She laid a new paintbrush on the table and closed her eyes. She heard footsteps at the back door. “Knock, knock. It’s Ian and dog.” “Come in, it’s open. I’m here in the kitchen,” she yelled out. She tried to straighten up her hair but gave up quickly. She was glad he was staying on the island. Ian entered, followed by Gretel. He had a stern look on his face and something behind his back. “Sitting down on the job, I see.” Lily put her hands on her hips. “I’ll have you know I’ve been working since six AM. baking cookies, answering phones, fixing another leaky faucet and—” “Whoa, just kidding. You look a little down in the dumps is all. I’m trying to cheer you up.” He leaned over, kissed the top of her head, and handed her a bouquet of delicate blue forget-me-nots. “They’re so pretty, I love these little flowers.”
