I winced at the thought. Be nice, Lemon. You barely know the man.
“We could order from Betty Ann’s. She’s got a delivery boy now. Bring it right to the shop,” Wade said finally, pushing away from the counter and moving toward the back.
Lifting my brows, I followed him, leaning against the doorframe as he rifled through a desk I hadn’t noticed before. It was covered in papers, old wrappers, and receipts. Sitting in the corner was a small picture frame. I gasped softly as I recognized the image. Moving away from the door, I lifted the picture, running my thumb over the dusty glass, clearing the faces held within.
“I can’t believe he kept this,” I whispered, my throat tightening as I studied the image.
I had to have been about six. My hair was in pigtails, with huge bobbles holding each tail tightly. My smile was so wide, it looked like it would split my face in two, and ice cream stained my mouth and chin. I sat on top of Beauregard’s shoulders, the plantation house in the background, both of us caught forever in laughter. What we had been laughing about, I couldn’t remember. He looked so young in the picture. Young, yet old at the same time.
Wade glanced up and over, straightening with a paper in his hand. I felt his eyes on me, studying me. “That’s you?”
I nodded mutely, setting the frame back on the desk. “Yes. It was one of the few times we visited. I hardly remember it.”
“Well, you look pretty young there,” Wade muttered, clearing his throat and thrusting a take away menu at me. “Here.”
I took the menu, blinking as he stalked off. What had I said wrong now? Gritting my teeth, I balled my hands into fists and marched after him.
“Hey! What the heck is your problem?” I snapped, planting my hands on my hips and staring him down.
He kept his back to me for a time, then turned and shook his head. “Just hungry. Did you look at what you want?”
Narrowing my eyes, I shook my head. Pick your battles. Slapping the menu on the counter, I looked it over
“I want the turkey club with fries and extra mayo.”
Wade looked at me, one brow lifting as his lips curved upward. “Extra mayo?”
“I like to dip my fries in it…” I muttered, fighting the urge to scuff my toe.
His smirk holding, Wade placed the order and we puttered around at some light cleaning while we waited. We didn’t have to wait too long before there was a knock on the door, and, to my surprise, a familiar face popped in, smiling brightly.
“Did y’all order delivery?”
I smiled brightly, crossing toward her and happily taking the food from her. “Daisy! I wasn’t expecting you to show up.” Hadn’t Wade mentioned a delivery boy?
Her smile held. “Well, when I saw the delivery address, I couldn’t help myself! I’ve been pretty curious about how things are going over here since it closed down.” She looked over my shoulder and raising on her tiptoes, trying to see past me. “Didn’t expect to see you here, though!”
“There ain’t much to see yet,” Wade chuckled, and surprised me when he pulled out his wallet and paid for the entire order. Maybe he had a gentlemanly bone in his body after all.
Daisy pouted slightly, though it didn’t last long before her smile returned. “That’s okay. I’ll be first in line on opening day. You can count on that. See ya, Lemon. Come by and see me, I mean it!” She waved, then bounced out of the shop.
After separating out our orders, Wade and I ate, the silence soon getting to me.
“Are you always so quiet?” I inquired, popping a fry into my mouth. It was probably one of the best fries I’d ever tasted, and I was only more surprised when Wade had informed me that they were made by hand every morning.
Wade’s head popped up, his eyes curious as they found mine. “No?”
“Oh, so I’m just the lucky recipient of your perpetual cold shoulder, then?”
Wade rolled his eyes, sighing and wiping his hands off on a napkin. “What do you want to talk about?”
I shrugged, dropping my gaze to the table. “You said you’d worked here since you were a kid.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, what was Beau really like?” I almost whispered the question, but he heard me.
“What do you mean?”
“I only met him in person a few times, it was hard for him to leave the creamery, and with my parents’ schedules, traveling wasn’t always easy. I knew him through his letters, but… I wondered if he was different in person. That’s all.”
