Too Sweet to Be Good

by K. M. Jackson

  Great. He had one snoring. And the other one, either in complete misery or having the time of her life—heck, he couldn’t tell. She wiped snot from her nose, then had the nerve to look at him like he was bothering her. Kellen shook his head once again, thinking how did he have the time for this? His grandmother let out a snort just as Miss Ross finished singing “God Bless the Child”; in that same time Drea blew her nose quite loudly.

  Kellen fought back a grin. Thank goodness they had the entire theater to themselves.

  “Wasn’t that just terrific, children?” his grandmother said, looking back and forth between the two of them as if she had been up the entire time and watched the whole movie. She gave a stretch, looking over at Kellen. “What was your favorite part, dear?”

  “You can’t be serious, Grandma. It’s after nine. I’m not sharp enough for a quick pop quiz; can we save that until tomorrow? Besides, honestly my favorite part was a part that you didn’t snore through.”

  She gave him a quick swat on the arm. “Kellen, you know it’s not right to point out a lady’s bodily functions. And you also know a lady never snores.”

  Kellen growled at the same time that his stomach rumbled. “What say a lady stops by the drive-through on the way home? Because I’m hungry and I’m sure you are too. Let’s get going.” He looked over at Drea. “Are you ready, Boots? If you’re done being all emotional, we can grab you a burger too at the Rocket drive-through and drop you off on the way.”

  She shook her head. “Emotional? As if you’d know an emotion if it bit you in the booty. Thanks, but no on the burger, I have my car.”

  “Are you sure, dear?” Mrs. Betty said. “It is late, and I hate thinking of you driving on those lake roads at this time of night.”

  Drea smiled down at Kellen’s grandmother. “I’m absolutely fine, Mrs. Betty. It’s not that late and there’s light out there on those old roads now thanks to the cable company having to put them out for the repairmen.”

  Mrs. Betty pulled a face. “Well, we can thank the cable company for at least that. Okay, you get going now, dear. Kellen and I will lock up here and head home together.”

  Kellen got up to walk her out, but Drea held up a hand. “There’s really no need for you to walk me out—I’ve got it. Why don’t you just go on ahead and get that projector shut off and get your grandmother home. It is late even if she did sleep through most of the movie,” Drea said to him with a laugh as she headed toward the back exit.

  But Kellen shook his head. “You know I can’t do that,” he said, following behind her. “I’m already on thin enough ice to see through with my grandmother as it is. Just let me do this. Trust me, it is by no means a reflection on your independence; consider it you doing me a favor.”

  That seemed to work and she gave a nod and turned away, pushing open the exit door and letting him follow as Kellen put the code into the alarm to make sure that it would be disabled and not send sirens blaring throughout the quiet Main Street. He flipped the lock to leave the door ajar and happily noted that at least the back lot was well lit now that he’d ticked lighting and back-lot clean up off his list. She used her keys to unlock the door of her surprisingly old sedan and opened it. “Well, thanks,” she said. “You can go on and I want to let you know, it’s been a lovely night.” She hesitated and for a moment looked embarrassed. “So, will I see you tomorrow? I mean, will you make it in for breakfast in the morning?” She held up a quick hand and laughed. “Not that you have to be there. I just want to be sure I’m ready and on time with opening if you are.”

  Kellen blinked. Wait. Was she really saying she wanted to see him in the morning? He nodded before giving a shrug that he hoped came off as cool while inside he felt anything but. “I don’t know, I guess. I do have to get in early as my grandmother said; there is a delivery coming in the morning. Why? Did you miss me this morning?”

  Did he really just ask that? What was he, all of thirteen? But, he kind of wanted to get a rise out of her while he also desperately wanted to know the answer. He watched intently as Boots’ eyebrows drew together. “Of course I didn’t. I was just asking as a normal person would.” She shook her head and let out a sigh as she slid into the driver’s seat and started her car. “Geez, some people and their self-importance. As if I have time to worry about one customer and his morning biscuits.”

