Chloe seemed surprised. “You kept them up?”
Lucy nodded, remembering the juvenile urge she’d had to rip everything out and start all over again. It wasn’t the most mature inclination she’d ever had and common sense had dictated otherwise. “The red salvia re-seeded somewhat, but I added more to fill out and some other plants as well.”
Chloe smiled and looked up at Beck. “You were able to go full time with your bees. Your dream came true, and in such a short time. Beck, I’m so proud of you, and happy for you. I’ll bet Lucy has a lot to do with your success.”
Beck nodded. “She does. She runs A Divine Retreat during the day, sells my products from there, and then she helps me at the house on her free evenings.”
“Oh, that’s right. Beck mentioned earlier that you’re a massage therapist, too. Small world, huh?”
Lucy giggled. “Tell me about it. For a while, I filled your vacant position at Madeleine’s.”
Chloe snorted at that news and said, “Oh Lord. Are those stylists still giving Madeleine fits with all their drama and backstabbing?”
“You know it. Some things never change. Put that many women together and there’s bound to be trouble.”
Grant leaned forward and said, “I’ve heard that before, Lucy, but I can’t help but notice that all of you girls seem to get along really well. I’ll bet your men don’t have near the trouble we do keeping our women in Lusty from racing headfirst into disaster at every opportunity.” He gave Chloe a significant look and Andrew nodded in agreement as he crossed his bulky arms over his broad chest.
“Trouble magnets, all of them,” Andrew added for good measure. “Regardless of age or status. Our Chloe-doe looks like she’s following in their footsteps, too.”
Chloe elbowed him and said, “You wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Andrew grunted and made a sound of disagreement that ended with laughter. He watched as she removed each item from the box, including foot crème, hand cream, and body lotion, all handmade by Beck.
Chloe gasped when she lifted the next item from the big box. “Oh. I can’t believe it! Look!” She lifted the ten-pound jar of Beck’s Bees pure honey from the box and her jaw fell open.
Grant reached in and pulled out the other, smaller jar and read the label. “Beck’s Bees Cream Honey.”
Chloe looked at Grant and said, “You’re in for a rare treat at breakfast tomorrow, darling.” She slid the big jar of honey onto the table and turned to Beck. “I remember when your entire harvest fit into one jar this size. This is a precious, precious gift. Thank you all.”
Lucy squeezed Beck and Patrick’s hands and said, “You’re very welcome. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.” She looked at Patrick and saw the way he watched her with a contented look on his face, and then turned to Beck. He seemed relaxed…pleased that Chloe was happy with the gift, but pleased with Lucy, too, judging by the look her gave her, for thinking Chloe might like a gift of his beeswax and honey products.
Looking back at Chloe, Lucy said, “It’s really all okay. Isn’t it, Chloe? It all worked out. Everything?”
Chloe looked back at her men, blushed, and wiped at a tear as she nodded. Grant’s big hand looked gentle as he stroked her cheek. “Yeah. If you’d told me last fall that I’d be happily settled and ready to commit to two men, I’d have told you that you were crazy.”
Lucy laughed and got up to hug her. “I could say the same thing about myself.”
The men got to know each other while Lucy and Chloe talked shop for a little while. Lucy was thrilled when Chloe asked about selling some of Beck’s products through her place of business, the Lusty Glow Day Spa. Lucy promised to handle it for her.
Before long, Emily Anne and her men showed up, making quite a splash when Grace noticed the engagement ring sparkling brightly on Emily Anne’s ring finger.
As Luke Bryan’s “Crash My Party” played on the sound system, Lucy looked around, pleased at the way the Lusty folks were enfolded with her Divine friends. She wondered if more excitement might come down the road from Lusty in the future.
A hush fell over the crowd as the song finished and another one didn’t immediately replace it. She looked over at the DJ booth along with everyone else and discovered that Ethan Grant was looking right at her.
He smiled and held up the microphone. “This is Lucy’s song.”
Holy crap! Ethan picked a song for me?
Every nerve ending in her body lit up when she instantly recognized the drumbeat and guitar rhythm of Lenny Kravitz’s version of “American Woman.”