by that?”
“Hmm…” Kaci washed down the cookie with a sip of tea. “There’s no telling, but Miss Vivian has her ways.”
“Andrew Hart was full of puzzling expressions, and I guess Miss Vivian is carrying on the tradition for him now.”
“I think you’re right. And that reminds me.” Kaci opened her purse and riffled through the contents. “I saw Miss Vivian working in the flowerbeds at the big house yesterday afternoon, and when I mentioned that I’d be seeing you this evening, she asked me to give this to you.” She handed Traci a small white box.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. Open it.”
Traci unlaced a cream-colored bow and lifted the lid. “Oh, my…it’s gorgeous.” Inside rested a silver pendant—two hearts entwined—on a delicate chain. “But why did Vivian want me to have it?”
“I’m not sure. She said Andrew entrusted it to her safekeeping just before he passed and asked her to give it to you when the time was right.”
“And now the time is right? Why?” Traci stroked the shimmering hearts as they caught the light. “More riddles that I can’t seem to decipher. How did she know today—right now—would be the right time?”
“You’ve got me there.” Kaci drew another sip of tea. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, here’s a tiny piece of paper tucked beneath the foam holder. Let me see…” Traci lifted the insert and tugged the slip of paper from beneath it, unfolding it carefully to read. “It’s a Bible verse…Psalms 91:11, ‘For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.’”
“How beautiful.” A smile curved Kaci’s lips. “Well, it’s no secret around here that Andy Hart conversed with angels.”
“I know, but—”
Footsteps sounded along the back patio just before a trio of raps rattled the glass of the French doors. Traci turned and glanced up to find Dylan standing there with Ryne at his side. She smiled and rushed to let them in. “Hi, Traci.” Dylan leaned against the counter. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You, too.” Merely a few hours had passed since Dylan dropped her off at the cottage, and she already missed him. Did he feel the same about her?
“Hey, Traci.” Ryne offered a quick wave as he crossed over to snatch a cookie from the package before claiming a kiss from Kaci and settling in at her side.
“Ryne and I have firmed up the playlist.” Dylan’s smile offered a hint to his feelings, which managed to both unsettle and encourage Traci. “How are things going on your end with the cake details?”
“We got a little sidetracked.” Traci showed him the jewelry box. “Vivian sent me a little gift by way of Kaci, and we’re trying to figure out what it means.”
“Let’s see.” Dylan lifted the necklace from the box, turning the pendant so it gathered the light. It shimmered with warmth. “It suits you…a beautiful piece of jewelry for a beautiful woman. Would you like me to help you put it on?”
“Oh, yes, thanks.” Traci turned her back to Dylan and waited while he draped the necklace over her shoulders.
“How’s that?” His breath kissed the nape of her neck as he closed the clasp, warming her to the core.
Traci smoothed her hand over the silver as she turned back to face him. The pendant rested directly above her heart. “Perfect.”
“Yes, you are.” Dylan grazed her jaw with the pad of his thumb. “Perfect.”
“Wait, whoa, backpedal.” Ryne swallowed cookie crumbles. “Have Kaci and I missed a scene or two here?”
“I suppose so.” Traci nodded. “Yes, you have.”
“And what, exactly, happened in said scene?” Ryne reached for another cookie.
“Dylan thinks I’m going to fall in love with him.”
“Wait. What?” Kaci stood. “Did I hear that right?”
“Yes.” Traci nodded for emphasis. She glanced down to see that Dylan’s hand had somehow made its way into hers.
“Honey,” Kaci turned and tilted her head to look up at Ryne as he
“Hmm…” Kaci washed down the cookie with a sip of tea. “There’s no telling, but Miss Vivian has her ways.”
“Andrew Hart was full of puzzling expressions, and I guess Miss Vivian is carrying on the tradition for him now.”
“I think you’re right. And that reminds me.” Kaci opened her purse and riffled through the contents. “I saw Miss Vivian working in the flowerbeds at the big house yesterday afternoon, and when I mentioned that I’d be seeing you this evening, she asked me to give this to you.” She handed Traci a small white box.
“What is it?”
“I don’t know. Open it.”
Traci unlaced a cream-colored bow and lifted the lid. “Oh, my…it’s gorgeous.” Inside rested a silver pendant—two hearts entwined—on a delicate chain. “But why did Vivian want me to have it?”
“I’m not sure. She said Andrew entrusted it to her safekeeping just before he passed and asked her to give it to you when the time was right.”
“And now the time is right? Why?” Traci stroked the shimmering hearts as they caught the light. “More riddles that I can’t seem to decipher. How did she know today—right now—would be the right time?”
“You’ve got me there.” Kaci drew another sip of tea. “I don’t know.”
“Oh, here’s a tiny piece of paper tucked beneath the foam holder. Let me see…” Traci lifted the insert and tugged the slip of paper from beneath it, unfolding it carefully to read. “It’s a Bible verse…Psalms 91:11, ‘For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.’”
“How beautiful.” A smile curved Kaci’s lips. “Well, it’s no secret around here that Andy Hart conversed with angels.”
“I know, but—”
Footsteps sounded along the back patio just before a trio of raps rattled the glass of the French doors. Traci turned and glanced up to find Dylan standing there with Ryne at his side. She smiled and rushed to let them in. “Hi, Traci.” Dylan leaned against the counter. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You, too.” Merely a few hours had passed since Dylan dropped her off at the cottage, and she already missed him. Did he feel the same about her?
“Hey, Traci.” Ryne offered a quick wave as he crossed over to snatch a cookie from the package before claiming a kiss from Kaci and settling in at her side.
“Ryne and I have firmed up the playlist.” Dylan’s smile offered a hint to his feelings, which managed to both unsettle and encourage Traci. “How are things going on your end with the cake details?”
“We got a little sidetracked.” Traci showed him the jewelry box. “Vivian sent me a little gift by way of Kaci, and we’re trying to figure out what it means.”
“Let’s see.” Dylan lifted the necklace from the box, turning the pendant so it gathered the light. It shimmered with warmth. “It suits you…a beautiful piece of jewelry for a beautiful woman. Would you like me to help you put it on?”
“Oh, yes, thanks.” Traci turned her back to Dylan and waited while he draped the necklace over her shoulders.
“How’s that?” His breath kissed the nape of her neck as he closed the clasp, warming her to the core.
Traci smoothed her hand over the silver as she turned back to face him. The pendant rested directly above her heart. “Perfect.”
“Yes, you are.” Dylan grazed her jaw with the pad of his thumb. “Perfect.”
“Wait, whoa, backpedal.” Ryne swallowed cookie crumbles. “Have Kaci and I missed a scene or two here?”
“I suppose so.” Traci nodded. “Yes, you have.”
“And what, exactly, happened in said scene?” Ryne reached for another cookie.
“Dylan thinks I’m going to fall in love with him.”
“Wait. What?” Kaci stood. “Did I hear that right?”
“Yes.” Traci nodded for emphasis. She glanced down to see that Dylan’s hand had somehow made its way into hers.
“Honey,” Kaci turned and tilted her head to look up at Ryne as he
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