Page 30 of Tiffanie

“Be careful. The carriage house is within his territory,” Sara warned.

“I don’t like mice,” Tiffanie said, appalled.

“Better keep an eye out. Come sit. That’s enough excitement for the day,” Sara declared.

Nodding, Tiffanie selected her usual seat on the small drawing-room couch. She accepted the lemonade tea that Sara handed her, admiring the layered look in the glass. After taking a long drink, she relaxed against the cushions. “That’s amazing, Sara. Thank you.”

“Of course. Don’t forget to eat,” Sara said, wagging her finger at Tiffanie before turning her attention to Essie. “You too. I know you’re thinking about wedding gowns, but you need to fuel your body.”

“Have you picked anything out, Essie?” Tiffanie asked as Sara left.

“Not yet. I haven’t started shopping yet. Soon.”

“That’s so fun.”

“Maybe someday you’ll be searching for your own wedding gown,” Essie said.

“Maybe.” Tiffanie pictured Phineas in her mind. If only she could get healthy. “When,” she corrected herself mentally, vowing to make it happen with determination. Waking up with a hot naked man wrapped around her every morning would be a definite treat worth fighting for.

“That’s a sexy smile,” Essie commented. “I guess things are going well with Phineas?”

“He’s the best.” Her cheeks heated as the memory of him making her come twice last night popped into her mind.

“Hmm. I won’t ask questions. I’ll even change the subject for you. Tell me what you’ve got planned for the exhibition at the library.”

Tiffanie thanked Essie with a smile and flipped open the notebook she’d brought with her. “Are we holding this in the ballroom or at the public library? I keep forgetting to ask?”

“My suggestion is Ferguson’s Folly. Should we double-check with Phineas?” Essie asked.

“I’ll send him a text.” After dispatching her message, Tiffanie helped herself to some of the delicacies Sara had prepared for them. Essie came to sit next to Tiffanie and fixed herself a plate as well. A few minutes later, a message dinged in response.

“Oh, he answered. Phineas says in the ballroom. He’s afraid there won’t be enough room with the stacks of books.”

“Perfect. Does that impact your plans?”

“No, not really. I sketched layouts for both rooms. Let me show you my ideas for the ballroom.”

The two women put their heads together to tweak Tiffanie’s beginning thoughts. As they discussed options, Tiffanie treasured Essie’s collaborative attitude and her requests for Tiffanie’s opinion as an expert. She sent a brief mental thank you to Ivan for bringing her in to assist the phenomenal new business owner. Tiffanie had needed something to distract and keep her busy through the treatments she’d endured. Working at Ferguson’s Folly had provided all that as well as a new friend in Essie.

“We’re onto something special,” Essie said as they wrapped up the initial details. “I’m going to put together an application for people to apply to take part in the event. Then, we can run my questionnaire by Phineas first before making copies to distribute at the library. What do you think about putting an ad in the local paper?”

“That’s an amazing idea. I’d also contact the librarians in the local school district. My bet is they’d love to invite teens and even younger kids to participate. That is, if you want an all-age crowd,” Tiffanie said.

“Oh, my God. That’s perfect. I’m sure Phineas would love that as well. Get kids roped into the public library while they’re young. Or have you already discussed this with him?”

“No, we haven’t talked about this,” Tiffanie said, struggling to keep her expression from revealing her attraction to the handsome library director.

“Oh, come on. You have to give me some information. What’s happening between the two of you?”

“Okay. We’re seeing each other. I like him. I like him a lot.”

“Yes!” Essie did a happy dance wiggle in her chair, making Tiffanie laugh. “The heat coming off the two of you is incredible.”

“Really?” Tiffanie swallowed hard as she struggled with what to share with Essie. “I can’t believe he’s come into my life now. I don’t have much to offer him.”

“What? Are you crazy? You’re amazing. Beautiful, talented, so fun to be around.”

“For about five minutes. Then I run out of steam. I’m afraid Phineas will lose interest in dating someone with a serious illness. The doctor has paused my treatments. He said my latest test results show conflicting counts. He’s guessing that I need a break from the medicine.”