  Kellen didn’t let his smile go wide and he didn’t go back into the theater until she was well out of the lot and onto the main road headed home, his mind already on the sweet honey biscuits he’d be wrapping his lips around come morning.

  Chapter 16

  As You Wish

  Dang it to all get out, she got him again. This time surprising Kellen by opening the shop’s door at 6:45, right when he pulled up out front. “Come on in here and hurry up before somebody sees me open the store early for you.”

  Kellen felt like he was doing some sort of covert ops as he entered Goode ’N Sweet even before Drea had turned on the main overhead lights signaling that the shop was officially open. His heart, for some reason, was beating erratically as the whole clandestine affair made him want to grab her by her wrist and turn her around, see her braids swing wildly and take her in his arms and kiss her. Kellen gave his head a shake. He didn’t like this feeling. He didn’t like the fear, the sense of loss of control that she brought to his being. The night before he couldn’t get images of her out of his mind no matter how hard he’d tried, and boy did he try. Baseball, math, politics. He tried thinking of anything and everything he could, and in the end his mind’s eye—and he hated to admit it, but maybe it was his heart—kept bringing back visions of her.

  But just as the beautiful visions of her were not totally unwelcome, they also brought on feelings of hope and thoughts of the past that he’d taken careful care to bury, but there they were. Back on the surface as he could clearly see his own father, normally bookish, quiet, and stoic, but light and carefree as he playfully chased his mother around their New York apartment when he was young. Him reaching for her as she slipped from his grasp and slipped on the slick marble floor. As he and a young Kellen rushed over, their eyes full of concern and their hearts racing upon seeing the blood on the floor, his father had the nerve to look up at his mother and smile in that moment. “I swear, you make me crazy, woman. Look at what I have to do to get you in my arms.” Then he reached for her and pulled her in for a kiss. Kellen never understood it. And he always knew that sort of irrational, out-of-control feeling about so-called love would lead to catastrophe. Which of course it did.

  “Why are you letting me in this early?” he asked Drea, coming back to himself.

  “What, you don’t want to come in and sit down and drink your coffee like a civilized human being? I know the truck is delivering supplies today between seven thirty and eight and I didn’t want you to have to scarf down your breakfast and end up getting heartburn on top of that bad attitude you already have. You coming in and having a leisurely breakfast? How about you consider it doing me a favor this time?”

  He appreciated her slick play on words in the way she threw out the fact that he played the favor card to her just the night before. “Fine, since you want to put it that way, but you have to be sure I’m out of here in time.”

  “Just go on over to your usual table,” she said, rolling her eyes skyward, “as if you need me to be a timekeeper for you. They probably call you when it’s time to reset Big Ben over in London.” She yelled out toward the kitchen, “Aunt Joyce, you still got any extra sausages back there? Your favorite Suit is out here, and he looks hangry.” She looked him up and down and darn it all, though it wasn’t one of his traditional suits in any sense of the word, today he was wearing a tan summer suit that fit the whole countryman-about-town thing perfectly.

  “Sure, tell Kellen to take a seat and you get his usual order ready.”

  Kellen was already on his way, and he wouldn’t dare tell Drea how good it felt hearing her aunt’s voice as he sat down to begin to face
his day with her coffee, her sister’s biscuit, and her aunt’s smuggled-from-home sausages.

  * * *

  The renovation was picking up speed way faster than Kellen had expected over the next week and, though he was grateful for the full days and to be spared any more snot-nosed, snoring/blubbering movie nights, he had to admit that a part of him kind of missed it. Oh well. Plus, Grandmother was correct in her assessment of Ray Nash and his guys. So far, he found them efficient and meticulous in their work on the theater. Not to mention, they were doing everything at a breakneck speed, which spoke to the Nashes’ integrity and the fact that they weren’t trying to pad their bill with unnecessary time.

