by Cindy Bell
“I know you're glad to be here, too. Lots of fat rats to chase.” She scratched lightly at the top of the cat's head. Peaches purred. She flicked her tail with delight. “I guess we'll just have to see how we both like it here. Maybe it is time for a change.”
As she laid back and closed her eyes, Ally felt a tug on her heart. Her childhood home held a lot of beautiful memories, but it also held a lot of painful ones. In particular the memory of her mother's battle with illness. She and Ally had moved back in with Charlotte as she went through treatment. Ally had been too young to really understand, but she had felt the tension and sorrow in the home. Charlotte had transformed all of that by making their last days together one of celebration and joy. Ally still felt that subtle ache though. Her grandmother had been there for her every single day of her life since her mother passed, which kept Ally from feeling too lost, but she did wish her mother had been there as well.
As she struggled to clear her mind and fall asleep Ally felt the comfort of her great-grandmother's quilt over her, and the warmth and love contained in the walls of the cottage washed over her. She might not be able to decide if she was going to move back or not, but in that moment she knew that she was exactly where she needed to be.
Chapter Two
Ally's eyes fluttered open before she realized what had drawn her out of sleep. Then the thick, spicy scent wafted beneath her nostrils. The air filled with the delicious aroma of her grandmother's specialty coffee, made only the way her grandmother could. For a few more minutes she lay curled up in her blanket. She felt embraced by the house, its scents, and its memories. There was something incredibly soothing about being back home. With a snail's pace she unfurled from her blanket and padded over to her dresser. She didn't want to alert her grandmother that she was awake just yet. Instead she planned to sneak up on her with a great, big hug. She dressed in her most comfortable jeans and a loose blue and black flannel top. Embracing her comfortable style once more gave her a surge of contentment.
As Ally walked out of her room and towards the kitchen, Peaches followed right after her. She could hear her grandmother's voice drifting from the kitchen. Despite the fact that what she had to say could often border on harsh, her voice had a subtle lilt to it that came from years of singing in the church choir. Ally recalled the night that her grandmother confessed she wasn't much for religion, but she did love to sing. The confession broke down a barrier between the two of them and allowed Ally to confide that she wasn't much for religion either. It was hard for Ally to conceive of things such as miracles when her own life had a rough start. As she drew closer to the kitchen she could hear her grandmother's words.
“I am so happy that she's here. Honestly, if she hadn't come I probably would have gone up there and grabbed her by that little, brown ponytail and pulled her back myself.”
Ally stifled a laugh at those words. Her grandmother often threatened to grab her by her little, brown ponytail, but she never actually did. Ally paused outside the kitchen to eavesdrop. It was wrong, but she was curious. Her grandmother nearly always told the truth, and even when she didn't, it was implied.
“I know, I know, we have to let them make their own mistakes. But my Ally is so precious, with such a big heart, and I hated to see her treated so poorly. Of course according to her they're both at fault. Phooey on that, he is a selfish, bore of a man and she deserves much better.”
Her grandmother paused to listen. Ally thought about clearing her throat, but she found the conversation too amusing to interrupt. It meant a lot to her that her grandmother had such a high opinion of her. Divorce could be a very devastating thing. She had lost most of her friends in the city because they were mainly couple friends and were mostly Daniel's friends first. The places they would frequent became off limits to her out of fear of the questions about where Daniel was and how they were doing. It wasn't that she was ashamed, she just didn't want to deal with it.
“I know. Yes. I've already got a few lined up. I'll find somebody perfect.”
At that Ally's heart jolted. What did she mean by that? She hoped her grandmother wasn't even considering the idea of setting her up. She listened closely, with the hope that she would hear more clues about what her grandmother was up to. Before she could, Peaches let out a yowl and headed for her food dish in the middle of the kitchen.
“Oh, good morning, Ally. I have to go, Greta, love to you.” She hung up the phone, which was still attached to the wall, and turned to face Ally. “How are you today, sweetie?” Ally noticed the pinched corners of her lips. She could tell that her grandmother was trying to hide her guilt.
“Ready for some coffee.” Ally tried to act as if she had just walked out of her room. She stroked Peaches' back and then poured some food into her dish. “Thanks for all of this.”
“Just think, you could have this every morning!” Charlotte grinned as she poured Ally a cup of coffee.
“They have coffee in the city.” Warmth filled Ally's smile.
“But, do they have Mee-Maws?” Charlotte wiggled her eyebrows.
“No, that they don't.” Ally laughed.
“Sit, sit, I have so much to tell you!” Charlotte's eyes glowed with excitement as she sat down across from Ally. Ally smiled with anticipation, she had been so caught up in her failed marriage over the last few months that she and her grandmother had not had time to just talk about trivial things. Her grandmother was not a gossip. She made a point of telling everyone that tried to share juicy tidbits with her that she did not engage in such behavior. But when it was just her and Ally she let everything she knew spill. She trusted Ally not to spread the information or use it against anyone.
