Chapter Three #2
The rest of the week flew by as Landon got himself acclimated to his new position at Yukon Cider.
Working alongside Joann, Bailey, and Fritz was going very smoothly.
So far, so good. They were all hardworking folks who took the time to explain all the aspects of cider making to him.
As a self-described lifelong learner, Landon found the process fascinating.
He was fairly certain that his science background was a huge asset, because there wasn’t anything they threw at him that he wasn’t absorbing like a sponge.
Or maybe he’d just been craving a change from the executive offices.
As much as he loved working alongside his brothers, being in the lab made him feel alive again.
The aroma of slightly fermented fruits and yeast hung in the air.
He’d been warned that he might smell a sulfur scent if fermentation had gone wrong.
So far he hadn’t detected any eggy odors in the cider lab.
The only downside was Bailey. If he was being honest, she was a bit of a distraction.
The woman was gorgeous, fun, and smart. A pretty awesome trifecta.
His strengths had always been in the classroom, then the laboratory.
He couldn’t imagine that someone like Bailey would be interested in a self-declared science nerd.
Every time she spoke to him, he reverted back to being a gawky teenager who second-guessed every word that came out of his mouth.
Never in his life had he ever wanted to be cool this badly.
It wasn’t something he had ever craved. He’d been content to always be the smartest geek in the room.
Until now. Maybe, he thought, it was time that he started viewing himself in a different light.
Perhaps he should fully embrace the new life he’d been building in Moose Falls by stepping out on a limb.
Since they were work colleagues, perhaps it was for the best. Even though he knew Hattie didn’t object to co-workers dating, since Caleb and Sophia had both been employed by Yukon Cider when they’d gotten together, he’d heard horror stories about things getting messy when people were in relationships with their co-workers.
Maybe it was wise to stay in the friend zone.
Humph. Even now he was trying to be a rule keeper.
He had always done everything by the book, and yet he’d been scapegoated and tossed out on his ear by Abbott Laboratories.
So much for always playing it safe. Maybe it was time to mix things up a bit.
If he always did what he’d always done, his luck wouldn’t change.
Being here in Alaska should be leading him on a path of growth and transformation.
He’d grown closer to Hattie and his dad, but on a personal level he wasn’t sure that he’d evolved.
There’s still time for that, a voice buzzed in his ear. The year isn’t up yet.
At the moment Bailey was at her workstation, jotting down notes in a pad of paper.
He was trying his best not to stare at her. The last thing he wanted was for Bailey to think he was a creeper. And this was a work setting. He was repping Hattie and the Stone family. Didn’t it just figure that the one woman he was wildly attracted to was his colleague?
“It’s just the two of you today. Fritz called in sick. He has the flu so he might be out for a while,” Joann said, glancing at her watch. “I’m due in the conference room in a few minutes, so have a wonderful brainstorming session.”
“We’re on it,” Bailey said as Joann put her coat on and left the lab. Once the door closed behind her, Bailey looked over at him. “This is one of my favorite assignments. Ready to rock and roll?”
He rubbed his hands together. This was exciting. “Let’s do this,” he said.
He’d always enjoyed formulating new ideas and working in a lab setting.
Even though this was a bit different, it still gave him a rush.
He hadn’t felt this way in a very long time.
All his scientist nerve endings were tingling.
The thrill of discovery was at his fingertips, simply waiting to be uncovered.
There was so much for him to learn and absorb in this new position.
He’d enjoyed working in an office setting with his brothers, but this was more cutting edge.
The hard cider was the heart and soul of Yukon Cider.
Creating killer flavors for next year’s holiday campaign would create a buzz and increase revenue.
And it would make him feel as if he was actually doing something related to his field of study.
He tried not to obsess too much about what had happened to him at Abbott Laboratories.
Talking it over with his grandmother had allowed him to vent, but it hadn’t rid his mind of the hurtful memories.
Just thinking about all of it made his stomach clench.
Now his former employer was poised to make money from his breakthrough discovery, when all he’d ever wanted to do was find a way to help sick people.