“He was a good man. He loved this place.” He paused, glancing around, as if remembering what it used to be. Leaning back in his chair, he chuckled, that crooked grin popping out once again. “He just loved this town. And everyone in it. No one was a stranger to him. Need help? He’d offer it, no matter what it was or how little he actually knew about it. He’d figure it out or find someone who could do it for you.”
I shook my head, toying with a fry. “I wish I had known him like that.” I swallowed deeply, trying to force down the emotion that choked my words. “I miss him. It’s so hard to be here. To know he’ll never be here again…”
I closed my eyes, my breath all but stopping when I felt a warm hand cover my own. Lifting my lashes, I watched Wade’s thumb caress the back of my hand, fighting against the shivers that rose up and down my spine. Could this be the olive branch we both needed?
Looking up at him, I offered a small smile, wondering if I was finally managing to break away at the chip on his shoulder, brick by brick.
“Wade, I would really like it if you would show me how to run the shop. It would mean a lot to me.” I licked my lips, meeting his gaze.
He jerked his hand away from mine, clearing his throat as if he’d done something wrong. He studied me for a long moment before nodding. “Well, as it seems I won’t be rid of you, I might as well show you how to not screw this all up.”
Chapter Six
It took longer than I’d originally thought to get everything up to par. Ryan Mcallister and his team had made all the repairs and updates I had asked for over the course of the next four months. While I waited, I went through the accounting books to acquaint myself with the inner workings of the creamery. I had gone over them multiple times, but still noticed something strange.
“Wade?” I called, moving into the formal living room. I’d divided the room in Beau’s house to function as both a living room and an office for the duration of the remodel at the creamery.
He grunted, hunched over the desk.
Biting back the urge to roll my eyes, I cleared my throat and stepped up beside him. “I found an anomaly when it came to our lemon orders. More so the lack of payment for them. Care to explain?”
I lifted my brows as he straightened, looking up at me in confusion. “What?”
This time I did roll my eyes. “Where are the lemons coming from, Wade? They’re listed on all the purchase orders, yet there’s no receipts. Are we stealing lemons?”
Wade dropped his pen with a chuckle, running his hand over his face. “No, we’re not stealing lemons. There’s no receipts because they come from the grove.”
“What grove?” I closed the book, perplexed.
“The grove. The lemon grove.” He spoke slowly, as if afraid my brain was not actually capable of understanding his words. At my continued look of confusion, he sighed and leaned back in the chair. “You didn’t know Beau had a lemon grove?”
I shook my head as he stood, stretching out the kinks in his back. It was only then did I realize how long we’d been going over paperwork.
“Come on,” Wade said, gesturing for me to follow him as he left the room.
Blinking in surprise, I hurried after him. “Where are we going?”
Wade looked at me over his shoulder, his expression clearly screaming ‘really?’. I bit my lower lip, feeling the blush heat my neck and cheeks. I paused at his truck, looking at him when he pulled open the passenger door for me. When I didn’t move, he made an exaggerated gesture, th
at crooked grin popping out.
“Well? The day’s not getting any younger.”
Rolling my eyes, I moved past him and climbed into the truck, watching as he jogged around the front. It was all too familiar, and I couldn’t help but think back to the day we’d cleaned the creamery. After having such a rocky start, things between us had seemed to change that day. We’d actually been able to put aside our differences and work together. I was hoping the trend would continue through the rest of the year.
After a short drive down a road I hadn’t noticed before, we pulled off into a small dirt parking area. Leafy lemon trees spread out in picture perfect rows before us, and I couldn’t help but stare. There had to be about two hundred trees, maybe more. Shaking my head, I turned toward Wade.
“I never knew this was here,” I murmured, moving toward a waist high fence that surrounded the grove. “The few times I came to visit, we always stayed by the house and never really explored the property.”
Wade chuckled, stepping up beside me, leaning against the fence. “Well, it’s been here since before I started working for Beau. Once I showed I was good at sweeping floors, he brought me out here. Showed me how to work the irrigation system, care for the soil, and check the leaves for pests. I spent most of my summers out here with the trees.”
