Page 6 of Lemon Pound Cake Club

I blinked. The trash pullout slid open. I hadn’t searched or looked for it. I just knew it was there.

A chill ran down my neck. I closed it a little too fast.

"Everything okay?"

I almost jumped.

Zaire stood in the doorway holding another box. I forced a smile.

"I’m fine."

He watched me for a moment, then set the box on the counter.

"You've been saying that a lot today."

"I'm just tired."

He put his arm around my waist and kissed my forehead.

"We don't have to unpack everything today."

"I know. Oh, we could order takeout." I laughed softly.

"You'll use any excuse not to cook," he said, laughing.

"Guilty."

He kept grinning until I finally smiled back.

"I need to run over to the model home for about an hour. One of my clients wants to see it before making an offer. I'll be right back."

"I'll be okay."

"I know you will."

He kissed me again, then walked to the front door.

I walked through the dining room and stepped out onto the back patio. The afternoon sun warmed my skin. The backyard was just as neat as the front.

Fresh sod covered the ground, with a stone fire pit and tidy hedges nearby. By the back fence stood another lemon tree. It was smaller than the one in front but looked healthier. Its branches reached upward, like they had never faced a storm.

I caught myself staring at it longer than I meant to. The wind picked up.

A lemon fell from a branch and hit the ground. The dull sound echoed in the quiet yard. My stomach dropped. I didn’t know why, but my eyes filled with tears.

I wiped them away before they fell.

"You're losing it," I whispered.

Maybe I was. Or maybe houses remember the people who loved them. Maybe walls hold old conversations. Maybe trees never forget the hands that planted them. It might have sounded foolish, but it felt true. I glanced back at the house, then looked out front.

Across the street, Camille stood at her front window, watching me.

When our eyes met, she smiled and then closed the curtain. I stood still. For the first time since I came to Lemon Grove Estates, I wasn't sure who was welcoming who.

Chapter Two

Maci