by Té Russ
"Several reasons, I suppose," he said. "For one, my dad made sure to throw a guilt trip in about how I've been saying that I was going to come home and then make up an excuse to back out. Also, after speaking to my mother, I realized the business does need some help and I'd like to do what I can. I've been focused on my career in music and movies, but Noble Naturals is never too far off in my mind. I'm aware that one day, I will have to run the entire company, which is probably why I'm always stalling. I haven't been ready for that quite yet. But I have to admit, it's felt really great to be home."
"I understand wanting to help the family business," Tessa said. "At least your parents want your help."
"Is everything going okay with the bakery?"
"Everything's fine," she said. "It's always just fine."
"You wanna vent now?" he asked, with a grin.
"No," Tessa sighed. "Another time, maybe."
"My ears are available anytime. As are my shoulders."
Tessa gave him an appreciative smile. "Thanks for the offer."
They went back to their food and lighter topics, like how Sweet Rapids' revitalization plan had been a success and how much their city had changed over the years.
They were packing up their trash when a car drove by honking its horn. Tessa's sister drove by waving and Tessa waved as well. Once Dana drove off, Tessa turned back to Isaiah.
"The food was amazing," she said. "Thanks. It's a lot better than what I would have ended up having for dinner."
"It was my pleasure," he said, throwing their trash in a nearby receptacle. "There's just one thing that was missing."
He looked up at the Everetts’ Bakery sign over their heads, and then back at Tessa.
"Let me guess," Tessa laughed. "Dessert..."
Chapter 9
"So this is the inner sanctum of Everetts’ Bakery..."
Tessa looked over her shoulder to see Isaiah perusing the kitchen. Grinning, she nodded and said, "This is it. It's not much, but–"
"You guys have been here forever. You're a staple here in Sweet Rapids."
"So is Noble Naturals," Tessa said. "My mama used them on both me and my sister when we were little girls and we still use them to this day."
"Really?" Isaiah asked.
"Oh yeah! Besides the fact that it would feel almost sacrilegious to live in the same city as Noble Naturals' headquarters and not use their products, no other products make my curls look this amazing," she said, pointing at her hair as she shook her head from side to side.
Isaiah smiled, and Tessa's breath stalled when he reached out and took a lock of her hair. She watched as he twirled the strand around his finger, before he gave it a gentle tug and released it, watching it bounce back in to place.
"I'm glad to know you're a happy customer," he murmured.
"Y–yes..." she said, then cleared her throat and laughed as she took a step back. "I must sound like one of your future commercials."
Isaiah sat on the stool Tessa had vacated earlier right before he arrived. "It's always good to hear from consumers," he said. "Especially..."
Tessa turned and looked at him and noticed a peculiar light in his eyes. "Especially what?" she asked.
"Especially from people in the town where it all began," he murmured. "I think I just came up with an idea for Noble Naturals."
"That's great, Isaiah. Is it an idea for the commercials your dad wants you to do?"
"Not exactly," he replied.
Tessa opened a cabinet and pulled out a bottle and two glasses. She brought it back to the island as Isaiah asked, "Have you ever wondered how Noble Naturals became so successful? I mean, everyone living in Sweet Rapids kinda knows the history of the company, but it's more like an abbreviated version."
Tessa had walked off to grab the glass dome-covered dessert stand holding a pile of brownies, when she stopped.
"You want to do a documentary!" she gasped.
"I don't know if they'd go for it," Isaiah began. "But I think if we tie it in with what the future of Noble Naturals is looking like, whenever we figure that out, I think it will be great for current customers, as well as potential new ones."
"You could do a lot of interviews with people around the city," Tessa offered. "Showing the people of Sweet Rapids who know your parents, and know their struggles."