I glanced toward him, swallowing at our closeness. If I shifted, just a little, our arms would be touching. Heat filled my cheeks, and I bit my tongue to keep from laughing at myself. It was so juvenile. Oh, our arms are touching! I shook my head slightly, returning my focus to the conversation at hand.
“You mentioned that you started working for Beau because you didn’t want to go home one night… Why didn’t you want to go home?”
Wade didn’t say anything for a long moment, simply stared out at the trees. I watched him, taking the time to really study the man. He was such an enigma to me. Constantly hot and cold, I never knew what to expect from him on a given day.
“My father was not a nice man.”
His words were so soft, I almost didn’t catch them. Shifting against the fence, I turned to face him better, listening intently. Sighing, Wade looked down at his clasped hands, drawing my attention to them. Small scars were scattered over his knuckles and the backs of his hands.
“He liked to drink. A lot. And when he drank, he got mean. Meaner than when he was sober.”
“Wade,” I said, my throat choked with emotion. Taking a risk, I reached out and gently placed my fingers on his arm, waiting for him to shake me off. He didn’t.
“No, it’s okay.” He exhaled, glancing at my hand before lifting his eyes to mine. “It just kept escalating, you know? As it does. That night, at the creamery, I just couldn’t go back. I begged Beau to let me stay, and it all came out. My father’s abuse. Beau took me to the hospital. The police came, took pictures, asked me a million questions. But I never had to go back. One of the deputies went and got my things, and I stayed with Beau until I was old enough to move into the guest house.”
Licking my lips, I shook my head, fighting against the tears that threatened to overwhelm me. “You really have been here. I’m so sorry. The words seem so inadequate, but… I am really sorry you went through all that.”
Wade flashed me his signature grin, straightening up. “Beau turned me into the man I am today. He showed me that I was worthy of being loved.” He shrugged, rubbing his hands together, gaze dropping, as if realizing he’d said too much. “He was like a father to me, Lemon.”
Swallowing hard, I reached for his hand. “Thank you. For telling me this. For… Sharing him with me.” Lifting a hand, I gently touched his cheek, feeling the rough stubble beneath my fingertips. I pressed my lips together as I lowered my hand. He hadn’t pulled away.
Our eyes met, held. Fire burned low in my belly, and I felt my breath catch in my chest at the intensity of his stare. This time I didn’t feel weighed. Judged. This time, I felt hunger. Wanting. “Wade…”
I closed my eyes, my heart pounding in my chest as I leaned forward. This was it, this was the turning point. I had wondered if the attraction was one sided, but after his long stare, I was certain I was right.
I jerked back as I felt his fingertips brush across my cheek, my eyes flying open when he cleared his throat.
“You, uh, had an eyelash.” He cleared his throat again, stepping back and rubbing at the back of his neck.
Awkward didn’t even begin to cover it.
Blinking rapidly, I forced myself to swallow, cheeks flaming. Letting go a soft little squeak, I darted around him, running toward the truck. As soon as I reached it, I wished I had driven myself. Climbing inside, I sunk down in the seat, crossing my arms over my chest and curling into myself. I wanted nothing more than to disappear.
After a few agonizing moments, I heard the door open and felt the truck shift as Wade got in. Thankfully, he said nothing, simply shifted into gear and drove me back to the main house.
I stared at the glove compartment as Wade pushed the gear shift into park, though he didn’t turn off the truck. The scene ran through my head over and over. How had I misjudged it all so badly? Sure, if I was honest with myself, I was more than a little attracted to the man. Who wouldn’t be? He was gorgeous. And he was all the more tempting when he wasn’t being a bristly grump.
“So, uh...” Wade started, shifting in his seat. I squeezed my eyes closed, praying he would just let it go. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
I nodded, still not able to meet his gaze. Keeping my head down, I fumbled for the door, all but falling out of the truck as I murmured a hasty, “Goodnight, Wade.”
