CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER

1

FRIDAY, MAY 5

J

enna Murphy jumped when the timer on her phone went off and set Hope to barking like a maniac. At four months old, her black lab was still more puppy than dog, and she alternated between two states: asleep and uncontrollably excited. “Shh. It’s okay, Hope. Calm down.”

She killed the alarm with a tap on the screen and stood up to stretch. She’d been at it for longer than she’d realized. It was great to hit that flow state when she was deep in a project, but she tended to go down a concentration rabbit hole and get lost, which is why she’d set the alarm in the first place. Jenna was still getting used to Hope’s outdoor bathroom routine every couple of hours, but she had learned the hard way it was better to keep her alarm set than to clean up messes.

Jenna’s stomach growled, reminding her that while she’d fed the puppy at lunch, the energy bar she’d snagged for herself was long gone. “You ready to go outside, Hope?” Her dog was young, but she was smart and knew the word for

outside

. The puppy danced around Jenna’s legs, wiggling with excitement at the sight of the leash.

Getting it on her was the tricky part, because of all the squirming. Jenna grabbed a treat out of the bag in her desk. Hope immediately scented it and began to whine. “Sit.” She waited just a second and then moved the treat over Hope’s nose just like the instructor at their puppy class had showed her. Like magic, Hope’s bum hit the floor as she angled her body to reach the treat. “Good girl.” Jenna gave her a rub while she clipped on the leash.

Jenna kept hold of Hope’s leash and hit save on her laptop once more for good measure. Before she logged off, she took a moment to admire the way the website for Indulgence was coming together. She’d had some fun working with the food photos Oona had provided for her, and the bakery’s website was going to be a great portfolio piece when it was done. There was a lot to do yet, but she could see the finished product in her mind now, and it was only a matter of connecting the dots to make reality match the picture she saw in her mind.

But she couldn’t think about that right now. They had just enough time for a quick trip outside, and then Jenna had to put her landlord hat on. She had a three o’clock meeting with Kenya, a local woman who was interested in renting the remaining commercial space in The Landing.

Fifteen minutes later,

Jenna pushed through the door of Higher Ground, where the air was perfumed with the rich aromas of coffee and chocolate.

She looked around while she waited in line, glad to see almost a dozen people scattered at tables throughout, and the sound of laughter from the group of moms in the corner was nice to hear. The coffee club met in the afternoons before school pickup time, and there were often groups of parents waiting for the dance classes next door to finish up.

Jenna perused the mug options on display at the counter and picked up the one she wanted when it was her turn at the front of the line.

“How’s my favourite landlord today?”

Jenna smiled at Lucas. “I’m great.” Taking on Lucas Heyes as her first business tenant was the second-smartest move she’d ever made—her smartest was running away to spend Christmas in Rivers End last year.

He turned the cup around and laughed.

#Bosslady.

“I thought you might like that.”

“You special-order that one for me?”

“You bet. Mocha?”

“Yes, please.” She thought about making it a decaf but discarded the idea. She could use that boost of energy. She still had a ways to go on that website. Working directly above the town’s best coffee shop was most definitely a perk. She was never far from an instant source of caffeine, and the baked goods were to die for. “And maybe a slice of that banana bread too.” Bananas were fruit. She could justify that as lunch more easily than she could a cookie.

“Going over to Isaac’s tonight?”

She felt the blush creep up her cheeks: the curse of the fair-skinned redhead. Hopefully he couldn’t read on her face where her thoughts had gone.

“Yep. We’ve got a hot date, including mac and cheese and whatever movie Sara picks out.”

“Sounds romantic.”

Jenna laughed. “I’m not sure what it says about me, but it’s my idea of a perfect date at the moment.” She loved Isaac’s six-year-old daughter and the time they all spent together. As a single parent and owner of the Big River Lodge, Isaac had to be shared with other people. But that didn’t matter to her. She’d always wanted a family, and when Sara and Isaac had come into her life, she’d fallen hard and fast and hadn’t looked back.

She watched Lucas pull the espresso shot and add it to the mug of steamed milk and foam. He drizzled a little chocolate on top and handed it over to her. “I’ll add it to your tab.”

“Perfect. You’re an artist, my friend.”

Jenna headed to her favourite table in the corner by the “library,” as they fondly called it, because of the shelf of books available for customers to borrow. She bypassed the big cushy chairs, which weren’t ideal for the business meeting she was about to have, and instead chose a table that had a view of the fireplace. It was far enough away from the giggling teenagers that they wouldn’t be disturbed.

She was curious about the woman she was meeting. All she knew was that Kenya was interested in the one remaining shop space in The Landing and that she was a photographer.

Until she met her, though, she wouldn’t know if she’d be a good fit for the little community they were building here at The Landing.

Just a couple of minutes later—right on time, Jenna noted—a woman walked in the door and looked around before heading to the counter.

She ordered, and Lucas pointed in Jenna’s direction. As the woman came towards her, Jenna felt a twinge of envy.

She was gorgeous. As tall as Lucas—around six feet—and the rich copper of her skin glowed under the mellow lighting in the café. Her flowing white blouse created the perfect frame for the bold jewellery she wore. Her bracelet and necklace featured richly coloured stones and twisted strands of silver, and Jenna made a mental note to ask where she’d gotten them.

“Jenna?” The woman stretched out her hand, and Jenna stood. “Kenya Williams.”

Lucas dropped off a plate with a cookie on it and a cup of what smelled like peppermint tea. Kenya’s hand shook a little as she pulled the tea bag out of her cup.

“Don’t be nervous. I promise I don’t bite, and the cookies here are magical. Take a bite of that chocolate one and get settled in. There’s no rush.” She watched as Kenya settled into her chair and pulled a portfolio out of her bag. “Why don’t you tell me a bit about what you’d like to do with the space?”

Kenya handed the folder over to Jenna. “I’ve been building a list of clients for a couple of years now, but going to their homes to take pictures doesn’t always work. Sometimes they want the pictures to be a surprise, and sometimes they just don’t have the right clothing or accessories for what we’re trying to do, so we need access to all my materials. I find it helps to be in a more neutral space.”

Jenna gasped as she opened the portfolio. “These are gorgeous!”

“I know it’s an unusual type of studio to have, but I love showing women how beautiful they really are.”

Jenna turned page after page. The photos were sensual without being graphically sexy. “They’re art, and they’re really beautiful, Kenya. And you think the space we have will work for you?”

“I’d like to go see it again if you’re willing. I’ve got a few ideas I’d like to talk over with you… after I finish this cookie. It’s as amazing as you said.”