Chapter 55

Meredith spent the week whipping up batches of product with her signature scent and also attempted to extract the right amount of fragrance from various samples to hit upon the perfect blend for a new second line of lotions and potions.

She was becoming more and more enamored with adding a hint of jasmine, but lavender and vanilla remained favorite enhancements as well, as did the lilacs blooming early with the warm weather, tempting her beyond all belief.

Needless to say, she hadn’t quite settled on what her next fragrance would be.

She also spent time boning up on this contest she was now entered in. The nominees were not permitted to solicit votes—in fact, the general public wouldn’t be the deciding factor at all for the winner. Apparently, a panel of judges had been assigned to the competition, comprised of editors of women’s health and beauty magazines, and top-tier executives of high-end department and cosmetics stores with internationally recognized names.

The entrants were all independent crafters of the product lines; none were associated with a large-scale manufacturer or featured in publications or contracted by major retailers; only vendors within their local communities. Web orders were excluded, of course—and fully allowed.

On the day the contest launched, Meredith immediately saw an upswing in sales.

“Holy shit,” she murmured to Lacey when they tallied up that first days’ receipts.

Lacey’s jaw actually dropped. “Good grief, Meredith. That’s a sixty percent increase in online orders, overnight.”

Meredith’s heart—and her spirits—soared. “And this is just the beginning of the two-week campaign. They’ve featured all of the ‘contestants’—that being the products—and then they intend to spotlight each one, then bring them back together as a group before they individually showcase the second runner up, the runner up and the winner.”

She didn’t really believe she had cause for the excitement humming through her, but she couldn’t control it.

No, Meredith did not expect to win. In her mind, she’d concocted a simple aroma. A fresh, alluring one that conjured precisely the image Garrett had encapsulated when he’d said she smelled like a spring day—as though he was standing on the ridge, inhaling her…flowers, sunshine and a delicate breeze.

It was the description Meredith was now using in her marketing materials and perhaps that also lent to her uptick in sales.

She was thrilled to the core, to be sure. But she wouldn’t count her winnings prematurely.

No, her best bet was to substantially multiply her inventory. She’d been a bit wary of doing this, initially, fearing what could happen if orders didn’t escalate because of the contest. She’d be stuck with a hell of a lot of product…which would eventually go bad if no one snatched it up.

However…She let her optimism rule supreme and kept up her personal production, with Genevieve’s help.

The two of them were working late into the evenings and that did put a damper on her budding love life.

Garrett and Chase were prepping horses and their riders for a series of competitions, including jumping and showing. The show horses Chase was working with were stunning from mane to hooves and Lacey had evidently taken an interest in choreography and hired a team of professionals she could collaborate with on the ranch—along with award-winning groomers.

Meredith had to snicker teasingly over that one. Of course, Lacey would bring onboard the best-of-the-best groomers for-hire. And damned if the horses didn’t shine.

With all the activity at present, Garrett was up before the crack of dawn every morning. And while he possessed the stamina to take her dancing after a long day at the ranch, Meredith was now so engrossed in her current endeavor that they’d had to bypass Tristan’s all week. They both fell asleep early, either at her apartment or his trainer’s quarters, and were back at it before the roosters were even crowing.

It was a little disconcerting that they were suddenly inundated by their own careers. And yet, Meredith also mentally contended that this was a true test of how couples survived. How they kept the home fires burning while tending to the daily grind.

Garrett was particularly good at keeping the home fires burning—not to mention Meredith’s body.

She, in turn, ensured the man was well-fed…even though that meant ordering in more often than not.

Prompting her to tell Lacey, as they were closing up shop on Sunday night, “You and I ought to commit to cooking lessons. Twice a week, at least, with Miss Layla Ray. She was a personal chef to some foreign dignitary, cooked for the governor of our great state and owned a restaurant in Paris for a spell. That was after she ran a successful catering company in New York and had clients who were Broadway actors, rock stars and real estate moguls. Which makes her the most famous person I know.”

With a laugh, Lacey said, “When are we planning on fitting in these cooking lessons with Miss Layla Ray?”

“Beats the hell out of me. But my personal thinking is that if Garrett can find time to pick bushels of flowers to bring to me and spend a couple of hours at night—and one in the morning—making me sing the good Lord’s praises, I figure the least I can do is make him some homemade meals.”

She winked.

Lacey couldn’t seem to argue the point.

Meredith added, “Otherwise, we’re going to blow through the entire dinner menu at The Prime Cut and Portofino’s. And we’ve already exhausted Chinese takeout on the weekends.”

“Mm, point taken. It’s just that, I expanded my home-delivery meal service to include the ‘hungry man’ version for Chase, so…”

Meredith’s brow dipped. “Those are frozen entrées, Lace.”

“That turn out just divine in the microwave.”

Meredith packed up the receipts and zipped up the overnight deposit bag that Lacey would drop at the bank before heading back to the ranch.

Meredith told her, “I’m just sayin’, I don’t have those mile-long legs of yours or those breasts or that gorgeous cinnamon hair to mesmerize the man from here to eternity. I need a bigger arsenal at my disposal.”

“Meredith.” Lacey planted her hands on her slender hips and said, “What on earth are you talking about? Garrett fell in love with you the second he saw you. And he sure as hell didn’t let anything stand in his way as he claimed you—including Tristan and a decade-long friendship with Chase.”

“I’m just trying to stay a few steps ahead of the game, Lace. It doesn’t help matters that I am now in the throes of mass-manufacturing Wildfire Passion. I do not want to become a dud or old hat or any other such thing.”

“Stop obsessing,” Lacey told her. “I’ll take the classes with you. I’m pretty sure Chase will be thrilled.”

“The man does like to eat.”

“Name one who doesn’t.”

They hugged, then Lacey left—just as The Prime Cut was making their “house call.”

Meredith locked up and then took the meal upstairs to keep it warm in the oven until Garrett arrived.

He’d said he had a schedule to give her of the upcoming competitions and some traveling him and Chase would be doing.

Meredith wasn’t looking forward to him being on the road, that was for sure. But those cooking classes might come in handy for passing the time for both her and Lacey. Though, Lacey also had wedding planning on her plate. And that reminded Meredith…She had a bridal shower to throw and then a bachelorette party.

She just needed Lacey and Chase to nail down a date for the ceremony.

Couldn’t be easy with all they had going on, but she knew it was a priority, so she’d better start preparing for when the Save the Date announcements dropped.

She showered and washed off all the various scents from her skin that were a result of her experiments. Then she slipped into a pink-lace nightie she’d sprung for. Actually, she’d damn-near bought out Victoria’s Secret’s lingerie section online. All conveniently delivered to her via mail, so no one in town had to know.

Other than the fucking mail carrier.

Damn.

Would Carson Overton really spout off at the mouth regarding her binge-shopping?

Oh, hell.

This was Wildfire, Texas.

Of course, he would.

Meredith fretted over this for a whopping ten minutes before Garrett came strutting through her door, using the keys she’d given him.

She was propped in the corner of the sofa, sipping a glass of wine, as he rounded the far end and then halted abruptly.

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” he said of the curve-hugging lace that had a scalloped edge at the tops of her breasts, long sleeves that were off the shoulder, and an ultra-tight hem that was so damn short, it was downright scandalous.

Beneath the nightie, she wore nothing by a matching G-string.

Raising her glass to him, Meredith grinned and told him, “So nice of you to stop by, cowboy.”

“Good fucking Lord, Meredith Jane,” he said in a suddenly strained voice as his smoldering gaze eased over her. “You tryin’ to give me a heart attack, woman?”