She sat the dessert stand on the island and removed the top. "Look at me, putting in my unsolicited two cents–"
"No!" he said excitedly, as he reached over and grabbed Tessa's hand. "Tess, that's...brilliant. We could show Sweet Rapids and the people, have my folks explain why they chose to stay here rather than move their headquarters to some larger city. And I know they've gotten plenty of offers from larger companies to sell Noble Naturals, I'm sure they still get..."
He'd drifted off again going into his own head.
"Shit, why didn't I think of that before?" he whispered. He shook his head and looked up at Tessa. "I'm going to run this by my parents in the morning. If they're down, I want to start as soon as possible."
"In the meantime," Tessa said, sitting down on the stool next to him and removing the dome from the serving dish. "I think we should celebrate your genius plan."
"Are those the famous Everetts’ brownies?" Isaiah asked.
"The one and only," she said, opening the bottle she'd brought over earlier.
"And what do you have there?" he asked, grabbing one of the decadent brownies topped with powdered sugar, as Tessa filled both glasses.
"This is a dessert wine," she said. "Dana and I have a little secret stash we hide from my parents."
"Such naughty girls," he said, before taking a bite. "Mmmm, they're still as good as I remember them being when I was a kid."
"Try it with the wine," she said, pushing a glass in front of him.
"Are you trying to get me drunk, Miss Everett?"
"No!" Tessa laughed.
He grinned as he finished chewing another piece of the brownie and picked up the glass of wine.
She was taking a bite of her own brownie as she watched him taste the wine.
"You were right," he said. "The flavors complement each other in a fascinating way."
"Mmmhmm," she said, taking a sip of her own glass of wine. "Better than milk, huh?"
"Indeed."
They indulged, having seconds on both the dessert and the wine, before Tessa cleaned up the tiny mess they'd made.
"That was the perfect way to end this meal," Isaiah said.
"Thank you again," she said. "The food was great."
He pointed to his lip. "You've got a little..."
"Again," she cried. She turned to grab a napkin when she felt his hand wrap around her wrist.
"I've got it," he said, pulling her gently against him. He lifted his hand to her face, brushing his thumb against the corner of her mouth. "There, I got–"
She snatched the last of his words out of his mouth when she suddenly lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. His hands cupped her cheeks and she tried not to moan when his tongue slid inside of her mouth. He tasted like chocolate, wine and something uniquely Isaiah Noble that had her reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck to pull him closer to her.
Needing to breathe, he finally pulled away.
"You know..." he said, pushing her hair out of her face as he ran a knuckle down her cheek, "I was planning on kissing you."
She grinned at him, resting her palms against his chest.
"I know...You were just taking too long."

"A documentary?" Isaac said, grabbing for the salt from the center of the table. Irene reached out and smacked his hand. After rubbing the sting away, he looked at Isaiah, who'd joined them for dinner a few nights after his impromptu date with Tessa. "We've done a documentary already."
"Pop," Isaiah said, shaking his head as he dug into his salad. "That documentary was about Ian, Izzy, Ivy and me and our brief time as musicians. It was about the Noble Quads. The only thing mentioned about No
ble Naturals was that it was the business our parents ran. This documentary would be all about you, mom and the company. How you got your start, the highs, the lows, and everything in between."
Isaiah watched his father take in his words, as he continued. "We'd interview you guys extensively, as well as your children," he added with a grin. "And the people around the town of Sweet Rapids. We'd probably also give viewers a look behind the walls of the company. Show them how we run the business. Also, Noble Naturals has always been instrumental in supporting the community. The company played a big part in the historic downtown revitalization project. We should show that too, the philanthropic side of things. And once we figure out our new angle, we can present it near the end of the film and show the world how we're still on top in the world of natural hair care products and no one is taking that away from us."
When Isaac didn't respond right away, still seeming contemplative, Isaiah said, "I mean that is what this is all about really, isn't it? Chic and Sleek tried to buy us out, didn't they? That explains why you were so up in arms when they came out with their own natural line."