It took everything within me not to run up the steps and into the house. Once the door was firmly closed behind me, I pressed my back against the wood. I listened as the truck idled for longer than necessary, then finally pulled away. Covering my face with my hands, I let go a cry of frustration before pushing away from the door and heading upstairs.
How was I supposed to face him tomorrow? How would it not be horribly awkward? Exhaling heavily, I grabbed one of my most comfy pairs of pajamas and headed to take a shower. Maybe the water would somehow wash away the embarrassment.
Chapter Seven
I had stayed away from the creamery for a few days after the encounter at the grove. I was a coward, and I knew it. But I just couldn’t face Wade yet. I had hoped that putting some distance between us would make things less awkward when we saw each other again.
I had run the gamut of emotions: certain he had caught my awkward lean in, positive he hadn’t. But mostly praying that he’d just ignore my little slip up and let it all go, never speaking a word of it again.
I knew I couldn’t stay away from the creamery much longer. I’d busied myself making fliers and placing ads about the reopening. My goal was to hype up the town as much as possible, and really make the event a huge hit.
Blowing out a breath, I climbed out of the faded yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Yet another of the seemingly endless things Beau had left to me. I was starting to worry just what “other properties” truly meant.
I had laughed and cried when I’d come across the car, the license plate proudly reading LMNGRV. Lemon Grove. Beau had certainly been proud of his business. And I honestly couldn’t blame him. I was more than a little pleased with how things had been coming along.
I looked up at the building, smiling at the newly painted exterior. Wade and I had argued to no end over the colors for the creamery, finally settling on a pale yellow exterior with white trim. A rose and white awning shaded the door, and two small circular tables offered outdoor seating, their umbrellas matching the awning. A new sign for the door had been ordered, and I felt my throat close up as I looked it over. The words Sweet Rose Creamery curved in an elegant script, a fully bloomed rose sitting in an ice cream cup beneath the words. The new logo was modern, while still holding onto the past. The perfect blending of old and new.
I had just reached for the door when it opened, Wade leaning out wit
h a crooked grin. “You just going to stand out there staring all day?”
I laughed, playfully pushing past him. “I was taking it all in. Ryan and his team really did an amazing job--” I stopped short, all but gasping as I looked around the interior. It was like a whole new shop. Black and white parquet flooring shined under the new lights, somehow warm and inviting, despite the monochrome colors. The new coolers were a glossy black with pale rose accents. The walls were also a pale rose, pinstriped with the pale yellow from outside. I was all but giddy as I looked around. One glance at Wade said I wasn’t alone in my mood.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, throat tight, hands pressed to my lips. Excitement coursed through me, forcing me to hold in the sudden urge to dance.
“It really is. I wasn’t sure about the colors, but somehow, they work. You’ve got a good eye for this kind of thing. Look here.” Heat crept up my neck as Wade gently touched my lower back, guiding me toward the back of the shop.
We had opted to expand the back area, offering more storage space, a small office area, and more room for the newer machines and appliances that Wade had selected. We’d argued over that, too. In the end, I had deferred to his hands on knowledge, but held that the same knowledge could be learned from books. And I planned to prove myself right.
Placing his hand on the small of my back again, he led me toward the wall where four brand new machines stood. Each one seemed to sparkle, begging to be turned on. Like a giddy school boy, Wade reached out, placing his hand on top of the nearest machine.
“These are amazing, Lemon. They’re the best on the market, with a lifetime warranty. If anything breaks, we send it back and bam! They fix it right away.”
My face hurt from smiling so much. “They’re beautiful. Do you know how they work?” I moved forward, my fingers itching to touch and play.
Wade snorted, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the side of the machine. “Of course I do.”
I glanced up at him, a smart response on my tongue when I blinked. “You’re not wearing a tank top.”
Lemon's Sorbet Disaster: An Ice Cream Shop Series Novella Page 5