Page 16 of The Last Lavender Sister

“Sing it. We could all benefit from Peggy’s lesson.”

Tyler exhaled. “So how’s Sage?”

“We mention love and you mention Sage. Interesting.”

“It’ll pass. Right?”

“I’m hoping on your behalf.”

“So give it to me straight. We sleep together for the first time. He practically pretends it didn’t happen. I leave town. And he…what?”

She winced at Tyler’s retelling. Sage seemed like a nice enough guy, but he was behaving like a fool. “I haven’t seen much of him, honestly. I get the impression he’s lying low. I’m living next door to his little sister, though. I could ask.”

“No. Don’t burden Aster with Sage drama. She loves him to pieces. How is she?”

“Seems great. She’s fun. Aster.”

“She is that. Also brilliant.”

“Yeah?” Brynn wasn’t entirely surprised. “She’s definitely an intellectual. In her own head a lot, too.”

“Yep. The kid had straight As in everything without trying. That’s not an exaggeration. A near perfect SAT score. And some people theorize that she dropped an assignment or two her senior year on purpose, just so she wouldn’t be named valedictorian and have to make a speech.”

Brynn smiled. All to dodge a speech, huh?Oh, Aster. “I picked up on the less than comfortable with people part. She’s sweet, though.” She left out the detail about how perfectly she filled out a tank top.Some things were best held on to. Especially when this was Tyler’s bonus little sister she had inadvertently objectified. She’d have to make sure never to do that again. Boundaries were important.

“She’s a good egg,” Tyler said. “But I worry about her sometimes. She gets lost in the chaotic Lavender shuffle. Watch out for her while I’m gone, will you?”

Brynn took the request seriously. She softened to sincerity. “I will certainly do that. You have my word.”

“Thank you. You have no idea how much easier I can breathe here, knowing you have everything taken care of back at home.”

“You know, it’s fun to be you for a little while. I have to admit, the change of pace has been refreshing.” A pause. “Any other tips for the clinic? Sometimes I feel like the human patients need more from me than I’m giving. They want to stick around. Hang out.”

Tyler chuckled. “Welcome to small-town practice. Everything moves at a slower pace, and part of the service is being neighborly and discussing the way insects are invading their gardens, what their son likes to eat for breakfast. But there are exceptions. Don’t let Mrs. Bartlett tell you any of her book club stories. They don’t end, and you’ll never get out of the exam room. And Mozzie’s mom, Katrina, will act like she’s concerned about Mozzie’s weight, but it’s often a ploy to sell you Mary Kay cosmetics. I’m down two hundred bucks and have way more mascara than I could ever use. Stay strong. Refuse the samples politely, or you’re sunk.”

“Too late.” She winced at the order she’d reluctantly placed just yesterday. She should really work on her holdout skills. “I thought Mozzie was looking too svelte for genuine concern.”

“The devil works hard, but Mary Kay works harder. Better run. I have a study session in five.”

“With the good hair. Love you, Tyler. And all is good in Homer’s Bluff.”

And it really was. She hadn’t fixated on her broken-to-pieces life nearly as much. She thought less of her happiness with Tiffany, and how it had been ripped away like a slap across the face. In fact, discovering Homer’s Bluff and all it had to offer had been the best kind of salve. It reminded her that the world had a lot more to offer than just what was right in front of her. If her old trajectory hadn’t worked out, there were plenty of new ones waiting for her to give them a test drive.She would do things differently here. Rely on herself. Stay out of any and all potential fires. She smiled and exhaled slowly. She was going to be all right—a sentence she’d said to herself more than a few times over the last few months, but this time she actually believed it.

Chapter Three

Some days, you were just in the mood for a warm, fresh doughnut. When Brynn woke that Friday, she knew there would have to be an extra stop on her way into the clinic. She had a staff meeting scheduled for eight a.m., and a box of doughnuts would help get them started on the right foot. People loved breakfast at work. Plus, she’d get to see Aster’s business and find out if these doughnuts were any good.

When Brynn drove up to Hole in One early that morning, she was struck. She’d never in her life encountered a doughnut shop with as much character as this one. The building was small, but on the side facing the street, a doughnut mural covered the entire side of the structure. An honest-to-goodness masterpiece that would make anyone pull over for a dozen. The painting featured three doughnuts—chocolate, glazed, and strawberry frosted—along with a tall glass of milk with a curvy straw. It was eye catching and simple enough that you wouldn’t miss the details when driving by. The message was clear. Doughnuts could be found inside, and didn’t you want one with this lovely glass of milk? She really did. Brynn, already enjoying the vibe, decided to go inside rather than joining the drive-through line, four cars deep.

When she opened the door, she had to pause a moment because the heavenly aroma of fresh fried dough about brought her to her knees. What was it like to work continuously in a room that smelled so wonderful? When coherent thought returned, she took in her surroundings. The place waspetite. That was for sure. Black and white subway tile adorned the front of the counter from the floor on up. Framed photographs of individual doughnuts accentuated the walls like celebrities at Sardi’s, and two small tables sat on either side of theroom, leaving space in the middle for a potential line, of which there already was a small one.

She surveyed the menu displayed on a chalkboard with colorful chalk illustrations of each doughnut. She remembered Aster liked to draw and smiled. Today’s flavors included Glazed and Confused, Blueberry and Sweet Corn Chaos, Lavender Lemonhead, and Chocolate Murder. She blinked at the less than common offerings, understanding that this was not her grandmother’s doughnut shop. Aster was flexing her creative muscle with her business, and Brynn was here for it. In the glass case behind the counter, she saw large sheets displaying the four kinds of doughnuts in all their glory. Her mouth watered, and her senses overloaded in the best way.

“Good morning, new person! What can I get you today?” a redheaded woman asked from behind the counter. She had both arms stretched out and wore a red Hole in One T-shirt with a matching black baseball cap. Behind a tall cart of some sort, Brynn thought she glimpsed Aster in the exact same black ball cap, which she happened to look fantastic in. A little sporty with the feminine sway of her dark ponytail hanging out the back.

“Good morning. What do you recommend?”

Just as the woman opened her mouth to answer, Aster’s face appeared partially from behind the cart. She finished sliding a full tray onto a rack and came around front. “You stopped in.” She turned to the redhead. “Hey, Tori, I’ll take this one.” The bouncy redhead hopped over to the drive-through service and went to work.

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