“You’re telling me. I had to force Mia into her coat this morning. The way she dresses, you’d think it was eighty degrees out there.”

I grinned at the image of Caelyn’s little sister refusing to cover one of her brightly colored ensembles with a jacket. “How are the rest of the tiny terrors?”

“They’re good. We all are. It’s taken some time, but things have finally settled down.”

I studied Caelyn’s face. Her expression held nothing but peace and happiness. You never would’ve known the hell she and the siblings she had custody of had been through just months ago. “You know, if you ever need to talk, I’m a good listener.”

Caelyn paused in her chopping and looked up. “Thank you. That means a lot. But I promise, I talked this out until I was blue in the face. Griffin made sure of it.”

“That’s a good man you snagged there.”

She winked at me. “Why do you think I put a ring on him?”

I choked on a laugh. “Because you’re not a stupid woman.”

“Dang straight.” She slid the egg and cheese goodness onto an English muffin and then proceeded to put all other sandwiches to shame by adding her secret blend of spices, some caramelized onions, and arugula. “Here you go.”

My stomach grumbled. “You know, I’ve tried to replicate this at home. I fail every time.”

Caelyn picked up her jar of the spice mixture. “This is the key. I’ll put some in a little jar for you to take home.”

“You’re a goddess.”

“Don’t I know it. But you’ll have to bring me some of your greenhouse tomatoes in exchange. I miss good tomatoes in the winter.”

I picked up my sandwich. “You’ve got yourself a deal. I’ve got a huge crop of them this year.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” The bell over the door jangled. “Let me make sure they don’t need any help. I’ll be right back.”

“Take your time.” I bit into the sandwich and had to hold back a moan. The concoctions Caelyn created were out of this world. She didn’t need the culinary classes she was currently enrolled in. Hell, she could be teaching them.

I forced myself to eat slowly, enjoying every bite. My culinary skills had vastly improved since I’d moved to Harbor, but I couldn’t compete with this. I’d learned how to use the ingredients I grew in the gardens and the greenhouse. I’d mastered creating sauces and stews to freeze for later. And I’d fallen in love with the process of it all. The slower pace of life that existed just a bit outside what the regular world demanded.