  But still he was left in a quandary over what to do about Jamina and the Ronson Group. He was sure that nobody would make them an offer for the land at the same price as the Ronson Group, at least not without a high level of marketing on his behalf. Opportunities like this didn’t come around so easily. And he also knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep Jamina patient for much longer. Kellen was deep in thought, not even noticing the noise as Ray’s second and third sons took out a wall off the left of the concession stand that would make space for the new party/meeting room. Suddenly he felt his grandmother tapping him on the shoulder.

  “Sweetheart, it’s fantastic how quickly everything is moving. The way things are going now, if we stay on track, we’ll be able to open by the end of the summer or early September, which I think is perfect timing, don’t you?”

  He turned and looked at her, his first response, a no, ready to fall off his lips, but he stopped when he saw the bright shine in his grandmother’s eyes. “Yes, it’s perfect timing.”

  Her smile went wider and she looked up at him again. This time her eyes grew more serious. “You know we need to start seriously considering our fixtures. I don’t want to just buy generic things from some catalog. And there are two old chandeliers down at Melbourne’s over in Jesup. I asked them to hold them for you and Alex to take a look, and if you like them, you can pick them up today.”

  Kellen pulled a face. “What? Today, Grandma? I don’t have the time today.”

  “Oh Kellen, you wouldn’t have the time any day,” she said, opening his hand and placing her car keys inside. At the same time Boots walked in. She was wearing tight black leggings with an impractical tiered, lacy overdress that looked like she’d found it in her grandparents’ attic. Of course, she had on her motorcycle boots and the combo made him suddenly want to take a ride with her more than anything else that afternoon.

  “It looks like we’ve been tasked with a scouting assignment this afternoon, Boots,” he said, then forced his tone to soften when he saw the hesitation in her eyes.

  “We?” She turned to his grandmother. “You aren’t coming, Mrs. Betty?”

  His grandmother waved a hand. “I’ve had photos sent over and I trust you two to make a decision on my behalf. Now, get going. I want to keep watch over here a while. Take my car. It’s a lovely day and the backseat is big enough to handle anything.”

  They both looked at her as she giggled. “I mean, it’s big enough to hold the two chandeliers.” Then she tilted her head and looked at them both. “Why, what did you two think I was talking about?”

  Drea quickly waved both her hands in front of her face. “Oh, nothing! Of course that’s what you were talking about. Well, I guess we better get going if we’re going to get them back in good time. Are you ready, Suit?”

  Kellen looked between Drea and his grandmother, then gave Drea a quick nod as he tightened his grip on the car keys and let out a sigh. “Of course I’m ready. I was born ready. Let’s go.”

  “And don’t forget it’s a beautiful day, Kellen. You should let the top down, get a little fresh air for a change. You stay way too cooped up. It’s not normal,” his grandmother yelled to their backs as they headed out the theater through the back door.

  * * *

  At a certain point, you had to know when you were had. And that time for Kellen came twice during their chandelier-gathering expedition. The ride out was uneventful, if uneventful meant constantly arguing over the radio stations until he finally gave up and just went with Boots incessantly flipping between songs and bellowing out wrong lyrics to tracks. It was fine. He was actually getting used to her over-the-top antics and it was nice to have the company and the entertainment on the quiet country road that led to the old thrift shop. Melbourne’s was an old institution and off the beaten path, but since being featured on a thrifting reality show, they’d gained quite a bit of popularity and finding deals there was getting scarcer and scarcer. Lucky for them his grandparents were old friends and longtime customers of Mr. Melbourne, so he’d put the good finds aside for his grandmother when she’d let him know about the renovation.

  Picking up the chandeliers proved to be an easy task. Though reining in Boots wasn’t half as easy. Her eyes lit up upon seeing all of Melbourne’s wares. “Wow, this place is fantastic!” she said of the rusty old barn that had been converted into just one of Melbourne’s storehouses.

