Page 74 of The Last Lavender Sister

“Thank you,” Marigold whispered. “Send me your tips.”

“You got it,” Aster whispered back. Marigold released her and looked around the place, clearly not wanting to make a big deal out of the moment and moving them out of it. “Now pitch in like the Lavender sister you were born to be.”

Aster laughed, and she and Violet exchanged a warm smile. “The least I can do.”

* * *

Brynn’s trip to Marilyn’s had been eye-opening for a number of reasons. She’d been in her head, confused, and beating herself up about that kiss, and namely her inability to press forward. With her brain fuzzy and busy, she’d arrived for dinner, finding Tyler and Sage already seated at a round table near the center of the room with an exceptional view of the kitchen, which was open for the diners to enjoy the show. She liked that very much about the restaurant.

The dining area was one large room with large black beams across the ceiling in a crisscross. The tables were also black with white tablecloths, a nod to the color scheme of Hole in One, perhaps? But an interesting thing happened. As they opened their menus and settled in, everything in Brynn relaxed. She stole glances of Aster in her chef’s coat moving around the kitchen. She seemed to be handling the tickets and expediting food to the servers tonight. Seeing her in her element, in control and so blatantly succeeding at it, made Brynn’s heart swell and settle.

“She’s my person,” she said quietly to Tyler, who followed her gaze. “Just look at her.”

“It’s really impressive,” Tyler said, beaming. “That’s little Aster back there being a boss.”

Brynn gave her head a shake. “What is wrong with me?”

“You’re untying a knot,” Sage said loudly from behind his menu, storming the conversation when she hadn’t even realized he’d been listening.

“Excuse me?” Brynn asked, confused.

“Something Marigold says when she grabs you by the ear. You got all knotted and now you’re untying, and as soon as you do, you can live happily ever after like us.” He dropped his menu. “Wait. It’sH-E-A. You can be H-E-A like us. Something like that. Did I get the letters right? Pretty sure I did. She’s right, though.” He smiled at Tyler. “We’re H-E-A.” He kissed the back of her hand sweetly, flashed his Sage dimples, and immediately went back to his entrée perusal.

Brynn looked to Tyler in mystification because surprisingly everything he said made sense. Crisp and clear.

“I don’t know what to say about that. He has his helpful moments,” Tyler said. “And he knows when to listen to his sisters, which goes a long way. I’ll give him that. His mother raised him right.”

“I’m no fool,” he said behind his menu, which pulled a laugh.

“I think it’s untied,” Brynn said with an amazed nod. “The knot.”

Tyler leaned over and put an arm around her shoulder. “We were all just waiting.”

“Now what?” Brynn frowned. “Aster’s over the back-and-forth. The me and her roller coaster. She said as much the other night.”

Tyler took a sip of water and set it back down again. “All you have is your honesty. Tell her how you’re feeling. Be direct and specific. Aster prefers specific. She wants details.”

Brynn nodded. “I can do that. Right now? Should I stand on this table and declare myself to the diners.”

“No,” Sage said, concern on his face.

“She’s kidding,” Tyler told him. “And maybe let’s wait for a more opportune moment.”

Brynn smiled, on a high. She ordered the scallops, mushroom risotto, and a glass of house red. When their table was up, Aster brought their entrées out personally.

“Welcome, officially, to Marilyn’s. I hope you enjoy the food. Brown sugar pork chop for Sage with rosemary potatoes, rattlesnake pasta for Tyler, and the scallops and garlic noodles for Brynn.”

“This is amazing,” Brynn said, unable to contain her pride.

Sage nodded heartily. “Kid sister, I’m impressed. And hungry. I might order another.”

“We can fulfill that request.” Aster folded her arms and nodded. That was Aster, always conservative. Her eyes went wide when Sage, probably unable to control himself, leapt out of his chair and envelopedher in a giant big-brother hug. She laughed as he released her. “Well, enjoy. I better get back.” With a wave she was gone, but not from Brynn’s radar. She could have sat there all night watching Aster in that sexy chef’s coat. Maybe one night, she’d buy a drink at the bar and do just that. She’d screwed up the other night in the parking lot, but she had her whole life to put things right, and it was time to do just that.

As she ate her perfectly seared scallops, she enjoyed every moment of her first time in Aster’s restaurant. But it didn’t just feel like one new beginning—it felt like two. Maybe that parking lot kiss and the days of recrimination that had followed had been just what she needed to finally free herself of Marigold’s metaphorical knot. Freedom tasted really good. Now, at some point soon she had to see a woman about that HEA…

Chapter Eighteen

The home Aster had purchased for herself when she returned to Homer’s Bluff was a six-minute drive from Brynn’s place on Baker Street, and Brynn felt every second tick by on the drive. From the street, she took in the house, which seemed much larger than Aster’s old place, and quite a bit nicer—a white two-story with a large front porch, pristine light green shutters, and a matching, much taller door than she was used to. It was clear Aster was doing okay for herself. But then, Brynn never doubted her potential. With Aster, the sky was the limit in so many different ways. She was special and wonderful, and Brynn didn’t want to go another day without celebrating that.

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