"Tell him, Isaac," Irene insisted, clenching her knife and fork in her hands. "Isaiah deserves to know. All of the kids do."
Isaac stared at Isaiah for another moment before sighing. "Yes," he confirmed. "Chic and Sleek came to us with an offer. And of course, we turned them down. The slimy bastard who came and made the offer had the nerve to threaten me by saying if we didn't take this deal, Noble Naturals wouldn't be around to see another year of success. I told him we've been around for nearly forty years, we ain't going nowhere."
Isaac punctuated the last word by pounding his fist on the dinner table, causing the entire thing to shake.
Isaiah nodded his head, feeling fueled by his father's anger. "Then let's let this documentary be a start, show the world how you started with nothing but a few pots and pans and some of your mother's ideas in her basement, and now you're at the top of your game. This film will be a huge fu–" He stopped when he caught his mother's censuring glare. "Forget you to Chic and Sleek. We're not afraid of them. They're a one trick pony, but we've got so much more up our sleeves."
"And what is that 'more'?" Isaac asked.
"I'm still figuring it out," Isaiah admitted. "But we're not backing down from Chic and Sleek or any other company for that matter."
"Damn right," Isaac said, pounding the table again. "All right, son. Let's do this documentary."
Chapter 10
Tessa was sitting in the office at the bakery, jotting down some new dessert ideas when the phone rang.
"Everetts," she said, once she picked up the phone.
"I was hoping you'd answer."
"Isaiah!" she chimed. Clearing her throat, and tamping down her excitement at hearing his voice, she asked, "How are you?"
"I'm great," he answered. "How are you? I hope you're not too upset with me for not calling sooner."
"I thought I may have run you off with that kiss," she teased, leaning back in her chair.
His chuckle warmed her, even over the phone. "Not a chance, you're not getting rid of me that easily. I had dinner with my parents and we discussed the documentary idea."
"How'd that go?" she asked.
"They're on board," he said. His zealousness was palpable. "I wanted to call you right away and tell you, and that's when I realized–"
"You never got my number."
"A regrettable oversight on my part," he said.
"Write this down," Tessa said, and then gave Isaiah her phone number. "Now you can reach me any time."
"You may regret that at two in the morning when I can't sleep, because I'm working on something and it's not right."
"I've had my fair share of sleepless nights over creative troubles, so I understand. But yeah, you still may get cussed out."
"Oh!" Isaiah laughed. "I see you're already reneging on your 'call me anytime' offer. Don't worry gorgeous, I won't interrupt your beauty rest."
"That's much appreciated, thank you."
"Hey," he said. "Do you like jazz?"
"Who doesn't?"
"I've got tickets and backstage passes to Laurel Hunter's show in Reno this weekend."
Tessa sat up in her chair. "Laurel Hunter? Are you for real?"
"Yeah, I worked on her last album with her and when I told her I was coming home for a while, she hooked me up with some tickets to the jazz festival she's performing at. I originally planned on giving them away, but if you're interested–"
"Yes!" she said quickly, cutting him off. "I'd love to go. I love her music. And her husband's books too."
"I'm sure Rowan will be there as well, he doesn't let that woman out of his sight."
Tessa had seen Rowan and Laurel on the cover of the tabloid newspapers and entertainment magazines at the stores and the two always look incredibly in love. What it must feel like to have a man look at a woman the way Rowan looked at Laurel, she thought to herself.
"So I'll pick you up around seven to drive over to Reno, is that good for you?" Reno was about half an hour's drive from Sweet Rapids.
"That sounds good."
"All right, I'll see you Saturday evening."
"See you, Saturday."
As she placed the phone back on the receiver, she couldn't hide the huge grin on her face as she tried to get back to work.
"Am I to assume a certain Noble man is responsible for putting that smile on my daughter's face?"
Tessa's head shot up to meet her mother's curious gaze. "Mama, what are you doing here?"
"Same thing I'm always doing, making sure everything around here is running on a tight ship."