  “I’m so glad you approve, young lady,” Mr. Melbourne said. His ruddy cheeks got even ruddier as his eyes lit with clear excitement over having someone like Drea traipsing through his piles of dust and junk. When he started in on yet another origin war tale about yet another artifact, Kellen had to take Boots’ hand. She looked up at him, her mouth open in shock, and he quickly released her. What was he thinking? “Um, Mr. Melbourne. Thank you, but we really have to get going. I need to get the chandeliers back to the shop and check on progress today. But we will take that One Night Only sign that Alexandrea picked out too.” He saw her eyes light up.

  “Really, I didn’t think you liked it, Suit.”

  “As you wish, Boots.”

  He turned back to Mr. Melbourne. “I think it will be perfect in one of my grandmother’s party rooms. She’ll really appreciate it.”

  Taking the top down to load the chandeliers in the backseat, that’s when he saw it, the second time he’d been had. The picnic basket. And not just a basket, but this one was wood and straw and lined with a red-and-white gingham and sitting in the backseat of his grandmother’s old convertible like something out of a vintage 1950s movie. He looked over at Boots, then looked over at Mr. Melbourne and noticed the older man’s way-too-loaded grin.

  “Looks like you’ll have time to stop off for a little picnic lunch,” Mr. Melbourne said as he placed the chandelier in the backseat.

  Kellen set the basket on the floor and put the other chandelier down. He glanced over at Drea, noticed her torn expression, and at the same time remembered how good she felt in his arms as they danced at Jolie’s that night. He gently took the sign out of her hand and placed it on the floor behind the picnic basket and looked back up at Mr. Melbourne. “No, we definitely won’t,” he said, hoping his voice was way stronger than his resolve.

  “No, we definitely won’t,” Drea said, walking around the passenger side of the car. Her voice was deadpan, but then she turned to Mr. Melbourne and, as was so very like her to do, she gave him a bright smile and stuck out her hand. “It was so nice to meet you, Mr. Melbourne. I hope to come back and get a look at some more of what you’ve got here.”

  Mr. Melbourne grinned wide showing just about all of his dentures. “Please do, young lady, we only got through two of my barns and I’ve got two other sheds that we didn’t even get to touch; there’s still so much more to see.”

  “Well, I’m looking forward to it, thanks so much for your time,” she said as she got into the car, and Mr. Melbourne closed the door behind her. She looked up, her eyes doing that fire aim thing that she did so well. “Well, let’s get going, Suit. Like you said, we need to get back to the theater and check on progress. The day waits for nobody—isn’t that one of your mottos?”

  He gave her a quick nod as he shook Mr. Melbourne’s hand when he came around.

  On the road back, Boots didn’t fiddle with the radio quite as much and she was uncharact
eristically quiet—that was, until they hit a bump in the road. Thanks to her quietness, Kellen heard a hissing sound, which caused him to pull over to the side of the road on a lookout point of route 84. That’s when he got the feeling they’d been had for yet a second time.

  “What is it?!” she asked as Kellen looked down at the back driver’s side tire and rubbed at his forehead.

  This couldn’t be happening, he thought. It wasn’t like his grandmother could put a rock in the road. But his grandmother was good with cars; she was meticulous about things like upkeep and staying on his grandfather about tire rotation and things like that. Of course, she could have let something like this slip since his recent death. Kellen knelt down and peered closer at the small nail that looked way too perfect in the back tire. It was small enough to not cause a flat, but just enough to give them a leak that would cause the car to slow down on the way back. That coupled with the picnic basket had Kellen’s mind working overtime. He shook his head. His grandmother couldn’t be that devious, could she?

  “Kellen, what is it? Is there something I can help with?”

  Kellen let out a sigh and looked over at Boots, who had gotten out of the car and was by his side. “Looks like we hit a rock and maybe have a nail in the tire; it’s about to go flat. Guess I better change it so we can make it back safely.”

  Her eyes went wide. “You? You know how to change a tire?”

  He gave her a sigh. “Why would you think I would not know how to change a tire, Boots?”

  She looked over at him. Silent. Her only answer a slow up and down look, taking him in from his button-down shirt to his khaki shorts to his deck shoes. He held back a grimace, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction, and went for the trunk.