Charlotte's shop had become the pulse point of their small town. While other shops came and went, hers remained. People were very familiar with it. It was where they went to for their afternoon coffee and the first place they turned to during weddings and special events, as her chocolates were well-known far and wide. People were also very familiar with the fact that Charlotte would often put out free samples. The more bustle in the shop, the happier Charlotte was.
“Like what?” Ally blew a light breath across the surface of her coffee. She immersed herself in the scent.
“Like Jim Douglas got married to Mary Smith.” Charlotte squealed with excitement. “I never thought it would happen!”
“Those two have been dating for years!” Ally laughed. “I'm glad they finally went through with it.”
“It was a huge ceremony, and guess what?” Her eyes sparkled with pride.
“What?”
“They decided to have a four-tiered chocolate wedding cake and asked me to make it! That was a learning experience!” She laughed.
“Wow! That must have been fun. Did you take pictures?”
“Tons!” She smiled. “I’ll show you later.”
“I'm so happy for them.”
“At least I got to see one wedding.” Charlotte took a quick sip of her coffee.
“All right, Mee-Maw, let's not start this again.” Ally cringed.
“I'm just saying, that weddings are important. And I know that it's the bride's day and she should get to choose, but it would have been nice if I had been invited.” Charlotte tapped the table lightly with her cup.
“Mee-Maw, no one was invited. We eloped. Remember?” Ally avoided looking directly at her grandmother.
“Oh, I remember. I remember very clearly.”
“And we agreed not to talk about it anymore?” Ally looked over at her with a sigh. “What does it matter now, anyway?”
Charlotte nodded a little. “You're right, I'm sorry, Ally, it was insensitive of me to bring that up. You know me, always saying what's on my mind before I think it through.”
“It's okay. What about Brent, have you heard anything new about him?” Ally tried to change the subject. Her heart ached a little with regret. She knew that she had hurt her grandmother when she didn't involve her in the wedding. It was a spur of the moment decision. Ally had b
arely been involved in it herself.
“Brent has that auto repair shop going pretty well. He's still single.” She winked at Ally. “As far as I know he's been staying out of trouble. I haven't seen that much of him since I hired Connor to help me with the deliveries.”
“Connor Troy?” Ally sat back in her chair.
“He needed a job, and I needed a driver when we started getting frequent orders for deliveries to the city.” Charlotte shrugged. “I don't know why those two boys can't just shake hands and end the silly feud between their families.”
“Not everyone forgives so easily.” Ally finished her coffee.
“We better head in soon. You're coming with me right?” Charlotte picked up the coffee cups.
“Yes, I can't wait to get my hands sticky!”
Chapter Three
Everything was within walking distance in Blue River. It was one of the things Ally liked most about it. She often spent time wandering as a child. At the time she knew who lived in every house, who owned every shop, and when something was obviously different. One of the most exciting times was when a new family moved into town. She was only eight at the time, but it was a little shocking to her that new people could simply move in. She was so accustomed to a certain group of people, that these strangers fascinated her. They were only from the next town over, but they might as well have been from the planet Mars to Ally.
As she walked beneath the flowering trees that lined the sidewalk Ally drew in a deep breath. It was always interesting to her that the air seemed more nourishing outside of the city. In the back of her mind she attributed it to more trees, but she knew in reality it was because she was more relaxed. In the city there was always so much pressure, to be someone, to do something, she never found a moment to just take a stroll.
“Look at that.” Charlotte clucked her tongue. “Can you believe that someone would do that to Vivian's house?”
Ally looked up at the towering Victorian style home. It was three stories with little turrets and round rooms that drew everyone's attention. Vivian's house, as it was known by everyone in town, was one of the largest. When Ally was a little girl she viewed it as a castle, or at the very least a mansion. Now she knew that it was just a large house, but it still held a magical quality for her. However, whoever had purchased the home must not have found it very magical as they were practically tearing it down and replacing the majority of the exterior.
“And the noise.” Charlotte shook her head. “It scares my customers away. I wish people would just appreciate things for what they are instead of always trying to improve something that was beautiful to begin with.”
Ally smiled at her thoughts. Her grandmother had an open mind, but she did like certain things to stay the same. She valued the past almost as much as she savored the present.
“I'm sure that it doesn't keep your customers away.” Ally nudged her lightly with her elbow. “Nothing has ever kept your customers away.”
“Okay, true, they are loyal and business is growing. But still, who can enjoy their coffee while listening to that racket?”
“Hopefully, they will finish soon.” It was a little disappointing to Ally to see that progress even reached the little town, but she reminded herself that some change could be good.
As they walked up to the shop, Ally smiled at the sight of it. It only had one door and one large front window to announce its presence. It didn't need a sign, as everyone knew that the shop was there. Beside the door on the brick between the chocolate shop and a boutique was a bulletin board. Charlotte had hung it there for anyone to post anything of interest. The goal was to generate foot traffic around the chocolate shop and it had worked. Now, if anyone wanted to know what was happening in town they would head straight for the bulletin board.
The large, front window had a delicious display of the various handmade chocolates, candies, cookies, cakes and muffins that Charlotte created. Fond memories flooded through Ally's mind. She had spent the vast majority of her childhood with her nose pressed against the window. In exchange for her help around the shop sweeping up, cleaning counters, and making small deliveries, Ally was paid one chocolate of her choice. It was always the hardest choice that Ally had to make.