Tessa prayed this wasn't leading to another argument.
"You know it is, Mama."
Janet shrugged and smiled. "Yes, I know. My babies are doing a great job, so great they can't wait to get rid of me so they can take over and do God knows what with this place."
Tessa felt the heat rising up her neck instantly. She opened her mouth to speak, but Janet held up her hand. "Back to my original question."
"And what was that?" Tessa asked, pretending to forget.
"You know exactly what I asked you girl. Is that Noble boy that's in town the one who's got you smiling like that? Which one is it?"
"Isaiah," Tessa answered.
"Mmmhmm, that's the one. I saw him come in here before we opened 'bout a week or so ago when Dana was out sick. And Marva Lipton said she saw you with him at that hippie juice place and then again right outside the bakery looking awfully cozy eating sharing a meal."
Marva Lipton owned a specialty shop on Main Street, across the street from Everetts’.
"Mrs. Lipton needs to mind her own business," Tessa mumbled. "Yes, Mama. Isaiah and I have spent a little time together. We happen to enjoy each other's company."
"Will you be enjoying his company again any time soon?" Janet asked, a grin on her face as well.
"As a matter of fact," Tessa said, swaying in her seat. "We have a date this weekend. He's taking me to see Laurel Hunter in concert. He's even got backstage passes."
"That sounds fun!" Janet said. Her gaze grew distant and she sighed. "I haven't gone to a concert in ages."
"You and daddy should go to one some time."
Janet blinked, and the dreamy look on her face disappeared. "Oh child," she said, waving her hand. "I'm too old for things like that."
"You're never too old to do things with someone you love, Mama."
Janet sat in deep thought for a moment. "Your father did mention wanting to go out recently. But the bakery–"
"Is in good hands, Mama," Tessa insisted. "Dana and I got this."
Janet opened her mouth to argue, but Tessa cut off what she knew her mother was about to say, "And this isn't about us changing or adding things, or wanting to take over the business ourselves so you can retire. That's another argument for another day. This is simply about you and daddy going out and enjoying each other's company."
&nbs
p; "Just like you want to enjoy Isaiah Noble's company?" Janet asked.
His company and so much more, Tessa thought, but wouldn't dare say out loud to her mother.
"You and daddy deserve a night out together," Tessa said instead.
"Okay," Janet finally said, standing. "I'm going to tell your father to plan something. We're going out."
"Enjoy your date," Tessa said as Janet left the office.
"And you enjoy yours too!"
Isaiah stepped out of his car and smoothed down the front of his suit jacket, before reaching back in the car and to grab the fresh flowers he'd picked up on the way to Tessa's house. He slammed the door shut and headed up the walkway to Tessa's house. It was a nice little bungalow style home; it fit her personality perfectly, he thought as he rang the doorbell.
When she opened the door, she literally took his breath away. She looked up into his eyes with that smile that always seem to warm his body. She had on a small amount of makeup, and her normally curly hair was blown out straight and hung down past her shoulders in large waves that framed her pretty face.
She looked elegant in a wide legged white jumpsuit with a V-neck that showed just a hint of cleavage. It wasn't too much, but it teased him just enough to make him imagine what it would feel like to palm her large breasts before taking them into his mouth.
"Hello, Isaiah," she said, grinning at him eagerly.
"Good evening, Tess," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He held the flowers out to her as he added, "You look absolutely ravishing."
"Thank you," she said, taking the flowers. "These are beautiful."
"Oriental Lilies," he said.
He watched Tessa as she took a deep inhale of the flowers. "Thank you, Isaiah," she said. "Let me put them in a vase of water, and then I'll be ready to go. Come in."
He crossed the threshold into her house and looked around as Tessa went to the kitchen. It was an open floor plan, so he could see her as she moved around her kitchen searching for a vase. She'd decorated the living and dining rooms, as well as the kitchen with a modern, yet comfortable look.