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She sighed. “That’s why Grandma loves you.”

“And you don’t?” I teased.

“I’m offended you had to ask.”

A chuckle spilled out of me. “Gotta go finish up some work if I’m to make it there in two hours.”

After reviewing the herbs that Patricia Gallivan used, I concluded there was nothing wrong with my grandma’s herbal remedy. Jasmine leaves, dandelion, rose, and ginseng could be found easily online or any grocery store. Ms. Gallivan was probably allergic to one of the herbs. But to be certain, I’d send it to the lab for verification. They could break down the properties and see the chemical reactions for each herb and pair them up for various effects. They could use that data and analyze it further with the global database on people who were allergic to them.

When I got to Full Circle Apothecary, the parking lot was packed with cars. It must have been the herbs class night. I entered, and the noise from the herb room confirmed it.

Yolanda saw me and gestured for me to follow her to the back room. She wore a dress with a low neckline and high heels that would probably hurt her feet by the time the shop closed.

“Are you going on a date tonight?” I asked.

We ducked into the back room filled with inventory neatly organized. Baskets of dried herbs sat waiting to be separated.

Yolanda twirled, and the skirt flowed around her. “Do I look pretty enough for a date?”

“Always.” I leaned against the table. “So what’s the deal with the new complaint?”

She stood beside me, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. “Some woman said the herbal prescription made her nauseous. She wanted her money back.”

“Did you give it to her?”

“I didn’t want to, but Grandma said we should.”

“She’s right,” I said. “We want to defuse the situation, not make it worse. Did Grandma pull the product off the shelves?”

Yolanda nodded, staring at the ground. “I don’t know what’s going on, Forrest. No one has ever had a problem with any of our herbal prescriptions until now. I hope the complaints stop because it’s stressing out Grandma.” She nudged me with her elbow. “Do you want to stay longer in Texas until the lawsuit is over?”

“I can’t. I’ve sent out the herbs left by Patricia Gallivan to the lab. They’ll confirm if the recipe was safe, which I know it is. But having an official document is extra ammunition in court. My lawyer is working on the case.” Pushing off from the table, I took out my phone from my pocket, scrolling for Henry’s number. “I’m going to get an update from him. Where’s Grandma, by the way?”

“She went to the market down the street. It’s her daily exercise when we have enough coverage here,” she said, and I heard a hint of sadness in her voice.

“You okay?”

She lifted a shoulder. “Just relationship issues. Nothing big.”

“Is your boyfriend treating you well? If not, you let me know, okay?” I placed a hand on her shoulder. “I mean it. You deserve a man who loves you.”

She smiled at me. “Thanks. I’m going to head out front to help Cara.”

When Yolanda left, I called Henry for an update.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

KIERA

Wearing my new Ba7M5Bu88T-shirt in soft yellow and some comfy shorts, I took an Uber to downtown Austin, wanting to explore.Though anxiety still stirred around me, I pushed it aside. Thinking about Forrest helped keep the worries far away. He’d become the perfect distraction.

It had been a while since I felt this kind of inspiration. Forest saidI made his day with a fantastic orgasm. But he was the one who shifted my mood completely. I’d never experienced such bliss from a text message, but it seemed Forrest had opened up new adventures for me to explore.

Tingles tickled my spine as I remembered our chat, yearning for his touch again. Delight skipped inside me like a child full of wonder and invincibility.I was going to put this positive attitude to good use.

I walked up to The Southern Belle boutique, stopped, and stared at the window display. The sage maxi dress on the dress form caught my eye. It reminded me of the color of Forrest’s eyes. I didn’t bring a lot of dresses on this trip, because I didn’t think I’d be going on a date or wanting to feel feminine and attractive. I had packed my luggage with mostly T-shirts, tank tops, and shorts. The lost luggage had finally arrived, but it was more casual clothing.

I could still wear a T-shirt and shorts on my date, but the simplicity of the dress with the thin straps called me.