Charlotte unlocked the door to the shop and stepped inside. Ally followed after her. As Charlotte flipped on the light in the front area of the shop, Ally watched the decorations around the room spring to life. Charlotte liked to collect unique, handmade pieces of art. She had many wooden clocks, wooden toys, and a variety of masks hung or displayed throughout the shop. It was her way of supporting local artists. Ally took a moment to admire a piece she had not seen before.
“Where did you get this?” Ally asked. It was a tiny, wooden hummingbird created with such delicate detail that Ally couldn't even picture the blade that could have made it.
“Oh, actually that was given to me.” Charlotte opened up the register for the day. “There's a new detective in town, and I guess he noticed the decorations in here. I think it was meant to be a kind gesture, but I don't know.”
“What do you mean? It's beautiful.” Ally gazed at the piece with admiration as she set it back down.
“There's just something about him that doesn't seem genuine. He was very friendly at first, when he gave me the bird, but he is very offish to me now.” Charlotte shrugged. “Maybe I'm wrong. I've been wrong before. He just doesn't seem to fit together right.”
“He's from out of town?”
“Yes. He's only been here for a few weeks.” Charlotte gestured for Ally to follow her back into the kitchen. There was a large window in the kitchen that faced the inside of the shop. It gave customers the opportunity to observe some of the chocolate making and intricate decorating process.
“Maybe you just need to get to know him.” Ally smiled. “This town isn't too kind to outsiders.”
“Maybe.” Charlotte sighed. Then she grinned at Ally. “I can tell you this much about him. He's way too pretty not to be in the movies.”
“What?” Ally laughed.
“I'm serious, he's got those Hollywood looks. I don't know what he's doing here, but he's got all of the local ladies in a tizzy to get his attention.” She clucked her tongue. “I try to tell them there's a lot more to a man than some straight teeth and some bright eyes, but they don't listen.”
“Hmm, sounds like you've noticed just how handsome he is too, Mee-Maw.” Ally giggled.
“Hush! He's young enough to be my grandson.” She pointed out some mixing bowls on the counter. “You know what you need to do, my darling?” Charlotte smiled, displaying her beautiful teeth. “You need to make something. Anything. Choose any recipe you like. If we don't have the ingredients that you need, then we will get them. Okay?”
“You're right, as usual.” Ally walked over to a large, wooden box. It stored all of the recipes that had been handed down through her family, as well as new ones that had been added. Ally began sorting through the recipe box. A few years before Ally had transcribed the recipes onto the computer. However, she still preferred to feel the old recipe cards with her fingertips. They were thinning with age and smelled faintly of vanilla and chocolate.
There was one recipe that Ally had always wanted to try. It was a triple chocolate muffin recipe. There was nothing more cathartic to her than losing herself in one of her grandmother's treasured recipes. They were filled with more than just delectable taste. Each ingredient was lovingly written on the card and Ally liked to think that she could feel the emotions that her grandmother had felt as she wrote it. This particular recipe felt like it had been invented to be comfort food. Ally could sure use a little bit of that.
“Look at these, Ally.” Charlotte smiled as she held up a chocolate from the gift box she had been creating.
“Cute,” Ally said with a smile as she looked at the small chocolate rose.
“I made them especially for a special customer,” Charlotte said as she handed it to Ally. “Have a taste.”
�
��It smells delicious,” Ally said as she took the rose from her grandmother. She placed it gently in her mouth.
“Salted caramel,” Charlotte explained as Ally savored the taste.
“Yum!” Ally exclaimed as the slightly salty sweetness coated her mouth.
“Now get back to it,” Charlotte commanded. “I feel like muffins.” Ally retreated to her bench with a smile. She had missed spending time with her grandmother.
“Hello?” A familiar voice drifted in from the back door of the shop.
“Connor!” Charlotte smiled as he walked in. “I almost have the order ready. Did you bring the flowers?”
“Yes, I have them right here.” He held up a bouquet of pale pink roses. Ally pretended not to notice him. However, out of the corner of her eye she was paying him very close attention. She noticed that his blonde curls were as tight and unruly as they had always been. He was also just as tall and lanky, all elbows and knees as her grandmother had once called him. She also detected that his voice had deepened. Connor was a late bloomer when they were in school together. He had a squeaky voice right up until graduation.
“Oh, are they light pink?” Charlotte clucked her tongue. “I thought they would be dark pink. I bought the wrong shade of ribbon. It's supposed to match the flowers. I don't have a shade that light.”
“I could run to the fabric store for you.” Ally offered her help without looking at Connor.
“No, that's okay, you're in the middle of the recipe. I'll go get it. You keep Connor company while I'm gone.”
Ally looked up in time to see her grandmother wink at her before she disappeared to the front of the shop.
“Ally. It's good to see you.” Connor offered her an awkward smile. They hadn't really known each other that well, but had nothing against each other either.
“You too, Connor. It's been a long time.” Ally flashed him a smile, but refocused on mixing the ingredients right away.