Zoya Hart has been eluding her gold-digging stepmother for the last few years. Knowing that this woman will do anything to gain control of her and her late father's company, Zoya finds herself hiding out on a farm. Now, with a PI on her trail, Zoya'...
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Scents of lavender and vanilla hung in the air as Mariana sealed the last two boxes of soap, slid them to Lemon and Zoya for shipping labels, then puffed a strand of hair from her eyes. "My online presence is paying off." Mariana had spent an hour each day for the past few weeks following different stores on Facebook, then posted photos of her products. Of the six companies who visited her site, two placed orders.
Lemon pressed the sticker onto the carton. "I'm familiar with Peabody's in New Orleans, but not Balwen's in Shreveport."
"It has everything you can imagine. From bath products to home interiors," Zoya said.
"You've been there?"
"Uh, yeah. A long time ago."
Zoya didn't seem like a city girl or the type to shop in an upscale boutique. But her eyes flickered as if she'd said too much, so Mariana wondered if that's where she was from.
Mariana glanced at Lemon. "I've been thinking I'd find someone to represent my line at the home and gift show in NOLA next September. That would give me time to build inventory."
"Holy hell. I have an idea. Why don't we check into renting a space and do it ourselves? By then, I should have my jewelry line going. That way, we wouldn't have to pay a middleman." She pressed a hand to her chest and shrugged. "I've been told I have natural sales skills so who better to promote our stuff than moi?"
Mariana stacked the shipping boxes by the door. "Bad thing about that is we'll have to come up with money and I have no idea how much those spots cost."
Lemon pulled out her phone and typed. "I've put it on my to-do list. I'll check on that and get back to you." Then she looked at Zoya. "You all set for your big date?"
"It's a plus one."
"Call it whatever you like, but you said he bought new clothes, so I'd say it's a date. You gonna let him kiss you good night?"
Mariana shot Miss Enthusiastic a glare. "Lemon!"
Zoya's face reddened, and that weird giddy excitement in her stomach was back in full force. It was entirely unnerving. Maybe she was getting sick, but the symptoms were all wrong.
"Hey. Just saying she needs to be prepared."
"I'd like to kiss him."
Mariana snapped her head around so fast, she almost got whiplash. "Are you kidding?"
"No."
Lemon put her cell away and focused on Zoya. "Has Roman changed? Just a few weeks ago you called him a jerk."
"He's stopped drinking and smoking so much. He hasn't gone out since the bad storm. I think he's been too tired because he works so hard on the house. And he let me keep Homer."
At the sound of his name, the puppy rose from his sleeping spot in the corner and trotted to Zoya. She lifted him into her arms.
To emphasize her advice, Mariana leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. "If you fall for him, you'll get hurt. The men in that family have a history of not being able to commit."
