candy a sweet, frothy-pink, fruit-decorated drink and listened while she updated the group sitting at the bar about Scott’s health.

“Scottie’s doing really well,” Candy announced to everyone around her. “He’s back at his apartment now, and the doctors have told him they think his concussion is mild. The swelling around his nose and forehead, however, is horrible.” She gave a dramatic shudder and widened her eyes before adding, “He looks terrible.”

Mark couldn’t help but chuckle as he listened to Candy embellish Scott’s injuries every time she told the story. But he also admired her ability to dramatize the event and keep her audience entertained while repeatedly telling it. She should be in the theater, he thought, watching her beautiful and expressive features capture and keep the attention of everyone, male and female alike, around her.

Later, when business had slowed down for a few minutes, Mark went over to where Candy was sitting. “Is Candy your real name?” he asked her after some small talk.

“Why?” she immediately shot back. “Don’t you like it?”

“It’s a lovely name,” Mark replied, smiling as he swept around her feet. “It just doesn’t suit you, is all.”

Candy turned the voltage of her smile up a notch higher and placed one elbow on the bar so she could support her chin in her palm while she looked up at him through her lashes.

“Oh? And what kind of name does suit me?” she asked, leaning forward and licking her lips as she twirled a long blond curl around one finger.

“Um, I don’t know, something like Susan or Anne, maybe. Something less fluffy,” he replied.

Candy pouted at him. “Fluffy? You mean frivolous?” she asked.

“Kind of. You seem too smart to have a name like Candy.”

“Well, that’s interesting. I’m not sure if I should be flattered or insulted,” she replied, shifting even farther forward and batting her thick eyelashes dramatically at him as she showed even more cleavage.

Mark reddened and pulled back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. I was just thinking about how entertaining you are and how that takes a lot of effort and wit.” He shrugged. “I meant it as a compliment, even if it didn’t come out that way.”

Candy's lips curled upward. “Apology accepted,” she replied. “You’d be surprised at how many people look at my blond hair and curves and just assume I’m stupid.”

Mark smiled back at her, shook his head, but said nothing.

Then from the far side of the bar the sounds of an angry exchange arose, causing Mark to raise his eyes to the ceiling briefly and swear under his breath.

The shriller of the two voices belonged to Elizabeth Hunter, who had been drinking at the restaurant for several hours while watching reality TV on one of the overhead screens. Her vocal commentary of what she was watching had grown in volume as the evening had progressed, and since Mark had seen earlier that other patrons at the surrounding tables were shooting her dirty looks, he had instructed his waitstaff not to serve her any more alcohol. It now sounded like this directive wasn’t being met with a positive response.

“Excuse me,” Mark said to Candy, scowling as he turned away.

“Elizabeth,” he said amicably, forcing a welcoming smile to his face as he approached the booth in the corner of his restaurant where the young woman sat with an empty red wineglass. “What’s going on?” Mark asked and slid into the booth to sit on the bench seat across from her.

“Nothing,” she answered sullenly. “I suppose I have you to thank for your staff refusing to serve me any more wine tonight?”

“Yep,” he replied, picking up a cardboard coaster from the table and twirling it between his fingers. “I can change that, however, if you promise me you’ll be a little quieter over here. I’m getting complaints from the other customers that you're too loud.” He reached over and patted her on the hand. “If you can just tone it down a bit, I’ll get you another glass of wine myself, even. I like to sell alcohol. It is what pays the bills around here, but I also can’t do that if I think you’ve had too much. I’ll lose my license. So convince me you’re handling it responsibly, and I’ll sell you all you want.”

Elizabeth was openly scowling at him now. “You and your sister. Twins are all the same. You just try to ruin people’s lives,” she replied.

“Really?” Mark replied amicably. “And how exactly do we do that?”

“Well, you do it by not selling me wine, and your sister did it by having her baby and making my parents think my brother was the bad guy in that relationship when everyone knows she was the one who seduced him. She got pregnant to try and make him marry her so he’d have to stay here in Larkin Bay!”

“Oh? Kara got pregnant on purpose, did she? Because your brother was such a great catch?”

Elizabeth nodded back, seemingly not hearing his sarcastic tone.

“Yep, but now he’ll get back at her,” she replied, slurring her words slightly. “He’s just come back to town for a few weeks to get her to marry him quick, then when she sells the garden center, all the money she gets for it will be his.”

Mark narrowed his eyes and studied Elizabeth while he turned over in his mind what she had just told him. Was it possible Jamie could be planning something like this? It might be true, he supposed, but it was highly unlikely. Jamie had never been smart enough to dream up something like this, and it was doubtful anyone close to Kara would have told him about the offer. Mark cocked his head to one side and considered her claims, then scowled. Elizabeth was probably just piecing together gossip to be mean—she had never liked Kara.

“Well,” he replied cheerfully, moving his hands under the table, where he clenched them into fists. “I hope you’re wrong, but just in case you aren’t, I don’t think you should have any more wine here tonight. I’ll just call you a cab to take you home.”

To his surprise, Elizabeth nodded and got unsteadily to her feet. “You’re right,” she admitted. “I need to get as far away from you and this place as possible before I drink too much and tell you what else Jamie has planned.”

She giggled and leaned over the table toward Mark. “Because if I tell you everything, then Jamie is going to be mad at me.” She waved a finger at him and smiled. “Everyone knows I talk a little too much when I’ve had red wine.”

Mark nodded before standing up and taking her arm. “That sounds like a good plan,” he replied and, after walking her out, he helped her into the back of a taxi that would take her safely home.

Chapter Twenty-One

Kara looked around her crowded store as she carried a planter from the potting bench to the sales floor. Her smile grew when she saw that most customers were carrying home decorations or flats of flowers. Business at the garden center had been excellent over the last two days, and since so many of the planters she had made were being purchased, she could now spend more time doing what she loved best—creating new ones.

Glancing over, she saw Maeve was still busy at a small table in the store’s corner, pulling apart some old seed catalogs after she admired the pictures in each of them. The little girl hummed happily as she destroyed the colorful magazines and Kara’s shoulders relaxed at the sound. Maeve was happy and healthy, and the store was busy. Life was good. Very good.

“We’re going to have to start thinking about what we want to order to create the Christmas displays soon,” Mary said, while motioning for Rachel to come over and relieve her at the cash desk. “I’ve already had two calls from wholesalers who want us to put in orders for door wreaths, and they also want to know how large our Christmas tree order will be this year.”

“Well, that’s always exciting,” replied Kara. “I love that they call now, so we have plenty of time to organize things. What do you think we should do?”

“I was looking at some online advertising options,” replied Mary, “and I thought you might want to consider donating some arrangements to decorate the front doors at city hall to promote our wreaths.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“We should also update the garden center’s website a little earlier this year so everyone can see what we’re going to be selling for the Christmas season. Get them thinking about it earlier.”

Mary paused for a minute, and a slight frown caused her forehead to pucker as she looked over at Kara. “But that, of course, depends on whether you’re keeping the garden center open until Christmas. There’s no sense in us planning anything if you’re going to sell the place and close before then.”

Kara’s eyes widened as she looked over at Mary’s serious expression. Christmas at the garden center was her favorite time of the year. Ever since she was a little girl, she had spent much of the festive season using garden supplies to make yuletide arrangements and dozens of bows for her mother to sell. She loved creating all the wreaths and outdoor displays and always looked forward to doing all the decorations for the store too.

“I can’t imagine not being here for the Christmas season,” Kara admitted to Mary slowly. “It just wouldn’t seem like Christmas to me.”