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Lily frowns at her. “You’re around my age, but I don’t remember you from school.”
“My parents shipped me off to boarding school. First in Vancouver and then in the middle of nowhere in Ontario for high school, so I never went to school here. I pretty much just spent summers and Christmases here. And now I know no one. Except my mom.”
“And your husband?” Lily asks, prying for town gossip.
“We’re separated. He’s back in Toronto.”
Pressing my arm around Lily’s shoulders, I pull her close to my side.
“Lily keeps her horse, Violet, out at our farm. And you know what else she has there? A miniature horse named Apple Pie. You should bring the kids over to say hi sometime.”
Kat frowns at me like she can’t believe what I’m saying. “Really? That’s so incredibly nice of you.”
Shrugging, I squeeze Lily against me. “Of course, we’re neighbors.”
“Thanks. They’d love that so much.”
“I go out to the farm almost every day to see them, so just let me know when you want to go. I’ll can be your tour guide and buffer against any grumpy ass cowboys,” Lily offers.
Kat laughs. “Do I need to worry about grumpy ass cowboys?”
“You don’t not need to worry about them,” Lily says with a laugh that sounds like my favorite music. “But don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”
“And I’ll protect her,” I say, pressing my lips against her temple.
“Well, we should get out of your hair. Thank you so much for all your help.”
Lily pulls her phone from her pocket, taps the screen a few times, and then hands it to Kat. “Put your number in my phone, and we can go to the barn anytime.”
Kat taps at the screen of Lily’s phone and then her purse pings. “Thanks so much. That’s really nice of you. I forgot how nice people are in Western Springs. Random people you meet in Toronto don’t generally give you their phone number and invite you to their barns to meet their horses.”
“Exactly. Why would anyone want to be anywhere else? Western Springs is the best place in the entire world,” Lily says with a laugh. “And you’re going to be fine. You can’t go wrong with herbs. Put them in a sunny window and don’t drown them. You’ll do great.”
“Fingers crossed. Hopefully, I can turn this black thumb into a green one, right, guys?”
The kids look at each other and back at their mom. They don’t seem overly confident about it.
“What do I owe you for the plants?”
“They’re on the house. We just opened. You’re our first official customers after our grand opening party last night.”
“Absolutely not. You’re a brand-new, woman-owned small business. I’m paying double.” The woman reaches into her purse and pulls out two green twenty-dollar bills. “Is forty enough?”
“That’s more than triple. Thanks,” Lily says with a smile, taking the money. She walks over to the counter and picks up a couple of the sample size lotions and chapsticks she makes. “Here. Take these.”
“Now this is turning into a vicious cycle. How much do I owe you for those?”
“They’re samples. And don’t worry, it’s not bad business. You’ll be back for more. They’re addictive.”
“Smart! I’m sure I will. And we’ll definitely be back for more plants, just hopefully not the same ones next time. Because these ones will be alive and thriving, right guys?” The kids don’t answer, but Kat’s nodding like if she believes it enough, it’s going to happen.
“You keep manifesting that and don’t over-water them. Once a week is good.” Lily looks down at the kids. “If your mom goes to water the plants more than once a week, you stop her, okay?”
The two kids nod solemnly.
“Thanks so much. Who’s ready for cookies at the bakery?” Kat asks, smiling down at the kids.
Both kids raise their hands and shout yes, and then they all head for the door.
