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“What do you mean, legwork?” I inquired.

Isabeau rolled her shoulders back and threw Celine a warning glance. I had a feeling that I was missing something.

“Just tell us if you like it,” Isabeau said, but I was pretty sure that was not what Celine had meant.

Isabeau opened a drawer under the counter and picked up a small bottle. It was a delightful light pink, mimicking a crystal, and had a delicate, small golden cap.

“It’s a perfume, not eau de cologne or eau de parfum, so it’s very potent. You don’t need to use more than a few drops.”

I uncapped it carefully. “This is amazing. So many notes and...” My voice faded as I took in a deep breath. Since I workedwith plants, I was good at distinguishing them. I could recognize the work of professionals. “Do I detect some star anise?”

“You’ve got an excellent nose!” Isabeau sounded proud.

“And lilac?”

Celine nodded. “Yes, yes. We love it.”

“I love lilac too. Oh, this is thrilling. Do you have a body lotion that goes with it?”

“We’ll make you one and send it to you.”

“Perfect. Thank you. I insist on paying for both.”

“We insist you pay for nothing,” Isabeau replied. “That’s no way of starting a partnership.”

“Well, then,” I said, taking out two creams I’d brought, “these two are for your personal use. It’s our bestseller. I use it as well and love it.” It was a rejuvenating face cream.

“We’ll gladly accept,” Celine replied.

Both women looked at me, smiling. This was going to be a success. I already knew it.

“Can you send us a batch quickly?” she continued. “We’ll put it in our window display.”

That was a pleasant surprise because they only had a small bottle of perfume in their display.

I nodded. “I’ll send some today.”

“Excellent. When people ask us about it, we’ll tell them that we’ll have the products in store soon.”

I beamed at them. “I have a very good feeling about our partnership.”

“So do we,” Isabeau said, then changed the topic altogether. “We’ re hoping that Zachary is treating you all right.”

I licked my lips. “He’s a perfect gentleman. Although, we did have a rocky start.”

“We heard about that.”

“I think it’s a nice sign that both of you are interested in the ranch,” Celine said.

Isabeau turned to her, tilting her head, clearly trying to drive a point home.

“A sign?” I asked. My heart was beating fast.

Isabeau glanced at me. “We’ll put our cards on the table before this becomes weird. We got wind that you two have gotten quite close.”

I was so shocked that I was surprised my jaw didn’t hit the floor.Why didn’t Zachary tell me this?

“We don’t need any details, but let’s just say that we’re thrilled about it,” she continued.