“Wildflower Hollow?” Sedona asks. She sits up straighter. “I haven’t been here since high school.”
“Levi and Jasmine have done a lot of work on it,” I say.
I pull the truck up to the main house, a beautiful stone structure with a wide porch and climbing roses. Before we even get out, the front door opens.
A man steps out onto the porch.
Levi Brooks looks like he was carved out of the landscape itself. His black hair is streaked with silver, kept short and neat, and he has dark brown eyes that seem to see everything.
His jaw is strong, covered in a perpetual five o’clock shadow. He wears a plaid shirt and jeans, his hands resting on his belt.
He looks rugged. Solid.
Behind him, a woman waddles out.
Jasmine is heavily pregnant. Her belly is a perfect, round globe stretching the fabric of her maternity dress. She glows. Her dark hair is pulled back, her face radiant.
Levi reaches out a hand to help her as she comes down the steps.
“Tex Carson,” Levi says. His voice is a deep rumble. He walks over and shakes my hand. His grip is firm, callused hands grinding against my own.
“Good to see you, Levi.”
“Jasmine.” I nod to her. “You look like you’re about to pop.”
Jasmine laughs. She rests a hand on her belly. “Two more weeks. Or that’s what the doctor says. This little one has a mind of their own.”
Sedona steps up beside me.
“Levi, Jasmine,” I say. “You remember Sedona Archer.”
Levi’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “Sedona. It’s been a long time. I heard you were back in town.”
“I am,” Sedona says. “Just for a bit.”
“We heard about the quarantine at your place,” Jasmine says. She sounds concerned. “We were so worried. We’re glad everything is alright.”
“It was a scare,” Sedona says. “But we’re all clear now.”
“That’s good news,” Levi says. “It’s been a rough season for everyone.”
He gestures toward the barns behind the house.
“If you’re looking for Tanner, he’s running the petting zoo today. He’s got the goats behaving for once.”
“Actually,” I say, “we were hoping to just walk around. If that’s okay.”
“Of course,” Jasmine says. “I’ll come with you. I need the exercise. The doctor says walking helps.”
We start walking toward the back pasture. Levi stays on the porch, watching us go.
Jasmine walks between me and Sedona. She moves carefully, one hand on her back.
“So,” Jasmine says. “What brings you two out here?”
“Needed a break,” I say. “Thought Sedona might like to see the changes.”
“It’s beautiful,” Sedona says. She looks around at the manicured lawns and the painted fences. “You guys have done amazing work.”
