On the third week of June, business was good—at the shop and with the corporation. Leigh pushed the Bella's corporate inventory list aside and considered her parents' new home. Gleaming white in the afternoon sunshine, it was bordered now by vivid flowers. Small in the distance, Mary Jo was standing beside Bliss, considering the backyard garden, the ocean as a backdrop for the two women. Bliss's long, loose shift caught the wind, just brushing Mary Jo's leggy jeans.
Despite different pasts, they seemed so much in tune with each other—women planning a garden, sharing with each other. Ed and Bliss seemed happy enough for now.
Ryan was still sulking. When she saw he and Jarek easing a heavy armoire into the Stepanov showroom, her brother had glared at her. He'd caught Jarek's look at Leigh and her resulting blush, and Ryan wasn't one to spare feelings when he was unhappy.
