Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6 by Abigail Grant (most important books to read TXT) 📕

love, I love.” She leans in and wraps an arm around her grandmother for extra emphasis.

Gram presses her lips together with a slight smirk. “Okay then, if you both want to learn a thing or two, where should we begin?”

I speak up again. “I’ve actually been thinking about that remedy you told me about, to heal a heart after an Intended dies. I’d love to learn how that process goes… you know, cause I planted that one with Gavin.”

Gram eyes me suspiciously, but quickly her face softens. “I’d be happy to show you that one. I think I have everything for it right here in this kitchen.” She stands and walks to the same cupboard Camilla is still standing by and she pulls out two small containers. One is labeled coleus and the other is labeled ginger.

Then she opens another cupboard and finds a box of empty tea bags and a jar of honey shaped like a small bear. I watch as she lays the ingredients on the countertop. She waves me over and I come around the island to her side.

“So, this remedy is quite simple. The way I like to make the coleus is in a tea. Otherwise the plain leaves taste like dirt, in my opinion.”

Camilla raises a hand. “I agree with that statement.” Her nose scrunches up as she remembers the flavor.

I point to the crushed coleus. “Is this just the coleus leaves ground up?” I ask, trying to learn as much as I can.

Gram shakes her head and dumps out a small amount of the herbs. “For the very best effect, I grind up the entire plant, down to the roots.” She then hands me a tea bag. “Go ahead and fill this bag with that coleus mixture there, and add some ground ginger in there. Then seal the bag with one of these strings.”

Gram pulls a small string out of a drawer by her hip. I follow her instructions and fill the bag to the top. She nods and hands me a brown mug.

“Now, all you’d do at this point is put the tea bag in the mug, fill it with hot water and after a few minutes, the tea is ready to drink. Adding honey makes it taste quite good in the end.” She smiles at me, proud of her herbalist skills.

I smile back. “Should I make it now? I’m curious to taste it.” And I’m curious to know if it works at hiding my bond.

Gram and Camilla both instantly shake their heads at me. Camilla takes the ingredients off the counter before putting each of them away. She comes back to me with a sad smile. “Hon, if you were to drink that tea now, your connection to Gavin would be temporarily shut off. Hopefully, you never need to taste the coleus tea no matter how good Gram makes it sound, but it’s best to wait until it’s absolutely necessary.”

I nod. “I understand. If I drank it though, how long would the connection be gone?” I glance nervously at Gram and she is watching me with curiosity again, rubbing her index finger along her chin.

Camilla shrugs. “In my experience, it lasts about twenty four hours.”

Alexa makes herself known again from her stool on the other side of the island. “Thankfully, though, my brother won't ever let anything happen to himself that’ll make you need the tea. He is much too in love to risk his life in that way.” She smiles at me, reassuring me in the same way she did yesterday.

I smile back, not believing that to be true in the least. “I know. The whole process is just so fascinating.” I turn back to the older women. “Thanks for teaching me.”

They both nod and a voice breaks through the silence. “Am I missing the girl party?” Gavin says from the archway.

He leans against the wall very casually with his golden eyes watching me, and my nervous insides turn to mush. I can’t not be drawn to him. I run to Gavin and throw my arms around his neck. He chuckles against me and sighs into my dark hair.

Alexa clears her throat behind us. “No boys allowed!” She teases her barely older brother.

Gavin glares past me at her. “Whatever, Lex. We’re leaving anyways.” He sticks his tongue out like an insolent child and waves goodbye to the ladies in the kitchen. “Bye Gram, bye Mom!”

In an instant, I’m pulled away from the Cole house and into the backwoods. As soon as we come to a stop, I have to exhale the deep breath I had been holding on the seconds-long trip. I am clinging onto Gavin with a death grip and he laughs at me.

I slowly pull away from him and give him a stern look. “You don’t have to always run so fast, Gavin. One of these days I’m going to vomit when you do that.” I run my hands through my dishevelled hair.

Gavin pulls me against him again and his bottom lip sticks out. “I’m sorry. I am only trying to get you used to the speed. Soon, you won’t want to slow down.”

I look up into his eyes and can’t help the smile that betrays me. He is so perfect, I don’t know how I’m going to be able to leave him. At the thought of leaving Gavin to possibly never return, my face falls. If only I could hide my feelings better.

Gavin studies my face, his is full of worry now. “Aella, I really wish I could read your mind sometimes, you know that?” He strokes my cheek with the backs of his fingers and I close my eyes at the contact. He whispers to me, only a breath away. “Please, open up to me.”

Before I end up crying, I throw myself at Gavin. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull his lips to mine in a rough kiss. With my fingers tangled in his hair, I explore his mouth like never before. The groan that comes