It had all been a money grab. By cutting him out of the equation, they could take credit for his work and charge exorbitant prices for the medicine.
And ruin his reputation in the process so he wouldn’t be able to fight back.
“Hey, Landon. Is everything all right?” Bailey asked, her voice bringing him out of his thoughts.
“I’m fine,” Landon said. “My mind just wandered for a moment,” he admitted.
It happened to him sometimes when he least expected it.
Dark memories crashing over him like a tsunami.
Now he just needed to shake them off. He stuffed the memories down so he could focus on the present.
Brainstorming with Bailey would be an antidote for the painful memories he couldn’t seem to bury deep enough.
They sat down at a worktable, facing each other. Bailey had her iPad out to jot down their ideas. With her brow furrowed and head ducked, she was in work mode. Landon took out his glasses and put them on. Without them he couldn’t see fine print.
“So, I understand that some of the fruit isn’t locally sourced.” He’d been wondering about this for a while now. Working in the cider lab was the perfect place to get answers to his numerous questions.
“That’s true,” Bailey said with a nod. “We try to use as much local produce as we can, but due to the climate there are limitations. We import from outside of Alaska.”
“And that isn’t a problem?” he asked, frowning. It seemed as if a lot of issues could crop up by importing produce into Moose Falls. “Is there a risk of the produce going bad along the way?”
“It’s possible, of course, but I don’t recall it ever happening,” Bailey said. “The ciders speak for themselves. Yukon Cider is an award-winning and top-selling brand. Hattie’s standards are exacting. If even the slightest thing is off, it doesn’t go into production.”
He wasn’t surprised to hear that tidbit in the slightest. As with all things in her life, Hattie went above and beyond in her pursuit of excellence. Since he’d been working at the company, he’d heard a lot about his grandmother’s work ethic and high standards for the hard ciders.
“How’s your palette?” Bailey asked.
Landon frowned. “Fine, I think. Honestly, it’s not something I’ve ever thought about before.”
Bailey chuckled. “That’s about to change. Pretty soon you’ll be dreaming about the different blends. Like sugarplums dancing in your head.”
“Dreaming, huh?” he asked. “That’ll be a nice change of pace.
” He didn’t tell her that a lot of his dreams involved exacting payback on the folks at the laboratory who’d scapegoated him.
He wasn’t sure he could move on from that injustice until his good name in the scientific community was restored.
And it wasn’t something he could achieve while in Moose Falls, Alaska.
“What makes a stellar flavor?” Although he’d consumed his fair share of Yukon Cider’s products since he had been in Alaska, Landon hadn’t really been studying the flavors.
He was a goal-oriented person, and he intended to make the holiday line exceptional.
Hattie was counting on him, and he wasn’t going to let her down.
“It all depends. Some of the standout flavors are bold. Others are bubblier, tangier,” Bailey said. “And so much depends on individual tastes.”
“Some are light, I imagine,” Landon added. “Fruitier.”
“Those are some of my favorites,” Bailey said, “although there aren’t many I haven’t enjoyed.
I’m an equal opportunity cider lover.” The smile she sent in his direction threatened his equilibrium.
She really was sensational. With his limited dating experience, Landon had never gone out with a woman like Bailey.
She was outgoing and dynamic, whereas the women who had gravitated toward him had been more reserved and from the world of academia.
“When we first arrived in Moose Falls, I didn’t have much experience drinking hard cider, but it’s really grown on me,” he admitted. He, along with his brothers, had quickly become fans of the brand.
“What are some of your favorites?” Bailey asked. She was leaning toward him as if she couldn’t wait to hear his answers. Even though he was a newbie in the cider lab, Landon felt as if his opinions were valued. And not simply because he was Hattie’s grandson.
“Cranberry. Raspberry. Citrus flavors like orange,” he said. Landon could almost taste the flavors on his tongue as he mentioned them. His grandmother’s ciders were full of zest and flavor. He really hadn’t tasted any that he hadn’t enjoyed.
“I like that,” Bailey said, nodding approvingly. She began typing into her iPad fast and furiously.
“What about you?” he asked. “What do you enjoy?”